Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1872-02-16

one think Of that amount and make ms OWL , vs.ate
of how much less the United stre5 would nave re- |
nrired 10 expend If the Queens proclamation OF neu.
fray had never been issued and H. the liorlua ahu
Alabama had never escaped from iiNtrpuoL ~ nis
rnnncciion remember that large number OF united
states war vessels four years enioytu ~ seeh-
n n, preyent the escape Of some Florida or Alabama
t ,, rrish mort or In vainly searching for her
over the ocean, aud remember that these SANE uu,vu
States vessels could have besh useu 'noIo @
To- close the Southern ports II they ma not Deen need
1 Tor fits other purpose These damages to the ma
tinn can only be approzmaedi put their eNiS'enceiS
hHTicIp UIorriS, Differences have arisen be-
tween the Government Of the United states ana the
Government of Her Britain tic Majesty, ana sun SN T.
,rrirg out Of Inc acts committed by The several vcs
sells which have given rise to the claim Beuer"uy
known ns the Alabama claims ,,
icslv's Government are willing to express,
in a friendly spirit, her regret for the un-
fortunate occurrences which need not re-
peat.
Now, in order to remove and adjust all complaints
and claims the part Of the ULited States, and to
provide for the speedy settlement Of such claims
which are not admitted by Her Britannia Majesly's
Governments the high contracting parties agree that
all the said claims growing out acts committed by
the aforesaid vessels and generally known as the Ala-
bama claims, shall be referre to tribunal OF arbi-
Here, then, Mr.. President, You have in
express language, in the treaty Itself, the
statement that all our complaints and all
our claims, which are set up as growing out
| of the acts of these cruisers, that is the nee
| cssory and actual consequences of them, as
| well as the acts themselves should be sub
mittcd to this tribunal of arbitration, and
| decided upon the principles fixed for their
| decision. This is not all, Mr.. President,
beyond the plain and indisputablc meaning
ofths language employed, it is matter OF
| public history, notorious to all men, that
| our claims thus covered did embrace all
! damages and losses arising from the nat
ural and necessary consequences Of the
wrongful acts and omissions of the British
! f.ANptppppt These claims Si1tpU nv
my honorable friend from Massachusetts,
mir. Sumner) i'm speech upon the preced-
ing treaty with Her Maiesty's Government,
This is the record evidence we have which
| demonstrates beyond any reasonable c1Vil,
not only that the letter and text of the
treaty fairly includes the making OF these
claims / do not say the paying them, that
is one OF the matters which we agreed 10
arbitrate. It may be that they will be de-
cidcd against us, that is another question,
hut the right to make these claims and have
the fair and unbiased judgment of the Tri-
bunal of Arbitration upon them is found
in the very letter of the treaty. 1t is found
i'm the TACT that tor some years the English
Government and nation had had notice of
the fact that these damages were accruing,
had bad notice of the fact that they were a
part of the claim and part of the ground for
reimbursement, which the people of the
United States thought was Just and pro-
per ground for reimbursement. Now, Mr..
President. what does this mean? 1t would
look almost like preteXt for revoking the
treaty or a cont. vance to exert an external
influence upon the arbitrator prejudicial
to our case before them If the government
or Parliament of Great Britain were to as
sumo the attitude imputed to them by the
Press reports. If it be the fact, let us say
amen, and enter into no moro treaties with
powers who are so ready and willing to
break them, and be ready at the proper
time to vindicate the honor and enforce
a. .1,s 81 Ftar
to the plain meaning of this treaty on an
other tonic. as well as to the universal
understanding of the American govern
ment and people, the Confederate loan has
been made the subject of claim on the
part of British subjects before the commits
sioners sitting at Washington, and the
Judgment of that body has been taken
upon it happily in favor of our own govern
ment, but it remains, if the fact be rs as
serted, for the British government to fly in
the face Of its most solemn stipulations be-
cause we make claim which its owr
statesmen had pointed out, which our own
statesmen had cXpounded and upheld
which had been made public everywhere
which was brought rectly to the notice
of that government in these very negOtia
tiUis, and which it had by unmistakablt
language in the treaty agreed to have triet
: and decided. But if the motive Of the Eng
! lish nation in its supposed attitude be Tho
| other one | have mentioned, namely, Il
exert an influence from without on the tr
bunal at Geneva, and, rs it may be called
: to prejudice or overcome the Jury through
! | camOr and passion, then the sooner tina
= fact is known The better for all parties con
T. cerned. am reluctant Mr. President, t
= believe that either Of these alternatives cX
lists, but in view of the known history o
e these affairs, ii is almost impossible TO i'm
y aginc any other, if, indeed, the whole re
IL port is not newspaper canard, rs, trust
y in the interest of peace and honor, it m,'
! be. If, however, upon obtainng this in
= formation, which, hope, we shall ask for
it shall appear that these reports are true
4, it will be a subject for earnest considcra
ton. and steps Of preparation and precau
ton should be taken in order that GU
honor and our just right may be upheld