Year: 1869

(Fr0m the Indianapolis J0urnal-radical-May 10


INDIANA sent 250, 900 men to the fed)1


Occasionally strong and influential paper dis
sents from Senator Summers views OF the Alabama
case II their objections extended no further than
his impracticable measure OF damages they might
easily enough crush that part OF his speech; but
when they sssail his whole scheme OF cnence ana
1t Is easy enough TO talk, ike the London Times and
the New York Tsnses OF the absurdity of national
which pecuniary compensation cannot reach,
but in this Alabama business we feel :, .
Of on e ana essGnG ves
which demands something different from money.
We may be at loss to define It ourselves 80 as to
make others understand 1t; but no man needs to be
told that the btterest insults are not always, Dor
often, those that can be weighed and measured IN
exact phrases. The English used our war to ruin
our commerce They old 1t with as well settled
purpose as they ever plundered an Indian prince.
They saw their opportunity. and The government at
compances with law which deceived nobody. The
sS th ever one Exhibited in Sss history. We may
duoe case Of greater dupieity and more snor,
cherish kindly relations, and they carried on
most des0lating war against US all the Time. This
Is fact, gross palpabe, undeniable as their own
island. Now, Is there no more In this act than the
destruction Of the few score vessels which made
our commerce so insecure that we mad to give It TO
the English9 II q hundred Of our vessels should be
burned in an English harDor by incendiares though
the direct pecunary INJURY might be as great, would



cept compensation and feel that the affair set
tied; but are we to dismiss as a casualty the sys-
tematic plunder OF our commerce and accept as
compensation the money value OF tie property
destrOyedi England insists on settling the one case
If were the other on making Offsets against the
cidents. She will not allow that what she did was
any more her wrong than the plundering OF Galway
wreckers OF Inc arson Oh IN river teves
more that shall not be settled on the basis OF acc
dent, in which Is no national or moral nculpation.
VI tvoio han hou rnhrf "a 0kn
England understand how we regard her action. To
smooth over the business as she has proposed and
perception Of her duphcty. no sense Of the wrong
she has done. That would be neither honest nor
wise. Nations should understand each other fully,
as well as individuals. We ought to insist for an
other and still stronger reason. England has estab-
lshed q precedent which must be disavowed or
maintained. Her refusal to stop the Alabama, be-
cause her judges guided by her domestic laws upon
evidence Of her own citizens elected after her own
fashion, did not feel perfectly clear that the object OF
the vessel was illegal, amounts simply to legaliza
ton Of piracy In all where sne may think 1t
safe to permit 1t. Her neutrality is to be determined
Interpretation Of her own lays her application
OF her own forms. She alone decides whether
what she Ii doing is piracy or honest trading the
own laws, which are entirely at her own disposal,
she may wage war as q neutral against any bellige-
nations, % too have riant to know something about
II she insists on such o settlement a. that made
with Reverdy Johnson. which sets down the Alabama
might pay for vessel sunk in collision in Chan
mel fog she afYirms her precedent. II she admits
the wrong Of her act in sending out or letting 60
out the Alabama, she disallows the precedent. We
have right TO know what she means to do. As
the case stands now we don't know. JOhnson's
treaty lodged this point and Mr.. Sumner
is right in demanding that 1t shall not be
lodged. The Senate was right In kicking out o
treaty that should have settled this vital question OF
neutral relations, and never even noticed 1t. In
what form the settlement should be made may ad.
init OF discussion; but that 1t has not been made In
any form so far and can never be made Is very GER
tam. National apologies may be impossible, and 1t
not impossible to make nor absurd to expect some
declaration as to an act which submits the CON-
neutral which chooses 70 mould its domestic laws
so as to allow an easy escape for punderng expedi
TONS Damages do not enter into this question at
all. II Is above all considerations OF money. 1t Is
virtually whether every civilized government may
safely model its policy after that OF the old Agernes
or