Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1872-06-07
The Alabama Claims.

The action of the United States Senate
in advising President Grant to propose all
additional article to the Washington
Treaty and his prompt compliance there
with, by telegraph, remove all prospect OF
a hostile termination of this long pending
difficulty. 1t is true the precise terms OF
the supplemental article are sought to be
kept from the public by the most scrupu-
lous vigilance. It is true, also, that the
Senate has changed the text of it in such
manner as to prevent it from being as pala-
table to the British Government as it was
/ in its orr ginal form, when dictated by Lord
! GRANVILLE to President Grant. But this
! amounts to nothing. II the present YER
biage Of the supplemental article does not
suit the British Government, all that will
be necessary to be done will be to notify
! the fact to President Grant and the de-
sired change viii be made. This state of
! things is very disgraceful, doubtless, though
| the claim for indirect damages ought to be
/ Withdrawn, for the reason that it ought
| never to have been made. Whatever dis
I grace may attach to the United States in
! the premises constitutes but small part
of the price the American people are pay
| ing for their folly in making General Grant
! their President,
But the manner in which President
| GRANT has Withdrawn the claim for indi-
rect damages is not more disgraceful than
the means by which he sought to Justify its
maintenance.
| In " The Case" Of which We gave Il brief
summary few days ago, there appears
what puports to be q brief &" historical
statement " of the facts that prove the I'M
! friendliness of the British Government.
If We are to judge Of the truthlulness of
the allegations generally on the part of the
Administration by that of the following,
the claim for damages of any kind is
scarcely worthy of a moments coHsidera-
ton, even if the conclusions of law sought
to be drawn therefrom be correct. On
page y it is asserted as an historical
:" fact, that
{. On tie 4th February, 1851, represent atives
! from some OF the States which had attempted to
90 through the form of secession, and reprcsen-
! tatives from the State of North Carolina which
| had not at that time attempted it, met at Mont
gomery, i'll the State OF Alabama, for the pur-
! pose OF organizing a provisional government,
| and having done so, elected Mr.. Je terson Davis
as the Provisional President, and Mr. AieNan-
der ii. Stephens the Provisional Vice Presi-
dent of the proposed Confederation"
The following act of the Legislature, Nh
der which the Representatives from he
State of North Carolina welt to Alaba Ia,
shows how wilfully the American Govern
ment has falsihea the truth OF history.
] Resolutions Concerning the Impeachment Of COM
aaiSsi0nerS to UashtngtoR CITY cpd to AtGJGmd.
Resolved, That for the purpose OF e1fectng an
/ honorable and amicable adj ustment OF all the
difficulties that distract the country upon the
| basis of the Crittenden Resolutions as modified
by the Legislature OF Virginia, and for the pur-
| pose OF consulting for our common peace, honor
| and safety, the Honorable Thomas RutfiE, OF
Alamance, ID. NJ. Barringer, David 5. Reid,
! John NJ. MOrehead and George Davis, be and
/ they arc hereby appointed Commissioners to re
/ present North Carolina i'll the proposed CONSUL
tatiOn to be held ut Washington City, on the 4th
| And 4cIe,cas The State Of North Carolina
| has been invited by the State OF Alabama to
meet at the city OF Montgomery on the 18th Feb
ruary, 1861 for the purpose OF framing a pfoVl-
sional as well as PERM '@"nt government 11dd
lrheredS, North Carolina as a part OF the FEEDER
al Union, has no right to send delegates for such
purpose, therefore,
2, BE 1t ResoIred That for the purpose of eff
fecting an honorable an amicable adjustment OF
all the cplties that distract the country upon
the basis of the Crittelrden Resolutions, as mOd-
tied by the Legislature of Virginia, and for the
purpose of consulting for oar common peace,
! honor and safety, the Hon. David L. Swain,
| NJ. w. Ransom and John l.. Bridger6 are ap-
! pointed Commissioners to visit Montgomery,
Alabama, for the purpose above Indicated.
! 3 Resotred FURTHER, That his Excellency, the
+ O., nor, Der, ,uested, Immediately, TO inform
IA nIniss,l, . Of their appointment, aad
/ ',.. E; fusat o. any OF them to serve, report
II .ou..ately to the General Assembly.
/ al! / 2Jth day of January, 1851
.it ct that our Commissioners to the
State Of Alabama took no part in the for
nation of the Confederate government, is
as well known to the country as it doubt
less was to the Administration.
On page % of ''The Case" we find the fol-
lowing:
''Having thus formally declared that the con-
templated limitation of the territory within
which negro slavery should be tolerated was
the sole cause Of the projected separation, and
having appealed to the world to support them,
the seeding States made efforts which proved
vain to kinduce the other slave States to join
them. No ether States passed ordinances OF Sc
cession until after the fall OF Fort Sumter. On