The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-03-15
TEE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
The Case Of Great Britain as Proseu.
ted to the Conference.

The Case of Great Britain as Proseu-
ted to the Conference.
The New York Tribune of the
9th ult., publishes an abstract of
the British case submitted to the
arbitrators al Geneva. In this state
ment Her Majestys Government COM
plains that it has had to reply to an
argument not yet presented. When
that shall have been presented and
the claims Of the United States shall
be defined precisely, Her Majesty's
Government will exercise the right
conferred on it by article four Of the
treaty to submit to the Tribunal an
additional or more extended state
ment of facts as the case may exact.
Until comparison Of the case pres
'ented by both parties shall determine
the points really in dispute between
the two governments, it will refrain
from all discussion intended to sus-
tain its own position, and will limit
itself at present to submitting to the
judgment of the Tribunal the follow
ing considerations: AS the ships,
whatever may be the circumstances.
were procured in British ports for
war purposes, and we're employed as
belligerent cruisers against the
| United States, while Great Britain
herselfremained neutral, these events
have been the cause of displeasure
and regret to the Government of
Her BrittaRic Majesty. This regret
exists despite the following facts,
which it must be conceded, are i'm
pOrtant, to arrive at 4 just apprecia-
tion of the question. The vessels
were procured by cunning and clan
destine means, which bafded the
vigilance of the government officers;
net one had the least armament;
some had been constructed as ordin-
ary merchant vessels, having moth
ling which would adopt them special
lly for war; in number they were
very small; and finally, the persons
Iwho obtained possession and control
Iof them and employed them for bel
lligerent purposes were themselves
American citizens, which the United
Estates Government has always ad-
United. Such facts should seriously
affect, in the mind of every impartial
man, the question relative to the
responsibility of National Govern
ment. The United States Govern
Iment processes to have the right to
Ipecuniary indemnity to claims which
Its says resulted from the acts of
these vessels; that is to say, the
warlike operation carried on by
means of these ships by persons who
had them in their possession. It is
Ievident that pretension of this ma.
lture is such that Her Majesty S
Government, animated as it is with
the most amiable sentiments toward
the United States could not, in vir-
tue of the respect it ows to its own
rights and those of neutral nations
in general, consent to admit, since
lit believes that it is not founded on
Justice. 1t devolves on the United
States to establish the propositions
lit has advanced; to state clearly the
international duty or duties on
(which they are based, and to demon
strate the violation of which it com
Iplains. A charge against a sover-
leigh government, having evinced a
Iculpable negligence in the exercise
of the one Of its powers of soYer
leignty, is an imputation in which it
should be sustained by strong and
Isolid reasons. A nation ought not
Ito be held responsible for q delay or
iomission which may be due simply
to accident and not to a want OF
foresight or reasonable care. Final
Ily, it does not suffice to demonstrate
that an act has been committed
which the government should have
foreseen. What must be advanced
and proved is, that the government
failed to exercise the same amount
of care as it usually employs in in
Iternational affairs and which it may
be reasonably required to use in
matters affecting International inter-
Iests and duties. If the Tribunal
decides that Great Britain has in
Cured any responsibility whatever
toward the United States, the ques-
Ition 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 question, and re-
serves for a more advanced Z -iod
of discussion, all observations that
it shall determine to submit on this
point in the name Of Great Britain.
If claims of this kind are admitted
without reserve, a billigerant could
ask to be indemnifed by a neutral
for results which Justly ought not to
be laid to account of either, but
should be placed to that of his own
capability.
Her Majesty's government is
Obliged to point out that in regard
to the ships which from the objects
of the preceding statement, the
United States Government or its Of
ficers, eVinced and extraordinary
tardiness in employing the naval off
GERS at its command, and that if Or
binary actiYity were exercised to |
capture or intercede these vessels,
the losses of which the United States
complein to-day would have been in
great part averted. Whether the de-
cision of the Tribunal is or is not |
favorably to her, Great Britain is
ready to yield to the degree. She |
has only one Wish-that it be just.
She raises only one pretension, 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 either as neu
trails or belligerents in time to come.
He cannot be an unhappy man !
who has the love and smiles of wo-
men to accompany him in every !
ef life. The world may |
look dark and cherries without
enemies may gather in his path
but when he returns TO the fireside |
and feels the tender love of women,
he forgets his cares and his troubles |
and il q comparativelv haDDv man.