The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-02-03
The United States Case ON tho AIabam inns
Clnims-Tho English Agitation.

The United States Case ON tho Alabama
CIaims-Tho English Agitation.
There appears to be a great excitement in
England-there is certainly very active
agitation going on through the English press
on the case of the United States on those
Alabama claims as submitted to the Geneva
Board of Arbitration and already widely pub
lished for the information of the English peo-
pie. The case of England has not yet been
proclaimed; but our case has excited the
wrath of John Bull, and he pronounces it posi-
lively shocking and perfectly outrageous, by
Jove! The London Advertiser asserts that
Chief Justice Cockburn, in the face of this
intolerable case, will withdraw from the
Board. and that Her Majesty's government
(hear, hear)-will repudiate the Treaty of
Washington. The London Ne,os pronounces
our ''little bill" out of the question, and main
tains that Gin this opinion it is backed by the
undivided sentiment of the country" In
word, the discussion of the Alabama claims
in ''the tight little island" has broken out
ferociously, ''and grows more and more vehe-
ment as the opening of Parliament APP
proaches."
Here we see again, as in the discussion of
Senator Summers famous speech on these
Alabama claims, that at sight of the offensive
facts, figures and ''vouchers" the sturdy
Briton fires up like turkey-co when chal-
lenged by bit of red flannel But this will
never do. And all these patriotic vaporings
as to the retirement of Justice Cockburn from
Geneva In disgust, and of the reputation of
the Washington Treaty, are very silly, childish
and ridiculous. Much of this newspaper in
dignation, however, may be charged to ''bun-
combe" and to that fundamental idea of the
newspaper Bohemian of anything for a SEN
DR.. johnson, has given it as his opinion that
patriotism 10 the last res'ge of the scoun-
drel;" and he might have added, it is the
cheapest of all the virtues of the Bohemian,
such as they are. All dispassionate men say
that the arbitrations agreed upon in the Treaty
of Washington are good examples of wise
craftsmanship, as a choice upon the issue of
peace or war. 1t is treaty of mutual conces-
sions. England, among other things, on her
part apologies for the scandalous role she
played in the building, equpping, manning and
shipping off to sea of the Alabama and other
piratical cruisers, and agrees to foot the bill Of
costs. We present our bill in pursuance Of
this treaty, list of ships destroyed without q
parallel since the sinking and burning of the
'Invincible Armada" and the burly Britons,
r. bo al a.; nk,
clap their hands upon their breeches pockets
and cry out, "You have been raking the FIVE
oceans for these ships, whalers and all, and
this sort of thing is out Of the question, don't
you see?"
Nevertheless, this bill will have to be set
tied. We suspect, too, that the bill Of counter
claims from Her Majesty's government will be
something new under the sun, and that in
the end q considerable portion Of the
damages to our interested merchants and sea
States Treasury. But il every penny Of
damages resulting from the depredations upon
our trade OF the Alabama, Shenandoah,
Florida, &C., is drawn from the Bank of
England, 1t will for Epgland be good bar
gain. We say good bargain; for, look you,
the real damages to us, directly and indirectly
resulting from England's one-sided neutrality,
as an ally of JEFF Davis, may be safely set
down as not less than thousand millions OF
dollars. England's moral and material aid to
Davis prolonged his war for Southern con-
federacy at least year longer than otherwise it
would have lasted; and this idea was the
general idea Of the American people when
this Treaty Of Washington was concluded
and with their general endorsement.
And why2 Because they believed and De-
lieve that peace with England is better ana
will be better than war for us, Tor England
and for the world; because peace for us vii.
be better than thousand or ten thousand
millions gained hy war with Enslaud-pettss