Year: 1869

From the Toronto Globe. April 16.l


As our readers are aware, the Claren-


don Johnson treaty about the Alabama


business has been rejected by the Senate


of the United States, and if anything is


to be done in the premises, the whole


work mast be begun de moro The speech


of Mr.. Sumner, in proposing the rejec-


ton of the treaty, goes over the old


ground, with nothing very remarkable


in the way of doing it. 1t is somewhat


difficult to find out what he would be at,


for while he proposes the rejection of the


agreed-upon basis, he hints at nothing in
return. What them Why, il
this talk amounts to anything. it means,


as Mr.. Thornton said, war. Mr.. Sumner


says England should be expected to ad-


NIT that the recognition was unlawful.


Nobody knows better than Mr. Sumner


that that is the very thing England will


not do. She has already acquiesced in


every proposal which has been made, and


when these propositions have been re-
jected by the very party in whose name
they were advanced, England can, in the


nature of things, have no counter


proposition to urge; and, we may
rest assured, will quite as little make one


under Gladstone as under Disraeli. The
talk which Sumner INDUCES in, shows
very clearly that the American govern
ment does not wish the question settled
forthwith. 1t is useful in the business of
home politics, and it is regarded as con-
venient screw for pressing a goo bar
gain with Britain in other ways. 1t will
help to keep up the feeling Of asimosity
toward the old country, so devoutly cher
ished by q considerable portion of the
free and enlightened; and it is hoped
will make the offender, real or supposed,
willing to come to better terms by and
by. Very few in the States, except
among the more ignorant Fenians and
more rabid and reckless politicians,
dread at this moment of making the Ala
bama dispute the occasion for war. Not
withstanding all their swagger, the Amer
leans have clear ideas of what is involved
IN such an eventuality, and they have no
inclination to run the risk. Whensver
hard bargain has had to be driven, this,
however, had been their cue, and they
are now reckoning upon the ignorance
and squeezablity of British statesmen,
as in former times, for securing
good deal, at any rate, of what they
want. In this we believe they are mis-
taken. Formerly they were contented
with large slices of territory, more than
we're Justly due. The ignorance of
British diplomatists made this easy.
Now, perhaps, grown bold by success,
they dream of taking all North America
as a peace offering, and imagine that all
that is necessary to do this is to kick and
swagger, as in the case of the Maine
boundary, and the thing will be done,
Like the soldier that drew his sword and
dreadful things if he did not
get pair of boots at his own price, they
would be the readiest, after getting what
they wished, to reply to the inquiry about
what they would have done, supposiug
they had been refused. Done Why, !
what could we have done2 Done with
out, to be sure" Exactly, and that will |
be found to be the upshot of the whole
affair. When the Americans have dis
covered that they cannot secure anything |
by bullying, they will either forget the
Alabama altogether, or will agree 10 some
equitable method of settling the claims.