Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1872-02-16
The DANGER 10 the Treaty.

The New York Nation considers the Treaty
Of Washington in imminent danger from two
sources q" First, the Treaty never wEs popular
in England 1t WAS accepted ss mode Ct ef-
cape from position of considerable difficulty
and embarrassment but it was not welcome
aud gratifying mode of escape 1t was
throughout, string Of humiliAtions. Second,
the Ministry is not as strong nov as 1t was
when the Treaty vas made, and its weakness
has been largely due to growing dissatisfaction
with 1t, foreign policy and with its preparations
to give it effect An outcry which Mr.. Glad
stone could have dsregArded twelve months Ago
be can hardly SO efectuslly disregard At pres
ent, and the ssssult on the American Case
will probably serve as powerful weapon to the
opposition. 1t i, bad enough, they will say, to
eat dirt in order to escape 8 kicking but to
eat dirt, and get the kicking, i, something to
which no nation can be expected to submit to
more than cnce -
The Nation also evidently thinks that the
claim for consequential damages should not have
been presented. 1t says
We believe nothing Wss better understood by
both parties, when the Treaty of Washington was
under negotiation, than that the question of con-
sequentisl damages-thSt is, the question
whether England was responsible for the loss
caused by the prolongstion of the war after the
escape of the Alzbsmk-wss not 4 question Of
dispute between the two countries. Mr. Sumner
made great uprosr by trying to put this ques-
ton into the guise Of a legal proposition, but
no sensible man, lay or professional, in
either country, gave his performance any
attention, excep: as passionate ex-
precision Of feeling likely to create good deal Of
popular excitement 1t was never considered
by any lawyer as q question which could be
grsyely submitted to any human tribunal. The
American Commissioners produced ii, as the
newspapers produced 1t, as q general and vague
description Of the American csuse of complaint
sgsinst England, to be used in IN further prose
eution of the quarrel in case no " amic&ble set
tlement' WAS arrived at. But nobody hoped or
believed that a thousand million Of dollars, the
sum Germany has wrung from unhappy France
ST the point Of the hsyonei, WAS to be obtSined
from England by any process short Of war. 1t
IL alleged, on the American side. that there is no
reston why this claim should not be passed upon
by the Geneva Commission, inssmuch as the
Washington Commission has been SLOWED to pass
upon claims under the cotton loan Of the Confed-
ersey. There is a certain snslogy between the
two cases, but there is not enough. The claim
for consequential damages lie inside by the United
State Government the clsim under the cotton
loan is made by private individuals on their own
responsibility. and without any recognition or
encouragement from the English Government.
EOw much is lisey to be gained by IT.
sistiug on the claim for indirect d.msgss, we DO
not know, but all mas, agree with the Nation
that both psrtie, owe it to the great interest Of
civilization not u let the Treaty Of Washington
miscsrry for any but substantial reasons