Ashtabula weekly telegraph. [volume] (Ashtabula, Ohio) 1853-1873, 1872-02-10
From the New York Tribune.
The Treaty Furry In London.

~, tf sn ".N VI ArOltratlOn At 6onBVa,
The Times declares that if osr. case i
as reported the British government NAV
at one. give notice at Washington thai
all efforts at arbitration may as well
Cease, Other journals Join unh:sitat;ng.
y IN the Suggestion that the CSovep,l.
, ment shall deAand an immediate expla.
nation of the Intention of the American
Cabinet. Ehe Observer states that The
British government has sent a dispatch
to Washington, Withdrawing fpoln its
agreement 10 submit the Anbama claims
to arbitration il the Gab.Sty of England
tor indirect damages remains an open
question.
The excited and passionate tone in
which the English journals treat this
question is wholly unjustifiable. The
trlSNnal which is to pass upon the mat.
| ter between the two nations is now i'm
session. There has been 10 Indication
that any doubt of the entire inpartialitv
OF this tribunal exists in England or
here. There is no. reason for believing
that Great Britain will not be treated
with perfect justice. Both the British
and American Arbtrators are men 81
pre-eminent ability and fairness men
who will demand no more and accept no
less than justice. The representation of
the three friendly powers are nen of
equal integrity and judgment. Both
sides haze named some Of their best and
most sagacious lawyers TO carry on the
! discussion. 1t is natural that on either
side they shall make the strongest state.
ment of which the nature of the case
will a@sait- 1t is not to lie expected that
because We are amiably disposed, aud
because England has expressed her re-.
gret for the escape of the rebel crus, rs
from her ports, that we have therefore
waved our claims fer the restitution of
our property robbed or destroyed. 1t is
childish error to suppose that the
Washington Treaty settled the questions
at issue. 1t only lTovided for means
of settling then, and the amount of dam
ages to be awarded to us by the Board
Of Arbitration is q matter to be decided
by that Board and not by the respective
governments, and still less by the New
York aaa London newspapers.
The prctense that the American claim
tor indirect damages is all after-thought,
or trcachcrons repudiation Of the pro-
tocol, is utterly without toundati N. The
nature OF our demands WAS clearly stated
al the very opening OF the conferences
At Washington. Our commissioners
spoke of the extensive direct losses we
had sustained Sin the capture and d.
struction of large number OF vessels,
with their cargoes, and in the heavy ma
tional expenditures in the pursuit oI the
cruisers, and indirect injury in tho trans
fer OF large part OF the American com.
mercial marine to the British flag, in the
enchnnced payment of insurance, in the
prolongation OF the war, and III the addi-
tion of a large sum 10 the cost of the war
and the suppression of the Rebellion"
They stated shat the amount OF the d.
rect loans to individuals, which had up
to that time been presented, amounted
to about Sl4,000,0O0, without interest,
an amount liable to be raised by the pre-
sentaliUD OF additional claims. They eY-
pressly said that, Sin the hope OF an
amcable settlement, 10 estimate WAS
made Of the Indirect losses, without pre-
judice. however, to the right of indemni
lication cal their account IN the event of
no such settlement being made" No
such settlement was made. The COM
missoners OF the high contracting parties
could come 10 no agreement Us TO the
degree and extent OF responsibility III.
Cured by Great Britain through the
conduct of the Anglo.rebel cruisers. All
that tbs commission could accomplish
was to frame an arrangement for the sub
mission Of these questions to au impartial
Board of Arbitration, with certain fixed
and definite principles OF action, and il
was this arrangement, accepted and rati-
fed by the two governments, by which
the present Board was created. Both
sides have presented their cases. The
American statement put ~ strongly and
clearly as possible the entire claim of the
United States for direct and indirect
damages sustained by our government
and people by the action OF the govern
ment and people of Great Britain during
the war. The British case naturally re-
duces their responsibility to ninialum.
We have no reason TO apprehend any
pantiaity, certainly none 10 hope for any
favor from the court. The excitement
and perturbation of the English press
would seem 10 indicate that our case as
pretended is stronger and more danger
GUS than they had supposed. But this
is no fault of ours.
IL is not probabls that this ont burst of
talk is to'io any special harm. Its rea-
sons are manifold. What is called in
London "the silly season" is now upon
the town. In all its tseee., b is the time
Of eccentric aud irresponsible discussion
in newspapers. The journals of tbs op-
position find the SUPPOSED concessions Of
the Treaty a convenient weapon OF Of
fense against Mr.. Gladstone, aid it is
possible that even the government Or
gans have reueiSed an mllmalion that a
certain aniouat OF violent clamor against
the American case may be OF advantage
in its influence upon European opinion
But il is not 10. be seriously apprehend-
ed that England will be misled into the
folly OF repudating the arbitration on
the pretext that We are asking more than
We have any right to Olsi.u. Already
the statement above quoted from Lon
don paper, that Great Britain had inti-
Jn2ted 10 our government An intention
Of Withdrawing fnonl the Treaty is cate
gorically denied by Mr.. Eish. II is
probably tLat the storm Of indignant
..o,,,oac, ,ylich has riapu will anh.icl,.