Iowa voter. [volume] (Knoxville, Iowa) 1867-1874, 1872-03-07
The British Case.

The British Case.
NEW YORK, Feb q.
The Tribune this morning publishes an
abstract Of the British Case submitted to
the Arbitrators at Geneva. In this state
ment Her Majesty's Government CON-
plains that it has had to reply to an argu-
ment not yet presented When that shall
have been presented, and the claims of
the United States shall be defined precise
ly, Her Majesty's Government will exer-
| else the right conferred on it by Article 4
of the treaty to submit to the Tribunal an
additional Or more extended state of facts,
as the case may exact, until the compar-
ison of cases presented by both parties
shall determine the points really in dis
pute between the two Governments. Ii
will refrain from all discussion intended
to sustain its own position, and will limit
itself at present to submitting to the judg-
ment of the Tribunal the following con-
siderations: AS the ships, whatever may
be the circumstances, were procured in
British ports for war purposes, and were
employed as belligerent cruisers against
the United States, while Great Britain
herself remained neutral, these events have
been the cause OF displeasure and regret
to the Government of Her Britannia Maj
jesty. This regret exists despite the fol-
lowing facts, which it must be con-
coded are important to arrive at just
| appreciation Of the question. The YES
sells were procured by cunning and clan
destine means, which baffied the vigilance
Of the Government officers. Not one had
the least armament. Some had been con-
structed as ordinary merchant vessels
having nothing which would adapt them
specially for war. In number they were
very small; and, finally, the persons who
obtained possession and control of them,
and employed them for belligerent pur-
poses, were themselves American citizens,
which the United States Government has
always admitted. Such facts should seri-
ously affect in the mind of every impartial
man the question relative to the response
bility of neutral government. The
United States Government processes to
have the right to pecuniary indemnity for
claims which it says resulted from the
acts of these vessels; that is to say, war
| like operations carried on by means of
| these ships by persons who had them in
their possession. 1t is evident that pre-
| tension of this nature is such that Her
Majesty's Government, animated as it is
with the most amicable sentiment toward
the United States, could not, in virtue of
| the respect it owes to its own rights and
| those neutral nations in general. consent
to admit, since it believes that it
! is not founded on justice. 1t devolves on
the United States to establish the propo-
sitionS it has advanced, TO state clearly
the international duty or duties or which
they are based, and to demonstrate the
violation of which it complains. A
charge against a sovereign government
| having eyinced culpable negligence in the
exercise of one of it's powers of sover-
! eighty is an imputation which should be
sustained by strong and solid reasons. A
nation ought not TO be held responsible
| for delay or omission which may be
due simply to accident. and not to want
! of foresight or reasonable care. Finally
it does not suffice to demonstrate that an
act has been committed which the govern
ment should have foreseen. What must
| be advanced and proved is, that the gov
eminent failed to exercise the same
amount of care as il usually employs in
| internal affairs, and which it may be
reasonably required to use in matters at
fecting international interests and duties.
If the Tribunal decides that Great Britain
has incurred any responsibility whatever
toward the United States, the question
will then arise as to what will be the just
measure and extent of that responsibility.
Her Majesty's Government abstains at
present from entering on this ques-
ton, and reserves for more adj
vanced period of discussion all
observations that it shall determine
to submit on this point in the name
of Great Britain If claims of this kind
were admitted without reserve, a bellig-
erent could ask TO be Unidentified by a
neutral for results which justly ought not
to be laid to the act of the latter but
should be placed to his. own incapaclty
and deficient initiative. Her Majesty s
Government is obliged to point out that
in regard to ships which form the object
of the preceding statement, the United
States Government or its officers evinccd
extraordinary hardness in employing the
naval force at its command, and that, II
! ordinary activity were exercised to cap
ture or intercept these vessels, the losses
of which the United States complain to-
day would have been in great par, avcrted.
! Whether the decision of the Tribunal is
! or is not favorable to her, Great Britain is
ready to Weld to the decree She has
only one wish, that ii be just. She raises
| only one prctension, that it be founded
on a faithful and equitable Interpretation
of the rights of man, and on principles
which herself and all other powers will
not repent of recognizing and observing
either as neutrals or belligerents in time
! to come.
A strange case of temporary or inter-
mittent loss of vision has recently occur
red in Flint. Mich, to ayoung man named
| 1l.-lon Gnancn a mn1lder in the GeneSce