The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-22
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
Tho Warrington Troaty-Englands Anxiety u
the Past and Courage OF the Present-Claims
Direct and Indirect Gladstons's Bul-
lying-American Charactsris-
tics-A Review Of the Work
Of the NegotiatorA


| aphorism, the truth OF which has seldom boen
more strkingly exemplined than by the manner IN
which, from first TO last, the negotiations with re-
gard to the Alabama claims have been conducted by
| the British government. Indeed, Lord Westbury.
formerly Lord Chancellor, and OF the shrewdest
lawyers that sat on the wooisack, said lass
Monday night in the House OF Lords, "As to the
treaty ITSELF think three charity boys OF ten years
old might have succeeded In making sintei-
lgible one." But the disingenuousness of Mr. CLAD
stone and his colleagues in the line Of
policy subsequently adopted with Respects
to the Interpretation or the treaty has
been quito a par with the want OF sagacty ana
Judgment displayed In the negotiation of it; and 10
Is to this phase OF the question that wish moro
particularly to call the attention OF your readers.
| when the British government originally agreed to
send Commissioners to Washington the condition
OF affairs In Europe was so critical that, from one
day to another, 1t was quite uncertain whether
England might not find herself involved in great
Continental war, the result OF which no human
prescicnce could foresee. She eager, there
| fore. to consent to any arrangement which weuid
relieve her from tho danger necessarily resulting
| from having the unsettled claims OF the United
States hanging over her at imminent crisis.
During the interval, however. which elapsed be-
! tween the ratification OF the treaty and the OPEN
ing OF the American case OF Geneva, the aspect OF
|
acing character; Great Britain had recovered
| from her fright and Mr.. Gladstone had made two
| discoveries that In the OF the dlrecs
| claims the decision OF the arbitrators WAS very
| likely to be against England; and second, thats
now that the nation had recovered from its panic
| the imposition Of an additional two pence or three
| pence In the pound Income tax to pay said claims
| would render any government which imposed 10
extremely unpopular with the great mass OF the
i ,pil1 ID, Ind thn ooplt -
be to drive the liberal party at once from power
| In this dilemma Mr.. Gladstone was not unwilling
to catch at any withdraw from the treaty,
| and the, | must say, i-advised presents
| ton OF the indirect claims afforded him
plausible pretext for doing so. At once the Times,
Telegraph, Daily Nesos and other liberal journals.
taking their inspiration from members OF the House
| OF Commons known to be en- rapport with the Min
istry, sounded the alarm. very pretty little storm
was raised against the United states, and in the
excited state OF public feeling Mr.. Gladstone was
when he made those rash and violent remarks on
the subject OF the indirect claims, which he subse-
quently was under the necessity OF retracting.
In his cagerness to mpute sharp practice TO th0S0
| who had had the management OF the American
case, Mr.. Gladstone forgot, however, that az soon
as the evaporation against the United States gov
eminent. which the press had famed almost to .
white heat had had time to cool ittle ne and n:
to account for ratfyIng treaty couched
in such ambiguous terms to have afforded loop
mole even IOr lHSerLOn OIL Tic ChLtnbS
And, as matter OF fact such was the case. In 5
short time reaction took place IN public senti-
ment, and the anger OF the community was shiited
those who had negotiated the treaty on It's behalf
And not without justice 1t must be admitted, In the
light OF recent revelations; for II now appears from
the speech made the other day by Sir Stafford u.
Northcote, one Of the English Commissioners thas
the Indirect claims on the ground that if they were
expressly. excluded the American Senate would
: added that the American Commissioners had
promised that the indirect claims should
at Geneva which latter assertion has been denied
on your side OF the water. 1t Is obvious, however.
mssloners were perfectly aware that, BY the tex,
Of the treaty, the Indirect claims were not expli-
anG Se ns soa
concealed this circumstance from their own gov
Mr. Gladstone decare as he d in ne
House OF Commons that "no one who had read tho
treaty could have the slightest doubt that by its
Guided ?"
Mr. Gladstone, in the speech above referred to.
gave pledge on behalf OF Her Maesty's govern
ment that under no circumstances would they bo
induced to enter into arbitration on the indireot
had been unequivocally withdrawn. Subsequently
Mr.. Gladstone found IL expedient to effect change
OF 'front.'" and he renewed negotiations with the
United States for an amicable settlement Of the
reTdtd QuestiO-nOt with any very strong idea u
sm his but sp e the the hope
of public indignation which threatened It.
His proposal met with better @ reception
people, with that singular openness to conviction
by argument which Is one OF their most strongly
marked CHARACTERISTICS Disrae said on one
occasion in the House OF Commons that a friend Of
his, who had spent some time in the United states,
had declared IL to be his conviction that the Amer
cans the most tractable people In the world
had become convinced that the indirect claims had
better never have been introduced into their case
and were disposed to withdraw them from the con-
sheraton OF tho arbftrators, II 1t could be done
consistently with the national honor. But in con-
N supnlempp artiClp
American government exposed itself to be both
misunderstood and misrepresented. logged
tenacity OF opinion Is one OF the most strongly
country. "An Englshman never knows when
he Is beaten" one often hears IL trnmphantly said
here But this very unwilllngness to admit defeat,
however admirable quality on the battle field,
Is not quite so desirable q one in everyday life,
when it assumes the form Of IN utter deafness to
reason and argument 1t thus follows that the
nor understands the style OF mind which induces
a man, when in the wrong, to admit himself to be
So The Brton is frequently but too apt to regard
result OF weakness and ID disposed therefore, to
take advantage oft.
stone Ii by no means exempt; and he has shown,
during the latter part OF the negotiations marked
disposition to look upon each concession OF the
American government as simply stepping stone
to the e6actlon OF another, hoping one OF two
ken or altogether lin which case his Cabinet would
not be under the necessity OF mourning the odiuul
concessions made by the United states would be Of
substantial character that the prestige OF hav-
ing exacted them might be an equivalent In the
eyes Of his countrymen for the pecuniary damages
they might be ultimately called upon ~ pay. In
this, however, he has found himself mistaken; and
the general evaporation OF public sentiment
with regard to the manner in which the govern.
ment has played fast and loose with tho question IN
dispute found expression last Tuesday In the House
OF Lords, in Earl Russelrs motion that It was Inc Z
pedient that the negotiations with the United
States should be continued unless the indircce
claims were FIRST absolutely Withdrawn In otnef
words, the resolution was equivalent 10 vote ~
censnre on Mr.. Gladstone and his Cabinet. Although
the Earl Yielded on Thursday. TO the pressure thas
was brought 70 bear upon hum ny members Oh tn0
liberal party and reffalned irom pressing ms mo-
ton to division, the course or the debate. On tho
first night showed clearly how strong was tue feel.
ing among the peers on the subject.
How yie matter will ultimately be settled 10
would bo unsafe In view Of the contradictory state
menta which are put forth from day 10 day, TO pre-
AZ. pnt ,his much Ia certain. even II