Year: 1870

| The latest interviewer of the irreprcss-


BILE General Butler, informs the Tribune
that he will make speech wheG the united
| wisdom Of the nation again meets in Wash
ington, and indicate policy for the Re


publican party to adopt, which will lead it


on to victory for the next decade. At the
present time, says General Butler, the par


ty is not united on single question of
public policy. The tariff question is split


in two by the backbone of the Aleghanes;


and upon the financial question ii is not a
unit. nor does it recognize any leader.
And the party has been kept together for
the past two years solely by the unwilling


ness of the people to intrust power to a
party which sided with the enemy during
the war. These war memories will not
last much longer, and cannot be counted
upon to furnish political capital for the
Presidential election two years hence Now
comes the grand scheme or policy of the
General it is thus stated


There is one question of the war, how
ever, that is not settled; and that is the
foreign question. The wounds received
by cur national honor at the hands OF
Great Britain are not yet healed, and it is
the duty and true policy of the admins
tration to at once demand and enforce the


settlement Of the Alabama claims


Here is question upon which the Pres
ident can lead the Republican party and
unite II in his support. \ vigorous prose-
cation of these claims to satisfactory
settlement within the next year would
l-.lt


The people would rally to his support with
enthusiasm, and the Republican party
would be given immense strength and a


new lease of life. In reply to a question
as to the nature ofthe settlement he would
have proposed to England and the way Of
bringing 1t about, General Butler said that
special agent or ambassador eXtraord-
mary should be sent Immediately to Lon
don and entrusted to put the case to Earl
Granville somewhat in this way:


We have waited long enough for a set
tiement of these claims, my lord, and we
propose to wait no longer. They are


constant source of irritation between our
government and yours, and between our
people and yours, and no good can come
Of longer delay. Besides, it has become a
question of political policy with us at home
and We are determined to have settle
ment at once amicably if possible; but if
not possible, then by other means. As


between your government and ours these
claims are very heavy. The damage done
TO our commerce by your pirates was
enormous, and the piolongatiOn of the
war caused by your cruisers was an in
calculable injury to us. No amount of


money which you are able to pay would
make full reparation for the wrong you


did us. Still, As between our government
and our citizens those claims arc not


large. Most of our ship-Owners who lost
vessels were insured. We would not have
to pay them nor the insurance companies,
who vera compensa sated for their losses by
the war-risks they charged in their premi-
ums, nor would it be practicable to return
to ship-Owners the extra premiums they
paid, nor make good to the actual losers
the great loss sustained by our commerce
in a general way by the destruction of our
ocean carrying trade. We should not only
have to pay our citizens who actually lost
ships or merchandise, and were not insur-
ed. This fact, however, does not at all
lessen the magnitude Of the claim we have.
as nation, against Great Britain, but it
enables US to offer you liberal terms of set
tlement. Now these are the terms we Of
ter you. We will assume the claims and
settle with our people. and we will take
from you all your provinces north of the
United States. They are only burden to
you, and must sooner or later gravitate to
us. We want them now to get rid Of the
expense and annoyance of keeping up Gus
tom houses on a frontier line Of 5000 miles.
and to settle the troubles about the fisher
les. We do not propose, however, that
you should barter them away or abandon
them in any dishonorable manner. We
will have plebiscitum, and we will agree
to take only such provinces as shall freely
elect to Join the United States. But the
vote must be taken by the provinces, for
we will have nothing to do with your Do
minion, which you tried to make an un-
| friendly power on our northern border
| when you thought we should have a pow
erfhl enemy at the south in the seeding
States. When the vote is taken, which
must be done without the influence of your
government agents, we will give you re-
ceipt in full of all claims we have against
you, and take only such provinces as vote
aye upon the question. This we consider
| very liberal offer on our part, and it is


our ultimatum. If you do not accept it,


we propose TO hght.


| Tho Mochsao R>~a.xlli.nn aQva tho