Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1873-09-12
Caleb Custling'S Views OH Relations
with Great Britain.

conclusion of the Geneva Arbitration business
10 tic Treasury Department between Secretary
Fish and Assistant Secretary Davis on the one
hand and Secretary Richardson On the other,
he called upon Caleb Cushing one the coun-
sci for the United States at Geneva, TO congrat.
ulate him on these events, expressing dies re
to hear his views on the subject. lie at first
objected to being interviewed, but after some
conversation, proceeded to make, in substance,
the following remarks:
Hc said that the documents which are now
made public, attcSting the payment by the
British government OF the amount OF the award
of tine Tribunal of Arbitration at Geneva, IN
satisfaction of the claims of the United States
no account of the acts Of Confederate cruisers
fitted out in Great Britain or her colonies dur
ing the late civil war to prey on the commerce
of the United States, are important in a mere
financial point Of view, as maniestlng the
Judgment, discretion, and good sense, by means
of which the high officers of governments OF
both sides have effected the transfer OF SO large
sum of gold from London to Washington
without producing the slightest Inconvenience
in commercial circles, aud 10 man0er which
strikes the observer, not more by It's complete
ness and efficiency than by It's extreme SIM
plicity. 1t constll utes i rare example OF the
ease aud promptness with which the largest
financial operations may be transacted between
two governments, where there is good faith on
both sides aud just regard for private as well rs
public Interests. 1t has no parallel probably IN
modern times, except 10 the incidents OF the
successive payments by Franco of the war in
demDity to Germany.
But this incident suggests reflections of a po-
litical character of still greater interests and
importance. We have but to recur to the very
com nencement of the administration OF Presl-
dent Grant, when the Johnson Clarendon treaty
had been almost unanimously rejected by the
Senate, to see how delicate and tender we're at
that time the relations Of the United States and
Great Britain, aud to appreciate the sincere
love of peace, the patient torbearance and the
elevated Craftsmanship Of both governments,
the result of which now appears in the present
satisfactory conclusion of national controversy
60 serious 10 itself and so threatening at some
times to the tranquility Of the world. 1t is i'm
possible in looking back upon all the successive
stages of the controversy to withhold the need
of appreciation from the Statesmen on both
sides, who have labored so earnestly and sue
ccssfuly to produce this happy contamination.
We may we'll congratulate the people of the
two great English speaking nations that their
public affairs have been in the hands OF States
men, who, in this respect, at least, it cannot
be denied, have proved equal to their exalted
duties, and have thus, it is to be hoped, es-
tablished on firm foundations the Elcudly re-
lations Of their respective governments. hlc
we accord ample applause in this behalf to the
government Of the United States as we'll as to
that Of Great Britain, it Is due TO Mr.. Glad
stone and his colleagues on the part OF Amc..
cans to dwell more especially upon the many
proofs which these events have afforded OF the
earnest desire Of the British government to
place itself on the footing Of uureservcd and
cordial amity with the United States.
Il trust and believe that our own govern
ment will continue frankly and sincerely to re-
spond to these manifestations OF the good feel
hesitatingly the suggestion which occasionally
appears in organs of the opposition in Great
Britain and 10 journals of the Continent that in
thus cultivating friendly relations with the
United States the Brtith government betrays,
or is actuated by any sense of weakness, any
undue sollcitude tor peace, any sentiment what
ever incompatible with the dignity and great
ness of England. 1t is true that not only in
their dealings with the United States, but also
in those with other governments, Great Britain
has in later times pursued policy OF reason,
self control, absence OF passion and abstinence
from her ancient course Of hasty intervention
In the affairs Of other governments, for which,
as think, high honor is to be acc 'rdcd to
Mr. Gladstone and Lord Granville. The tenn
pcrate spirit, the disposition TO regard the
rights of other nations as well as her own, which
now prevails 10 Great Britain, deserves and
should receive universal recognition, without
implying on her part any dimiuuton of self re-
spect or any abatement of her influence or her
force as the greatest, the weathicst and the
most potent of all the Powers Of Europe.
Looking at Great Britain in the narrow view
Of her domestic state, and Notwithstanding the
inauspicous condition Of some of her internal
interests, cannot fail to perceive how prospe-
lous must be the country which, while neglect
ing none Of the calls Of military naval cxpcDdl.
ture that her national defauce requires, and
which, while having been subject to occasional
heavy expenditures of an exceptional character,
has vet been enabled within the last few years
to reduce her public debt by more than $780,
900, 900 and to exhibit gradual and steady IN
crease of Individual wealth in the presence at
the same time of the most earnest efforts, both
public and private, to better the condition OF
Ireland and to enlarge the political rights of the
people Of Great Britain
But to judge Alright the government OF
Great Britain, one must look above and beyond
the debates in Parliament and the controversies
90 domestic questions, which mainly occupy
the public attention of London. We must
look beyond all this, to the numerous otfshoots
of the British race in America, in Africa, in
Australia and especially in Asia. There it is
that we discover revelations of political wisdom
aud military skill, which tend to show how far
Great Britain is in advance Of her great rival,
Russia, and which present an example of tran.
sceudcnt imperial dominion such as the world
has not seen since the days Of imperial Rome.
| remember to have Elected on personal OBJ
servaton of Great Britain and British India,
that striking as are the exhibitions of practical
wisdom which appear iu the domestic admins
tratiou of Great Britain, and by means of which
she has enjoyed stable government at home for
now nearly POO years. yet the spectacle of
handful of Euglishmen ruling by the mastery
not less than torr ), the hundred
millions of India, is the most remark able and
conclusive proof of that marvellous VlgOr of the