New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1872-03-01
AMERICAN VIEWS OF THE TREATY.


The london Times of Feb. 10 publishes
socod cttor from Mr. Geo. w smaley, which is given
below
SIR: stated in a former letter some Of the evidence
which seemed TO me 70 S9O" may S f am IN the
Treaty of Washington, that the American people ch-
pecteG them 70 DC ~c ScSn rStifod on the face of
H. such statement although II contradicts the Engusn
Geneva was novelty surprise. may seem to leave
the two nations farther apart than ever III p1ts US IN
have loudly declared You will never submit to arOitra
ton But believe the difficulty 10 De more apparent
Than real venture TO think that your Government has
nisundcrstood the object Of and misconceived the
ne should finally have taken at GsneVn IGa vds
nor could anything might say about DC sara Win au
hOry For the PTese .c suT Which Indicate as believe
the mood Of the American Government ana people tune
True though it be that we meant all claims should be
included does follow that they were to he pressed
i'm an uirend way that any body dreamt they would
emharass the arbitration. The plain truth is,
the Government had choice. Englishmen have been
in the habit OF saying that MI summers satement OF
claims was "repudated" by the American people;
dsSented IRON his views of international obligations
did others whose chief claim to eminence lies IN me
side By The Great majority Of Americans competent
form opinion the matter. as well as by most OF
Gss TR0 S saTGed @ me first adequate Statement Of
the wrongs we had suffered a. dae bs9us q ss n a
cced may he found in the files OF the leading American
That being So and the popular view being fixed on the
basis of that speech, and remaining unaered down to
be for the American Government to disregard it In the
negotiation OF a treaty Clearly they could not no mat
ter what might be their own views as 10 the expediency
of pressing such claims, or the probability OF obtaining
by arbitration an award non tH 10 oe sde
by the American Commissioners at one OF the nrst meet
ings of the Joint High Commission, to take lump
sum and an expression OF regret in full of al
demands would have been accepted gladly by the very
people who had adopted Mr. Summers statement.
don't think anybody ever STReeeS to get sa asS Of
lint no uups on was
that proposal not stated very fully In the protocol
What went something like this When the Amerl-
ves did not at first reject it absolutely They asked the
Americans TO say what sum would be deemed s9tcent
We replied that if Great Britain would accept the pro
posal in principle there would 4e no serious dmey IN
agreeing on the amount. TINS was deollne1' ana ana
the proposal went on but 1t looks as IL, II We
consider did actually consider, a proposition
which Mr. Gladstone has since gone out of his way to de-
ancient honor OF England. 1t was well enough under
stood that the United States would have taken SIX mil
Cured to your Government, nor so Tar as know TO
any English journalist to read the American Case by
the light that propositiOni II the whole matter
not So serious should he inclined TO that the alarm
and INDIGNATION aroused in England have been abso-
uelr grotesque. You took fire at the notion of being
ask, 10 an immense sum which an nnlucky arith.
met.dan computed TO surpaSs the tribute imposed by
Germany on France Will only 9dG On tbs point mt. that nat
figures which have so much affected the popular lmagna
ton are of English origin; 49, . ., -. IL.
statesmen about the Treaty when il made. Before
the President, the conversation with Gen Butler
opened with sweeping declaration Of dislike to the
Treaty. 81 shall fight the TREATY" exclaimed Gen
body, as long as have breath IN my body" He ex
exceed the estimate of Commissioners, aud that,
when the awards to be made on these and on the
Alabama claims, the balance would he heavily against
us. But" proceeded Gen Butler, no money can be
congress. and he the amount large small for one
will never consent to the payment Of one dollar under
james Ephinstope Further" said Gen. Butler, "you
may rely upon it that if Engishmen get more under
arbitration the country VIII never pay IL. The House Of
Representatives cannot be got to vote money for such
Having Gen Buffers permission to quote these
Prcsdent and asked the President II they expressed
his vlcw How can you ask E was the answer e we
have made The Treaty in good faith We shall carry It
ont IN good faith matter what it costs US" But"
Euslsb Sward should exceed the American then what
Il don't think it WILL" replied the President 81 do not
nay IT, The House Of Representatives. will
10 money TO the payment Of which the honor Of the
Tie President went on to express the satisfaction with
which he had seen settlement reached and tue pride
he TOOK in the success of policy which had marked his
administration from the beginning-a policy OF peace
ambition was to settle ali standing disputes and take
care that ones were opened He was bent on
the debt and cutting at the same time,
he had DONE and confines Win 1t 6e s
vantage by assent.to the new rules by which such
a. against which any sum paid account Of the Ala
bama damages was worth talking about The Presi-
but for once he spoke freely and warmly.
As the approximations expressed by Gen Butler were
new 10 me repeated them 10 several other persons,
whose public position made their Opinions important
They did not share his fears nor adopt his views
man OF the Committee Foreign Relations in the House
of REPRESENTATIVES. Gen Banks has been thought IN
this country to hold strong anti English opinions In
America he is known as politician Of very great exPe
rience and particularly good Judge OF popular 1eel
ing and of probable action Of the House on any que
ton in which popular feeling is enlisted His answer
was Gen. Butler may undertake campaign OF that
sort if he likes, but he cannot get twelve Republican
yotes Nor there much reason TO suppose that the
Democratic minority in the House Will invite Gen. But
Iers leadership. On Monday OF this week he could not
induce the House to ask the President for information
whether England has proposed to withdraw from the
arbitration. 1t is believed that Gen. Butter is opposed
not only TO this Treaty but any treaty His friends
saw he wants with England. The people OF Amer.
With the exception Of Gen. Butler every American
whom met took the Presidents view Of the Treaty,
as an act binding the National Legislature 10 carry out
its provisions There is but one other whose declara
tious need quote, and quote him because presume
Engishmon viii consider what he said In favor Of the
"Treaty and Of good understanding between the two
strong evidenced mean Mr. sumner. 1t
has been asserted and again in English papers
that Mr.. opposed the ratification OF the Treaty
feated the Standardization Treaty because, among
other defects il provided only for the claims OF citizens
and not for those OF the Government He advocated the
subsequent Treaty partF because IL lnciuded those
claims which the other 0mitted--partly for reasons
which VIII state in moment Iae HGtoa pEeN9Gnt
mee Foreign Affairs in the senate because or di-
ference between him and the President on the Alabama
claims is an error, as shouo nave supposed
Mr.. Fish's dispatch might have convinced you.
His displacement was concession ana most
unwise one by very small majority OF the RSpu6-
can Senators to wish OF the President the grounds
of whose quarrel with Mr. Sumner are OF no concern TO
US Just But Mr. Sumner retained his great lhnu
ence on all foreign questions. The fact that he was
strong enough TO compel the President TO withdraw his
SantO Domingo annexation scheme sufficiently proves
that He could have defeated the Treaty Of Washington
have opposed the Treaty could he have
fui1y ne whom