The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-09
THE ROAR OF THE LION.
An English View of ''The American In
dIctment.''

From the London Standard, January 16.1
The statement of the American case, sub
mltted under the Treaty of Washington to the
International Commission en- the Alabams
claims, Is now before U.S. and we have read II
With regret, with dSmay, and with feeling
of utter hopelessness In respect Of any amica.
BILE understanding with those who can allow
such document to be put forth on their be.
half, such as we have not entertained at any
previous period of the controversy. Had such
q plea come under our notice as addressed to
an English court by the plaintiff In civil
suit, we should have said that the latter was
acting under the advice Of q sharp aud un.
scrupulous attorney; that he had inspired that
attorney with his own splteful and vindlctlve
spirit; and that the pleadlngs were In
tended, not to present real case to
uttermost the minds Of the jury, part
ly to give vent to the bitter animosIty In
which the suit itself had Its rise. Such artl-
fees, such exhibitions of personal malice, may
be permitted in q civil dispute, though neither
counsel nor client raises bis character by in
dulging In them. But great nation ought
not to plead In the spirit OF pettlfogginS at
torney; the representatives. of Slate ought
not to address an International tribunal, Sit
ting for almost the first time in history to ad-
judlcate on dispute which would formerly
have had no solution but the sword, and 10
set an example for all nations and all future
time, In the language of spite, and with the
demands of eXtortionate lawyere. Least OF
all Is such conduct excusable when the de-
fendant State has done all In Its power 10 re-
move the feelings of resentment and bitter
ness left by the alleged offence; has gone TO
the utmost verge of the concessions that self
respect will permit 10 it's desire 10 conclllate,
and, as prelude to the trial OF the issue wheth-
er or not 1t has given any just cause of offence,
has condescended to express regret d that Of.
fence, through whatever cause, has occurred
What Is likely to be the effect upon England,
npon Europe, upon our relations with the
United States, upon the willingness OF other
nations to submit their differences 10 arb1tra-
ton, of the present conduct OF the American
Government? We have shown them O for
bearance and courtesy unexampled In history.
We negotiated treaty of arbitration, and
they repudated it with unparalleled rudeness,
and In spirit of sheer hostility. We showed
ourselves willing to renew the negotiations:
we conceded nearly every point In dispute;
we consented to make preliminary express
6jon of regret for the occurrences OF which
they complained; We waived our claim
to redress for grievance similar In prin-
ciple, but much stronger In circumstance,
than that on which they rest their case
cessions we agreed that q court OF ar
bitraLlon should try the claims Of those Ameri:
can citizens who profess to have been Injured
by cruisers taking their departure from Brit
ish ports. And thereupon The American Gov
ernment presents to the 'arbitrators case I'm
peaching our conduct from the beginning OF
the war TO the end, and calling upon them
and herein the case Itself Is far worse than
anything we gathered from the summarize
award to America gross sum, by way of dam
ages, calculated to include the depredations
not only oflhe cruisers bought by the Confed-
crates In England and armed at sea, but every
cruiser that The Confederates ever equipped
in their own ports; and not the depredat1ons
of the cruisers alone, but the whole loss said
to have been incurred through the increased
rate OF insurance, the transfer Of American
vessels to foreign owners, the cost Of pursu.
Ing the cruisers (and taking good care not TO
come up with them,) and the entire expenses
of the last year and a half of the war, alleged,
in daring defiance Of truth and common sense,
to have been protracted solely for the sake of
keeping these cruisers at sea- Why, who be-
leves that even our present government
would ever have agreed to the arbitration
If 1t had anticipated pretension so
monstrous? War would have been cheaper,
and would have spared US the humiliation
that would be involved In submission to 30
iniqultous and insulting claim. Those read.
ers who have attenlively followed our course
during the last seven years know that the
Standard has studiously endeavored to avoid
everything which could embitter the relations
of the two countries, and has advocated peace
and permissible concillation to the utmost OF
Its power. No candid man, therefore, will
suspect us of undertaking the evils Of war
with the United States when we say delib-
erately that rather than entertain the mon
strous demands now preferred against Great
Britain, whatever the commission may think
of them, we would infinitely prefer to fight.
not exceed the amount of their present de.
mands; and war vigorously prosecuted,
giving the South another chance for indie
pendence, would probably put an end forever
to the threats, ve1ation and exactions which
we have endured at the hands of the Ameri.
cans ever since the acknowledgment of their
independence.