New-York tribune., 1872-02-27
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.


IIEyED THEY WERE EXCLUDED FROM ARBl-
TRATION-ANOTHER BASIS OF ARBITRATION
The following correspondence in relation 10
tho Alabama Claims Ia Published IN The London I"neS
OF the lith inst:
SIR: In your leader OF Saturday You nssnme, fear
and you hereupOn mark that the most useful TASK Wh
can now be undertaken each side is To Try ana c
stand tho position Of the other Sharing that Den,
will IL you like state what know about the views held
last year in America respecting the presentation dnac
claims | have no desire TO argue the question.
All 1 shall attempt Will be TO connhnicate ni AZ
sg1S s!on facts n EHsSn to me unknown
unrcgarded 1t has been assumed here tha ater inc
American proposal that Great Britain should oer an eA
preston Of regret and lump sum In sasfactlon OF
verifying had been rejected the United states
rasa of ia REJECTION 10 press the indirect claims, aban-
dOned them in fact; ut least that the American gov
that Americans as well Engshmen were surprised by
their appearance in the American Case IL na6 aSsp n,c
mistake we shall have got rid Of one yexaous mlsunder
hap5ened TO be in America just after the ratification
Of the Treaty by the United states Senate During six
weeks visit met many OF the men whose opIo%ns % on
knowledge Of the negotiations was most intimate: We
tain information the Treaty and the views a those
who framed It, aud the American feelng ABOUT H. but
What was said o me was I'm many cases 80 interesting
that asked whether might repeat it, ana even pub
lish II occasion Leave was ready gwen, anu
what going to will be said under the permission
Al no time within my recollection has American feel
ing toward England been so cordial the desire for
Complete reconciliation so general, they upon
the conclusion of the Treaty last Summer. There was
naturally at the time strong desire to know what
England thought and felt and whether the Treaty was
accepted here bond OF union between the TWO ma
ons and was likely result in permanent friendship
wrote letter giving account OF what had heard
and observed in England. said; among other thngs.
that although Engiishmen considered they had made
great concessions they found compensation for them
in the abandonment OF the American claim on az; aG-
lgerancy. / said nothing about abandoning In,
direct claims in general because nobody IN England hsd
suggested to me that they had been Abandoned But ny
the post after this statement Of mine had been pup
shed came letter from Mr. sumner, saying nom a5e
mistaken. We have abandoned nothing WenaVe mlue
Some concessions OF great value to England but we
have full right under the Treaty to claim all have eyer
claimed" Englishmen, suppose VIII say ~ once % I,ai
Mr. Summers opinion sure to he an extreme one ana
hostile to England and without slgnlhcance because Gi
the known disagreement between nln anu tue pIeSi i
dent but that is not true Mr.. sumner was constantly
consulted during the negotiations AS to his part IN tne
ratification of the Treaty and his supposed ennity to
England hope some day to be able TO state the "hoio
Soon after this, spent two days with Mr. Sumner at
his house in Washington. We went over the Treaty TO-
gether almost line by line met "a, Mr 0nsE ra,g lnegS
all talk the presentation OF the Indirect Claims ~
Geneva not merely assumed, but asserted ana the
shape they would take was dlsGussed as %ele tc yot
OF presenting them and the probable result OF their pre-
from cOnIecuring1 In subsequent conversations wth
the Presdent aud with that one Of the com
part of the Treaty, and with Mr. Adams he same view
fiat we had abandoned the indirect claims No had
any idea that they were barred by the Treaty or any
doubt that the language Of that document covered them
and was meant to cover them.
n further evidence Of the American understanding and
intent at the time OF making the Treaty be needed it
ra I've found i'm tho decarat ions Of a person that
Gen. Butler. His hostility to the Treaty was early de
cared lie attacked II many grounds all OF which
may be summed up in the general allegation that it
an instrument In which the United states had been
ontwitted had exacted little and yielded much and
had obtained adequate redress for thor wrongs Gen
Butler did the honor TO talk TO me about the Treaty
for more than two hours He went through IL III det
scrutinzing with microscopic minuteness enumerang
in long speech advantages accrnng to Great
Britain than you have probably discovered III II eVenye
ana dwelling every fault, and omission, ana sip OF
which the American Commissioners had In MS Jnde-
meut been guilty. suppose / need not tell you that
Gen. Butler lawyer of very great ability ana tnat
he has the largest ideas what Ia due from YOU Yet
from beginning TO end Of his Indictment u dlh not occur
him complain that under this Treaty 1t was possible
In one word in America last Summer, so
far know single Individual friend or enemy TO the
meant by both parties 20 nelude oil the claim, that had
ye and may add that leading jonrnasts who
in NewYork, Boston Springfield Cincinnati and Chicago
talked with everybody about the Treaty. II did not
always put questions about indirect claims II was simply
because their admission was taken Tor granted ihete
was hui opinion 1t would not have been possible to
assent either OF the Senate or OF the American
people to Treaty which VIII not say expressly eh,
cluied but rot believed to include expressly, and
beyond question. all classes OF claims horo No
direct testimony to offer and do not care ear to repeat
had sailed for home but was tod tnat Tue cohsuiatohs
aud conversations III which they had borne part had
|
been overeached or deceived and supposed that
| between them and the American Commissioners there
state OF mind Mt that time must be purely conJectura
aud suggest DOne but You will have anticipated me III
wondering by what complication Of unlucky chances
WAS possible for them to quit America IN Ignorance OF
the American view Of the Treaty which they were per
fectly comprehend. You cannot suspect forty millions
OF people Of conspiracy OF silence. ,,....,.. ,o,
| What have written above bears very directly upon
the attack which Mr. Gladstone has thought II consistent
with his position, and with the continuance OF friendship
| t,a fyOp
shown by the United States last year in framing the
Treaty and now in stating Its case before the OF
United states Will feel called upon to answer an attack
defense against it. hoped that prompt condem-
nation supported as 1t was almost unanimously by the
Press and by public opinion in Eneland and BY the re,
a5 doubt was that likely English to 'seas IN M
GladstOnes amazing indiscretion has sofened Ameri-
dispatches much his passionate words have done to
embtter this controversy aud to embarrass Its settle
is TO be carried i'll Mr.. Gladstones spirit the neya-
bic issue OF is war If in the spirit in which you have
Gianye aud Lord Derby have spoken, an amlcabe ad.
| Justmebt may yet be reached
| What Mr. Gladstone has said, however, makes It de-
sirabe that other facts touching the history Of the
negotiations and the mood Of the American Governments
and people should be known and these. with your
mission will state in following letter am, Sir, your
| obedlent servant GEORGE w. sMALLEY.
| -, Pdl(-DidH
SIR In my position as Chairman OF this Company
am brought into intimate relations with many leading
Americans, and have had recently anXons discussions
with them in search OF practical solution OF the
happy misunderstanding which threatens the peace VI
| two kindred nations.
As read 1t, the contention OF England Is that the
Washington Treaty negotiated and accepted upon
the faith OF a withdrawal OF that portentous list OF hd
claims first conjured UP In the American Senate by
| the inpBSs SsiOned OTatOry Of Mr.. Charles Sumner.
The contention Of the American Government Is that
they have brought these claims prominently before the
Geneva Tribunal within the terms and wording OF he
Treaty. and for the purpose OF finally dsposng OF them,
and so Jf closing the door tO all future controversy.
venture q suggestion through your columns which
anbnt MAY be aCcepted Without dshOnOr by bOtl