Arizona republican., 1896-01-15

now best to assume different atti- ''tude and say to Her Majesty's gov "ernment that the United States with draws all its claims for the depreda ''tions committed committed upon its commerce by the Alabama and kin ''dred vessels, that we accept the new ''law of national comity written with fire on the surface of the seas; that five agree that as between us and Great Britain neutral nations may ''legitimately equip and man revolu- ''tionary navies; that we consent that between us and Her Majesty's gov "ernment neutral ports may be legiti- 'mately the dock yards and arsenals ''of hostile powers, and that by this doctrine we Shall henceforth shape four cOurse2
 ''If we collect the Alabama claims five can still collect nothing but the ''actual values of the ships and cargoes destroyed. Our claim against Eng '1and is not one where consequential 'injury could be estimeated or would 'be paid. We are restricted by the ad "damnum of writ. We could col Fleet no payment for vindiative, or re- 'tmote or contingent damages. We 'fhave indeed but one adequate remedy for the injury inflicted. It is to wait patiently till England shall become involved in war with another coun- ''try, and then to recapture our conn ''merce by the same means as were fused to Wrest it from us. Occasions 'twill not be wanting as long as Cana ida con tinues to grow dissatisfied, or Ireland continues to long flor inde- "pendence The Abysinnian war "might have answered the purpose if King Theodore had lived long enough to issue commissions to officers of his navy" Prolonged applause).
 The suggestions made in that speech were not regarded, and the Alabama commission was created, and it awarded S15,0O0,0O0 which would paid to us for the owners of the de stroyed vessels-but our lost carrying Tade was never regained.
 For this there were several reasons. The development of petroleum fields diminished the number of ships en- ployed in whaling. The building of Pacific railroads lessoned the traffic around Cape Horn. Wooden ships gave way to iron ships and steamers, and in the construction of these we could not compete with the cheaper iron, coal, and labor of England, so that today our mercNent marine is in- significant compared with hers.
 But in the event of war with Eng land now, the example she set in 1863 would return to plague her, (applause) for half a dozen of the ocean racers of the American and White Star lines could speedily be outftted as com merce destroyers, and in few months the carrying trade of Great Britain would be transferred to the other maritime nations of Europe Our limited ocean freight-traffic would also disappear, but Britain would lose ten dollars to our one and when peace came we would be prepared to build up our shipping interests under condi- tions of equality with our rival. (Ap- plause).
 Our vast interior commerce, our manufactures, our agriculture, our general industries, our growth and our progress would be scarcely affected by
 
 of any great nation or at least contin- ued armed occupation of the soil of any great nation which is separated by an ocean from it's adversary is practi- cally an imposibility. Even Ceasar could disembark, for those who came might be some places where British forces could land on our soil, but there would not be any place where they could disembark for those who came would stay. Great cheering). The British flag would never be seen in the interior, nor even in our coast cities, for dynamite guns, torpedos and late developments in electrical science would protect them.
 Friendly Mexico lies southward of us, and we would at once destory the Welland canal and capture and hold all strategic points in Canada not be- cause we are braver than the Cana dians, but because there are more of us, (applause) and except in Canada or Venezuela there would hardly be any employment for our soldiers.
 The war would be. almost exclusively a naval war. It may not be denied that our navy is far inferior to that of Great Britain, in the number and class of ships, and it is conceded that we could not in less than two years construct and equip navy. But we have now a few armored cruisers that are faster than anything in the Eng fish navy, and which carry some guns of longer range. In naval warfare now adays the motto of Hudibras finds illustration:
 'fHe who fights and runs away Lives to fight another day" Oaughter).
 A ship that is two knots an hour faster than any ship in the British navy, with gun that can throw a q .l.1anitn hn,,,l l,nle fa, I,