The Charleston daily news. [volume] (Charleston, S.C.) 1865-1873, 1872-02-09

themselves selected. We claim no more thai
the Court of Arbitration shall decide TO bt
our due; we will accept no less. By this Higf
Court, and not by British rabble or partisan
press, must the claims of the American natioI
of every class and description be adjusted. i
In the opinion of the tribunal selected under
] tho treaty of Washington, the action OF the
British Government makes the British natior
| liable for the loss OF our commerce and The
prolongatlon Of our civil war, the damages
| that may be awarded therefor must be pale
peaceably or will be collected at the point ol
the bayonet.
A number of small articles are interpreted
throughout its editorial columns with such
pleasing assurances to the warllke American
public as the following:
1--WE would manufacture our cotton in case
of war with England. The pauper labor ol
Manchester, Liverpool. Birmingham and
Sheffield would be driven into revolution for
bread. II they went into the army they would
be food for our powder"
"a war with England would settle the fish
cry question. Joy to Ben Butler and Cape
Cod. Our fishermen would man the priva-
teers. That would abolish The three-mlle
limit"
"The battle of Dorking would be an Ameri.
can, not Prussian victory, in case of war
with England. The Coakney prophet made
mistake"
with England. There are two million able
bodied Irishmen here longing for chance"
The World takes more pacific view OF the
matter. 1t says:
It Is most unfortunate that the Geneva Com
mission Is called to discharge lis duties 10 the
year ofa Presidential election. General Grants
administration was strongly tempted 10 frame
the American lease" With view to its effect
as an electoneeriDg document In the ensuing
political canvass.
A careful reperusal OF the treaty since the
present outbreak OF incensed feeling in Eng
land, conslrains US 10 acknowledge that some
Of Its most important provisions are vague.
We thought this no objection at the time the
treaty was promulgated, because We supposed
there was perfect understanding between
the two governments respecting the lnterpre-
tatIon which they mutually put upon 1t. But
1t now seems that they differ 80 widely that
the British Government is ready to repudiate
the treaty rather than admit the American
construction OF 1t.
As things now look, General Grants admin.
istration has overshot the mark In trying to
make party capital out of this controversy.
II this treaty ls upset and repudiated, the pub
lie verdict viii be that General Grant and bis
advisers have bungled and embroiled q great
question instead OF settling it, and that our
foreign as well as our domestic interests can
be safe only In Democratic hands.
The Times-adminstrat organ-says:
How the British press has progressed from
the extremely careful and elaborate manner
OF its early treatment of this question to the
final frenzy which 1t ia represented by the
cable as having shown for two days past, 1t Is
Impossible to say. Nor Is 1t quite plain what
the British Government may regard as "lndi-
rect damages" which 1t refuses TO consent that
the Geneva Board shall consider. But 1t is
ernmenC, az announced By the Observer, will
be matter of complete surprise to the Amerl-
can people. We cannot conceal the fact also
that this action will arouse good deal Of
feeling warmer than surprise. We were all
heartily glad when we supposed that an hon.
orable and peaceful way had been found to
settle the ngly differences" as the treaty
calls them, growing out OF the Alabama busi-
ness. II 1t shall turn out that our confidence
was misplaced, disappointment will BIZ added
to the sources OF bad feeling which were al
ready too numerous. We sincely trust that
the reported reopeninC of the matter-for the
action of the British Government Is nothing
less-may assume some less threatening form
Than that in whioh- -sho-.nahle -disDatch pre-
sents 1t.
The Tribune quotes Secretary Fish as au-
thority for complete denial of the report
that negotiations for reform OF the American
policy have been open between England and
America. The plth of Its editorial opinions is
as follows:
1t is not probable that this outburst Of talk
is to do any special harm. Its reasons are
manifold What is called In London ''the sill.
IL season" is now upon the town IN all its
force. It Is the time OF eccentric and ire
sponslble discussions In newspapers. The
Journals of the OPP osItion find the supposed
concessions OF the treaty convenient weapon
of offence against Mr.. Gladstone, and 1t is pos
sible that even the government organs have
received an intimati0n that certain amount
of violent clamor against the American case
may be of advantage In It's influence
upon European opinion. But 1t Is not to be
seriously apprehended that England will be
misled into the folly of repudlating the arb.
tration on the preteXt that that We are asking
more than we have any right to claim. AL
ready the statement above, quoted from a
London paper, that Great Britain had lutlma-
ted to our government an intention of with
drawing from the treaty, Is categorlcaly de-
MED by Mr.. Fish. 1t is probable that the
as suddenly as that which followed Mr.. Sum-
ner's speech, will subslde with equal facility.
But if popular clamor should defeat the minis
try on this question, and compel their success
sors to denounce and Withdraw from the
Treaty of washington, 1t Is not the United
States that would be the heaviest loser by
such q course.