Year: 1869

Against Great Britain.


On March 81 Hon. Reverdy johnson was pre-
sent at the inauguration of a bazaar i'm aid of
the funds OF the Newcastle Ragged and Indus
trial Schools which took place in the Assem-
bly, Rooms, Westgate street, London, and deli
yered an address. Almost Immediately after
leaving the Assembly Rooms Mr. johnson
went by express train to North Shields, where,
in reply to addresses from the corporation
and the Shipowners Association, he made
another speech. After the presentation of the
the addresses, his Excelency was entertained at
luncheon, given to him by Mr. j. Straker,
Chairman of the North of England Coal Associa-
ton, in the Assembly Rooms attached to the
Bath Hotel, where he delivered third address.
In the course of the third speech Mr.. johnson
said:-1 omitted yesterday to refer to what some
time since was said by the Times newspaper--a
paper edited with great ability. No doubt diffe-
rent opinions are entertained with relation to
the paper. Some think it creates public opinion;
others think it rather sifts it until it finds out
what it is. (Hear, hear) l made speech at
Manchester, in which | stated that | thought
the doctrine upon which our attempt to
claim indemnity for the wrongs and
losses sustained by us in consequence of the fit
ting out of the Alabama and other vessels, was
one so perilous to England that she ought to
pay at once the amount without question. |
merely anticipated that if the doctrine became
the recognized doctrine OF the world and If you
became in course of time the belligerents the
opposite belligerents could have had Alabamas
by the hundred fitted out by the United States.
The Times thought-and | was somewhat sur
prised 1t should have fallen into such mis-
take-that designed it as a threat to England
that my purpose was to intimdate your Govern
ment. threat to England! If that paper had
done me the justice to believe that / had any
intelligence at all, if they had done me the ias-
tice to suppose that was acquainted even cur
sorily with the history of England, it never could
have fallen into such mistake.


Whatever may be done by appealing to the
reason of England may be accomplished He
yhp
threatening England with the consequences Of
refusal must be madman. 1t would be rs ridi-
culously foolish was the belief of the poor
Indian, who being offended for moment by
the heat of the sun, made up his mind that he
would bring the luminary down to the earth by
shooting his arrow through its centre. He shot
his arrow, and then, to his surprise and vexatiou
the arrow returned without the sun; and that
one who could expect to intimidate England
he would be laughed at and ridiculed just
much as the poor Indian was laughed at and
ridiculed at the failure of his experiment. Eng
land to be threatened by the United States
Why, the world combined could not by threats
accomplish any purpose which Englands honor
demanded should not be accomplished.


You might suffer if you were invaded; your
commerce might be swept from the ocean in
such contingency; but rather than submit to
such threat | think | know you well enough to
know-and you would be false to the history in
which you take so much pride if you would not





ocean. And the loss to the world by such n
calamity would hardly be greater, if AZ great, rs
the loss to the world by England submitting dis
honorably to any demand which any nation or
nations in the world might make Now, have
set myself, hope, at rest with the Times, whose
proprietor it is my good fortune to know,
and whose principal editor l also have the
good fortune to know, but regret to say that
it seems from the article to which have re-
ferred that they do not know me. If they
had, when they penned that article, they never
would have penned it, but, penning it, it
goes to my own home, and there we have editors
who would like occasionally, to use an Irish ex-
preston, to kick up row, and there it will be a
feather in my cap, as they may think, that | had
threatened England. If what l am now going
to say should reach them, theywill find that it is
feather which / should consider it q dishonor
to wear. Gentlemen, l could speak of the ne
cessity of our being at peace-even without
words, for you have taken all the words from
me already until to-morrows dawn; but have
said enough not only during my present visit,
but from the moment when landed upon your
shores, to satisfy you, hope, of this, that there
is no man in either nation who rejoices more in
the belief that the peace between the two will be
undisturbed, and there is no man who would
mourn more its disturbance.