The Fremont weekly journal. [volume] (Fremont, Sandusky County, Ohio) 1867-1877, 1872-02-16

VIC O4C W assam tNO SA'SeAn5 SsNA--4A-@
istration in order to bring it into
contempt, and it was just as neces-
sary that the other should defend
itself and take a high position in re-
gard to maintaining the national
honor. Hence D'Israili rose and
Called attention of the House to
the paragraph of the royal speech in
reference to the arbitration of the
Alabama claims. He animadverted
at some length upon the treaty Of
Washington, for the faults of which
he blamed the Foreign Secretary,
Earl Granville, and Premier Glad
stone. In view Of the developments
which had been made the assem-
blage of the arbitrators at Geneva,
DisraeIi wanted to know why the
government was exultant over the
edifcation it had given to Parlia-
ment on the subject. The royal
speech was signally unsatisfactory,
and showed, in his opinion, that the
government still lacked a proper ap-
probation of the gravity of the ques-
ton at issue between England and
the United States. The American
claims were greater than those that
would follow a total conquest. They
were preposterous and impractical,
and if admitted would be fatal to the
power and honor of England. Yet,
said Disraeli sneeringly, the whole
subject is disposed Of in one brief
paragraph of the royal sheech.
Mr.. Gladstone followed in reply.
He said the treaty of Washington
itself shows that England is ready to
make every concession short of ma
tional honor, to establish friendly re-
lations with America, and to set an
example to be followed by other ma
tions henceforth. The government,
said the Premier, is ready to explain
everything in connection with the
treaty, but it will not admit that 1t
has unwittingly made mistake. The
paragraph in the royal speech is the
only fair and unmistakable interpre-
tation of the treaty.
He could, if he desired, refer to
preposserOus character of the Amer
ican demands, which of itself proved
their absurdity, tor they were such
as no people in the last extremity of
war, in the lowest depths of national
misfortune, with the spirit Of the
people Of England in their hearts,
would ever submit to. Cheers.
Mr.. Gladstone concluded by say
ing that the government would
maintain the position it had taken
firmly, though in friendly manner.
This looks . little bellicose, but
we do not think it will end in any
thing warlike. 1t is probably the
heavy cannonade sometimes resorted
to by tacticians to cover a retreat or
change a position-a blind in the
face of the enemy. But it hardly
means war. England proposed to
submit the matters relating to the
alabama Claims" to Court of
Arbitration, her proposition was ac-
cepted and treaty made which was
conjointly ratified. If that treaty is
good for anything it is good to hold
England to the award which that
court makes. If it is not good for
anything, then our government
should never be party to another
treaty. whose provisions in cannot
enforce. When the calmer judge
ment of England resumes sway, she
will possibly revert to a little episode
which occurred in 1870, when Rus
sia gave notice of her intention to
abrogate the treaty of 1856, in re-
gard to the Black Sea, because the
terms of the treaty were oppressive
to her. She will recoIIect that she
insisted upon compliance with its
terms, and though disliking to do so
her adversary yielded. She may
bluster in parliament, but she will
hardly place herself on record as
choosing to disturb the peace of the
world, and invoke the arbitration of
the sword, rather than abide the
award of a court of her own choos-
ing. A reaction from the hostile
attitude manifested in the speeches
above outlined, has, however, be-
gan. On the 7th, the matter was
again up in the House of Commons,
when the telegraph informs US that
Ralph Osborne, member for Water
ford City, addressed the House at
length, and, in the course Of his re
marks, said that the Alabama uues-
tion was the most momentous one
England had been called to pass up-
on within a century. He compared
the astute lawyers who composed
the American Commission with the
novices who represented England,
and said the latter had been com
pletely outwitted. II, said he, law
yers had plaued the English case, we
could escape with the payment of
six millions sterling. The Ameri-
can commissioners had served their
country well and achieved triumph.
Mr.. Osborne continued and said the
trouble lay at home. The govern
ment had armies which could not
march and ships which were unsea-
worthy, and now they had a treaty
which they could not stand upon.
Arthur j. Otway, formerly Under
Secretary Of State for Foreign At
fairs, blamed the Government for
all the trouble which had been
wrought. He thought however,
that the American Government
would recede from its extreme de-
mands, but said that in case it did
not, England, having admitted the
principle of indirect claims, must be
prepared to meet the enormous de-
mands of the United States.
Mr.. Gladstone and several other