The Portland daily press. [volume] (Portland, Me.) 1862-1921, 1872-05-13
The Tribune and the American Case.


Mr.. Greeley in the Tribune of Saturday,
takes very manly position in respect to the
Geneva Conference matter and the American
Case, in marked contrast to the expressions
of some small partisan journals, which have
been attempting to make political capital
against President Grant out of the Treaty
complications. After commenting upon the
terms of the Treaty and showing that the
claim for indirect damages was founded on
principles which has always been upheld by
our statesmen of all political creeds, the Tri-
bune says: af5
''When our case was presented, it was found
to iuclude, besides the demand for compensa-
ton for losses of individual citizens claims for
damages sustained by the nation at large
through the acts of the Anglo-Rebel cruisers.
There was certainly no novelty in this. The
principle had been stoutly contended for by Mr.
Adams and Mr.. Seward through several years
of controversy with the British Government
The fact that it was virtually ignored by Mr..
Reverdy johnson in his Convention contributed
to the rejection of that instrument in the Uni
ted States Senate. 1t was not excluded by any,
thing in the Treaty or Protocol, and unless every
gentleman who represented us in the High
Commission has lost his conscience or his MEM
DRY, there was understanding around the
Council Board in Washington which estopped
When, therefore, the clamOr against the
American Case burst out i'm England, started
by the Opposition as weapon of attack, and
still more fiercely brandished by the Govern
ment as weapon of Defense we defended the
substance of the case. We took our stand OH
this impregnable ground-that we had to in
clude the indirect claims in our Case
and no power on earth except the Tribu-
nal at Geneva had the right to decide they
were not properly there. As we have said over
and over again, England could not prepare her
Case and our own ALSO
But there came moment in which we had
reason to know-as usual, in advance of all our
cotemporaries-tbat our Government had been
so far moved by the buster in Parliament and
the clamor of the Press, as to propose a COM
promise which should evade a decision of the
Board upon our claims. We promptly publish
this fact, and gave our reasons for Disappearing
such action, considering it equivalent to a SUR
render Of the position we had held so long. 4
Even this concession. however, was apparently
not enough to satisfy the Government of Great
Britain, who, it is now reported, demand an
absolute withdrawal of our Case before the Ar
bitration shall proceed, threatening to with
draw from the Geneva Conference if their de-
mand is refused. We are told. from Washing
ton that Gen. Grant declines to accede to this
peremptory summons. We cordially approve
and sustain this decision of the President as re-
qufred alike by the honor and the interests of the
country"
This decided expression in favor ofthe case
as presented by our Government, in what
may be called, par excellence, the Organ of
the Greeley party, conveys singing rebuke
to Mr.. Greeley's new pledged supporters who
have so diligently argued the case of foreign
Government adverse to our own. Common
consistency wifi of course require them to
fully endorse this position as part of their
new political faith. We have here fresh il
lustration, which we are glad SO use, of what
we have always said, that Mr.. Greeley is an
upright, straightforward and fearless editor,
however unsuitable he may be from tempera-
ment and habit of thought to be President of
the United States.
"ALMosT."-With characteristic precision
the argus of Friday said: "The PRESS al
most called Greeley Rebel and Copper |
head yesterday" What the PRESS really |
said about that matter was just this: Mr.. |
Gree ley assuredly acas not Rebel or Cop |
pernead." We never saw the word used in |
quite that sense before.