New-York tribune., 1872-03-26
THE ALABAMA CLAIMS.
ANOTHER AMERICAN OPINION OF THE LATE
AGITATION N ENGLAND-AMERICtNS EA-
HOKTED To GENEROUS FOEBE AEANCF.

ANOTHER AMERICAN OPINION OF THE LATE
AGITATION N ENGLAND AMERICANS ~
HOETED To GENEROUS FOEBEAEANCE.
Mr.. Cyrus W. Field has written to Mr..
sehIyer Colfay letter, dated London, Feb q, from
which the following is n extract:
The grave MISUNDERSTANDING which las arisen be
Great Britain aud The United States is due 10 the
has from the outset nterpre ed by the TWO
nations. have not met single person on tils 'Ie 3t
the AtAu.le Who expresses any uesitb 10 a para
out" 0f the Treaty, Or I" refuse the tuIhllment
Of any Que OF the OBLIGATIONS which IL IS ne NE,
Is that if the British people we're satisfied that
lrbitration had somehow crept Treaty
they yet would while passing emphatic votes of censre
time never cream Of caliug back thr pledge which
Lord IpOn and his co aues had given on their behalf
American Case oceIscned by the oeIei-unVr rrsdl
among al classes Of the English peope-tAaI their own
indeed other Interpretation had ever been, OF would
he T. it, II il desirable That Americans should
this faci-that until tte puhhaitiou o. tnc
Case nobody ti- s.ic Of the water had the
rpOrest idea mat the Washington Treaty cOnteup 4ted
more than arbitration with reference to the direct losses
nic ted by the Alabama ana other Confederate cruisers
which escaped rUu British ports DUNG c.r civii war.
Tbis i NOT marter of surmse-fs dem0nstrahe on :hc
pubic sentiment Of Eng and te wcn founded not
existence is 80 natur, that, it We Americans
wholly IN the right we ought to make every ao" ance
for ltl fact, treat 1t with generous iorDrarance.
VIEWS OF \ BELGIAN PIBLICIsT.
NJ. Emile de Lavelcye, the eminent Belgian
Beige On the Alabama question, and expresses the nope
that the Treaty of Washington Will be maintained. In
the course OF the essay, hf SAYS:
Since the American Onion enjoyed national existence
s has ALWAYS asserted the brCirst and most equitable
principle OF international law She maintained the
rights OF neutrls from the beginning and asserted them
ar the cost OF war scarcely ad her Independence
been recognized than she three penpOentares o
Europe propose 10 other nations that treat
rrncinle - the abolition of private
r-oneTtv at spa-that s, the suppression Of
nrivateerpg. she caused tAe principle 10 De
accented H. IT neutral flag protects eDenys ner-
chandise and that the uer handsc % ueutrals be re-
sneeted even under the enemy flag 0nd finally at the
Congress of Paris she proposed the tue modern prnc
pIehe absolute immunity Of private property on sea
a. on land The European statesmen did not comprehend
the grandeur and Justice of this idea they rejected H.
France and England suffering already the results of
ths narrowness " view and Of foresight IL ED-
gland mad then accepted the proposals of the United
States the Alabama Claims would not nave arisen for
prIvateering, being condemned by international law,
xmd have been treated act or piracy Az the De
Ginning OF the Of 1870 Prussia declared that she
vOuld adhere 10 the American principle ana nIFgcDd
ali captures at bun France believed hrrseIi aDh 10
maintain the ancient right, aud her cruisers ap'ureo
German vessels worth q, 100000, for wnch she his 10
pay an indemnify of three or four times the amount