New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1877-05-12
A NATIONAbD DEBT OF HONOR.
LETTER FROM EIIHU BURRITT.

III SHOULD 60 INTO THE GOVERNMENT TkEA-
sURY-A SOLEMN DUTY TO BIZ OBSERVED.
To the razor Of The Trtbun@
SIR: Among private gentlemen of fastidlous sem
sibitv there are no obligations regarded more ga
cred than debts Of honor. These debts are sell
actInR law unto themselves. which defines their
character and prescribes therpayment ana entorces
it by an authority which no written law OF the lana
c0nfers Nor do these debts of honor belong merely
or mostly TO the dueling code They are obligations
founded in the most refined sensibllites OF cuIti-
vatod men, and all the more sacred, exactihg ana
respected because they are out OF the jurisdiction
and reach of statute law Nor are they debts oil ne
nortment proprety OF etiquette merely which ono
gentleman owes to another They are often money
obligations which no legal authority can enforce or
recognize "a binding upon any individual who as
snmes them. And chiefly for this reason arc they
called debts of honor which thieves respect as
their "higher law as well gamblers of the
highest social grade, and horserace and boat-race
betteTs.
If such individuals can and do manifest such fas-
tidious scnsibilty to obligations which no written
la,vs impose enforce or define or even allow as
legitimate. how much more sacred ought great
nations 70 hold their debts Of honor to each other!
And no nation in the wide world has hanging on ls
reputation for sheer equity an unpaid deDt Oh hohor
of such sacred obligation rs the unlted oIa,es'
Even measured by the low code of the card-table
and the horse-race, it is debt which no Individual
could repudiate without losing caste among men
who pretend to be gentlemen. But measured by the
moral standards of nation that processes to be the
living embodiment of Justice law, and equity ana
Of hIghbred civilization, it IL debt that touches
the immediate Jewel of its SOUL and 1t cannot DC
left unpaid without eck upon that precious treas
urc Let us thoughtfully consider the character Oh
this unliquidated Obligation
We have heard of Courts of Honor" established
or proposed not to solve questions OF justice ana
equity but questions of sensibllIty between gehIe
man Of a high sense of honor Well, while other
nations had rcsorted to no other tribunal thah 'ne
duelists' code provided for the settlement of their
difficulties the United States and England erected
in the very heart of Christendom the subiimest
Court Of Equity and Honor the world had ever
seen. To that bar, the loftiest one this side the
grant white throne of Eternal Justice. they brought
the aggravated and complicated case OF controversy
betvcep them. None ever submitted to human
tribupal involved more complex questions and dlf-
ctIties But the two great Christian Powers VINO,
by taking hold of hands, could make Their myers
meet around the globe, laid aside armaments that
could have shaken its lands and seas, ana $1,000
be fore the august bar of their own creation III thcr
civil dress, claiming nothing that pure equity ana
honor AS determined by that tribunal should not
prescribe. 1t was the grandest spectacle the by
standing nations ever witnessed. 1t was new
pont of departure in the history OF the human race,
LAYING down line in the chart Of coming clyIza-
ton for all present and future empires, Kingdoms,
aud republics to follow. How many millions, with
shoulders peeled and bent with wars past ana pros
nective. looked to the great court at Geneva as if
its arbtrament were to omancipate them from thelr
long and cruel bondage to tine blood aud iron OF
brute force
The grand court was organized and opened with
bench of Judges whose ermIne spotIessly pure
a. any that ever sanctifed human tribunal The
most eminent advocates of the two nations stood be-
fire them with their briefs. What was to be the
scope of their pleal That the first question to
be- discussed and decided. The world. to the eX-
tremest frontiers Of civilization heard the discus
sion and the decision. II heard what was to be ex
cluded from the case and what 1t was alone to IN
c!ude An innumarable cloud of witnesses and
hearers surrounded the court though so few OF them
were visible On their memories Is written and
lcgible to-day what the court decided the case
should reject and what it should only adj
nit Half the millions of the civilized world
could testify to that point with their sign manual
lie who now peTsonatcs the highest institution ana
idea Of American justice was there and he knows
precisely what The decision from It's first to its
last syllable and comma. The distinguished adyo-
cate who pleaded the American case with all the
force OF hIs cloqucncc and who is now the month of
the Union to other Powers, was there, and knows
fully and infinitely what grounds were allowed
within the scope Of his argument. Our National
Government. Congress, and people knew and know
that the very name and shadow Of claim for cOnse-
Guential danages were excluded from our case that
oaly the losses Of iudiy sufferers by the Con-
f.derate cruisers to be taken INTO account and
provided for in the award of the tribunal There
was no ambiguity nor shadow Of turning nor posi-
bility for Il doubt in this clearly defined agreement
In every possible way by which our Government
could acknowledge and assume the duty and Of
fee il accepted the Geneva award solely IN trust
Tor the individual sufferers by the Confederate
cruisers BY the obligations of this duty ana othce
il was to ascertain who were these sufferers what
were inst and equitable claims. and to hquidate
them fully and fairly from the money he'd M sacred
trust for This sole PURPOSE And when every such
lust aud honest claim is thus satisfied tho whole OF
the intent and compass of the award is accomplished
and realized The trust is exhausted. The trustee
has no right ia law, equity or honor 10 farthng OF
the money remaining in his hands. Nothing could
he more di.honorajle on las part than the effort TO
tnlmp up pretended book account of his own
against the tul5ter and SEIZE the balance left to
satisfy that bogus claim. # our Government s. ould
mt into It's own treasury single dollar OF the Ge-
reya award against consequential claims" the |
act by the clca.cst law Of honor and equity, would
bc q downright theft or cHhcUem"nt IL would !
repudatc the most sacred obligation nation could |
give before the world By holding the Geneva Trbu- |
mai in contempt, rejecting the basis Of its award,
and pcryerting II to a purpose which both parties
agreed should bo pa. out of court.