The age-herald. [volume] (Birmingham, Ala.) 1897-1902, 1897-12-19

Napoleon wars. But Gladstone's oppo-
sition 10 the Illegal enlistnenb of Amer
leans in the British army was, primarily.
because 1t dishonored England. Cor
dial relations with this country were
secondary Consideration. By coupl mg
his name with his country's honor, and
making THAI a theme for eloquence. he
very lngeniously made himself the more
occasion for display. The English army
was sufficient. The allied forces had
not been Withdrawn from Crimea,
though the last battie had been fought.
Gladstone at thsit tine had none too
comprehensive an idea of The United
States. nor does he seem to have been
particularly interested in its affairs ex-
eeplt through the Interests of England
in a commercial way.
In 1862, when he was in his prime and
Almost at the height of his fame-for
in six years he was premer-he should
reasonably have had a deeper view Of
thirgs. But Gladstone, like he young
er Pitt is first ard last local states
man. His reputation does not rest on
his foreign operations or his right con-
cepticn of foreign squsetions. There
were, then, to his mind Two American
governments, under the respective presi-
denotes of Lincoln and Davis John
Russell had refused to recognize Ma
son, postponing the matter to a. later
day. Gladstone. anticipating the re-
ssult and he firal acton of his govern
ment in the face of Palmerston and his
foreign minister, announced that, in his
opinion, The confeaeraked states had es-
tablished their authority and independ-
ence. This declaration revealed Glad
stone. The second Bull Run battle had
Then been fought 1t did look, cit a
glance, as if Longstreet and Jackson
had struck a decisive blow and might
be able to cover the twenty-five miles
between them and Washington. Yet
with a combined strength of 10000 men
they had only Whipped Pope with less
than $4,000. Jackson renewed the BAL
tie in two days at Chantiliy, and there
Stevens and Kearny fell Altogether
the outlook was not encouraging to Hal
leck. He had divided his forces. Pope
had the Virginia army, Mcclellan THAT of
the Potomac, and Burnside corps. MOI
till the second day of Pope's battle was
McC!ellan's command restricted to the
troops not sent to Pope. Washington
was seriously threatened. This was APP
parently the climax of operations begin
ming with McDowell's defeat and en-
bracing the revefses of Mcclellan on
the peninsula, where he met a more for
nliGabe opponent in Lee than he had in
Johnston.
Gladstone, SO he says, never had be-
llevsil the subjugetion of the south pes
sible. Much that ne heard in 1862 an-
firmed this belief. A chivalrous and e.
gressive army directed by Lee, jackson
ard Longs rect was to him invineible.
Mcclellan had retired before 1T and Pope
had fed. The subsequent recuperation
and check of Lse in Maryland did not
indicate to Gladstone the resources of
the government ait Washington. He was
swept from his feet by a brilliant sue
CESS that did not est tine strength at
Llincons command, and an the more
Violently because it confirmed a previous
conviction. As we say of horses and
| bail pitchers, Gladstone went into the
air. If esalers in government secur.-
| ties, Ike the rich DR.. Evans, who died
| a week or 50 ago in Paris, had accepted
| his predictions, great finance minis. er
| that he was thar speculations would
| have resulted in bankruptcy instead Of
| millions. The resources of the country,
! in the way of men, mad been plainly in
| d catai a year before by the organizat on
| of Mcclellan. 1t was n C AIRY Then to
| recruit the army on the compr s'hensive
| plan advised by Sherman. Within six
| months it grew from $4,000 to 100000
| men, but w tn only $1,000, so says Nc
| C.ellans "stCry," free for operation. All
| DEVELOPMENTS Were being made right
along the line Sherman had marked out
Aside from McCfe 'lans ability as field
| nlarsflsd, he did, by industry and insight
! show Lincoln and the war DEPARTMENT
| some hing of the strength on which they
| could levy and rely. This fact did not
mfnd since Napoleon, but upon Clad
| stones lit seems TO have made no impress
sion whatever. HaZlh't says we think
as we feel and 1t is likely that Glad
| Store expressed himself az Newcastle
sympa tThstically. In confessfng his error
| FIVE years later, when there was no NEED
| of IT. he made the very crafty ng as
ssiition that his sympef haes were with
the whole American people.
| Whsn the Alabama claims matter
anne up Gladstone was az. the head of
! the English government. His position
| is not altoge tfer clear excerpt in cont snd-
| ing for peace and the honor of England.
| He has the advantage of mystery. He
was tho center of attack, assailed alike
| by friend and foe. and yet was inscru-
| able. His speeches inspired by the
| taunts of Disraeli, were vivid, but con-
tradlotory. The liberals accused him
| of abandoning an una ssailable position
| after the rejection of The Reverdy john
| son treaty and making overturas to the
United S ates. The oppcs ton press de-
| nouncei him as a trailer to the inter
| ests Of his country. From this side of
| the controversy what ara known as the
recognition. Altogether 1t was a no.
| time for the prenifr. DssraieE, the
great sarcast'', as Gladstone calls him,
made 1t as hot as possible. That heavy
Jew face was perpetual taunt. 1t was
the fixed EXPIRE sion of a man who had
been pushed Down, held lig'll ly as
| novelist and ridiculed as a poLtic' an.
There was a spirit of veng anca in d s.
ra,ex, and his sneer was his mark of
triumph in contending equally with the
first man of England.
An important point of dispute. one
which seemed to threaten war, and the
principal one in bringing about the Ge-
neva tribunal, was the claim of the
American government for Indirect dam
ages to commerce. The treaty emb 7dy-
ing it was of doubtful construction BY
the broad Interpretation of the British
ministry, the claim wss not a claim, or,
a. least, was not seriously insisted ON.
The words bearing directly on the mat
ter apart from the context, apparently
called for indirect damages. That was
the American view of 1t, and also of the
house of lords, which attacked the treaty
on this score. Lord Derby coincided
W th this opinion. Gladstone dssented
and dissented boldly. His diplomacy
had been in the line of arbitration. But
there Ware questions which nations
could not decide exeepl on tn battlefield,
4I1 this one was of that nature. The
cnly possible meaning of thu treaty, he
declared, was that this class of dam