St. Johnsbury Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1867-1919, 1872-02-23
The Question of Arbitration.

The English people are thoroughly
fnI the damages inflicted upon our COM
mcrcr during the I,.brlliom 10y The Ala
haniI and other vessels fitted out III
England. hut more especially hN uur
claims before the Geneva arbitration
for consequential damages for the
pr0tItrti"n of the war. 10y the aid and
comfort rendered to the c"ntcdcracN
after "ur decisive victory at tiettyShurg.
\ neutral power had no right to step
in and afford either moral or material
aid /" rchrl> III arms against our GOV
crnmrut. They allowed these vessels
L" hc iittrd out in their own waters.
Ind 10 leave under the prrtcn>c that
THEN GOV eminent had no authority to
drtL;u them hrcaIl>c they left without
naval arImamentS. when they we'll
knew that the necessary material had
been torW ar,lcd to some of their colo
NAL ports. and was ready 10 hr taken
aboard 81 soon l> the vessels should
reach these places "fcon>igmmrnt. The
plclrn>c WAS too shallow To he named
1T all 10y Il government of the dignity of
Great britain.
Ii WIS we'll too for our government
To present the claim for consequential
damages for the prolomyation of the
war, and await with patience the dis
cu>>i"n of the matter 10y the board of
arhitrat"r>. Ii WAS necessary to do
this that the whole question at issue
might he settled at once. \ linalitN
should be reached, that when the ref
crcncc should end there would remain
no csllI>t. of umca>nc>S between the two
governments. 1t L. not supposed that
ON government expected to recover Il
Il large sum, if amy, upon this part of
the is>rIr, but it is important there
should he no remainder for future con
trovcrsl.
The English press. her statesmen and
people apparently. unite i'll demanding
that this claim hr withdrawn. Our
government seem determined not to do
it. Gen. Grant is for fighting il out
upon the original line and no other,
leaving the English government to take
such Il course ;lS it deems best. The re-
spouSihility j. theirs, and they cannot
escape it. The United States can afford
=.
arbitration fails to reach IL final settle
ment it will bc the fault of Great Brit
ain. 1t will hr because of the intelfer-
cncc of her government with the action
of the conference of arbitration. WEI
have nothing to fear from the continu-
ed pcndenry of the question. Great
Britain has. She stands IN the attitude
of isolation among the growing powers
of the world without the sympathy of
powers, and with that os scarcely one
of the second or third rate powers of
the world. England does not want
war. Weakened 10y her extended col
"nial possessions. she lacks the com
pactncss essential To Il successful con
test with another power apparently in
ferior 10 her own. Should England
become involved in war with some liza
ton not the uited States with the
Alabama question still pending she
would have reason to fear that the peo-
pie of the United States would think it
an opportlInc moment 10 settle the
mattel. They would. doubtless. have
good reason for such an apprehension.
Neither the United States or Great
Britain wish for war. 1t will not come.
y higher civilization than that which
has controlled the past is becoming po- !
tcmtial i'll the adjustment of national
differences. The mere agreement by
our government and that of :rea, Brit !
ain upon the principles of the Washing /,
ton Treaty demonstrates this fact. The !