The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1872-06-13

y
and Indignantly rejected by our government,
and followed by the retirement of our case from
the Geneva Tribunal, they were doomed TO
disappointment The administration at Wash
ington was weak enough to entertain the new
proposal, and the article was amended by the
Senate and returned to Earl Granville for exc
cution by his government According to our
special dispatches from Washington, published
to-day. the alterations simply set forth in more
distinct forms the rule embraced in the original
article, as dictated by Lord Granville, as TO the
Snon-liability Of a neutral nation for indirect
damages on account of the acts of its citizens;
but they proved unacceptable to the English
Ministry. Our government aroused OF last
to some sense of its humiliating position, let us
hope, by the teachings of the HERALD, positively
refused to make any further concessions or
to change the supplemental article from the
shape in which it had left tho Senate. This
again brought Mr.. Gladstone and his asso-
ciates to stand; but they had another resort.
They proposed postponement of the time for
filing the arguments for eight months, by
means of an additional article to the treaty,
multiplying the positive provisions Of the fifth
article in the original contract; but this also
our government declined to favor. They
saw no chance of agreeing in eight
months if England's refusal to accept
the supplemental rule as shaped by the Senate
was to be considered final Mr.. Gladstone
thereupon changed his base, claimed the right
to postpone the submission of articles on
the sole demand of one of the contracting
parties, and sent the letter to Minister Schenck
and the instructions to the British agent at
Geneva as published in the HERALD yesterday
At the same time the ministerial explanation
in the British Parliament leaves it to be in
ferred that the adjournment Of the Geneva
Court is already agreed upon, and that the
difficulties in the way of the treaty are in a
fair way of removal. The plain statement of
the facts is sufficient to show that the suspi-
cion Of bad faith and deception on the part of
the British Ministry is not idly or unjustly en-
,zftained 81, - y
1t is now the plain and bounden duty of the !
American government to put stop to these
disgraceful and dangerous proceedings. When
the supplemental article was under considera-
ton of the Senate, and it was proposed to /
make certain alterations in it's wording, wei
told the administration that it was only sub
jecting itself to additional humiliation by such
a course, for that England would cast |
back the amended article in our T
teeth and insist that our surrender I
should be unconditional. The facts !
Justify the prediction we then made. We have .
evinced our disposition to eat the leek offered
is by England, with slight seasoning of our
own providing, and we are as far from
settlement of our difficulties as ever. We now
warn Secretary Fish and Earl Granville that l.
hey are playing with fire, and in so hazardous
md reckless a manner that at any moment +
hey may precipitate confagraton that will
wrap the world in flames. The feelings of T.
two excitable, proud and impetuous nations
are wrought up to fever heat by the constant y
irritation kept up by set Of political :
charlatans who fail to understand the dan
ger CT the treatment TO which they are
prevails that the Americans have dishonesty
made unjustifable claims and insolently re-
fuse to withdraw them In America the people
believe that England is attempting again to .
browbeat the republic and is acting towards /
us with her proverbial bad faith and duplicity
An imprudent word spoken by men who have
proved their incompetency as statesmen,
single misunderstanding or hasty step on
either side might bring upon us a de- +
plorable war. Yet Secretary Fish is en-
joying the pleasures of a watering place
and reading his diplomatic correspondence
with England for the first time in the columns
of the HERALD, and Granville and Gladstone
are making frivolous and unfathful explana-
tons in Parliament and impudently decrying
criticism Of their acts. This perilous trifing
with the peace of two great nations should
cease at once. The last singular position taken
by England renders the termination of the
controversy an easy matter Our representa-
|tives at Geneva should firmly but respectfully
insist upon the fulflment Of the require
ments of the fifth article of the Treaty
|of Washington and the submission of theI
arguments within the time specified therein.
article and violate her obligations our case
should be Withdrawn from before the tribunal,
which, indeed, will have no further official ex-
istence. The Treaty Of Washington will then
fall to the ground by the action of the British
government, and we believe the people Of both
countries will rejoice at its destruction. 1t has
been source of evil, of elimination, mis-
understanding i'll blood and danger ever
since the first pmans were thoughtlessly
sang over its ratification. 1t could never have
been productive of good after all the squab-
bling and misunderstanding that have at
tended the attempted fulflment of its obliga-
tons, and every day of its existence is peril
to both nations. Let it go; and let us wait
for more propitious season and more compe-
tent negotiators for a renewal Of the effort to