Year: 1870

IL ls the duty and true policy OF the admlnletra-
ton, according TO General Butler, to at once
demand and enforce the settlement of the Ala
bama claims Here is question upon which
the President can lead the Republican party and
unite it in his support. vigorous prosecution
of these claims TO satisfactory settlement
within the next year would make the re-elec-
ton of Grant inevitable. The people would
rally to his support with enthusiasm, and the
Republican party would be given immense
strength and q new lease of life.


In reply to question as to the nature of the
settlement he would have proposed to England,
and the way of bringing it about, General Butler
said that special agent or Ambassador Extra
ordinary should be sent Immediately to Lon
don, and instructed TO put the case to Earl Gran
vile somewhat in this way


We have waited long enough for a settlement OF
these claims my Lord, and we propose to wait no
longer They are constant source OF irritation be-
tween our Government and yours, and between our
people and yours and no good can come OF longer
delay. Besides, 1t has become question OF political
policy with us at home, and we are determined to
have settlement at once amicably II possible, but
if this is not possible, then by other means. As
are very heavy. The damage done to our COM
merce by your pirates was enormous, and the pro.
longation OF the war caused by your course was an
noalculable injury to u.s. No amount of money
which you are able to pay would make full repara-
ton for the wrong you did US. Stll, as between our
Government and our own citizens these claims are
not large. Most of our ship.owners who lost ves-
sels were insured. We would not have to pay them
nor the insurance companies, who were compensated
for their losses by the war risks they charged In their
premiums. NOT WOulu III De praCtlcaDe TO return TO
ship-owners the extra premium they paid, nor make
good to the actual losers the great loss sustained by
our commerce in general way by the destruction
OF our ocean-carrying trade. We should only have
to pay our citizens who actually lost ships or mer-
chandse and were not insured. This fact, how
ever, 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 settlee at.
Now, these are the terms we offer you: We will as
sumo the claims and settle with our own people, and
we will take from you all your provinces north OF
u.s.. They are only burden to you, and must sooner
prl ntpr n II a wnu NOS IN
get rid of the expense and annoyance OF keeping u
custoin-houses on frontier line OF 40aO miles. and
to settle the troubles about the fisheries We do
not propose, however, that you should barter them
away or abandon them in any dishonorable m an
ner. We will have pebiscitum, and we will agree
to take only such PROVINCES as shall freely elect
to join the United States. But the vote
m1St niS be m taken d 1y pr0Vmceg IGT we S VII have
put up to make an unfriendly power on our
northern border, when you thought we should have
Confederate States When the vote is taken, which
must be done without the assistance OF your Gov
ernment agents, we Will give you a receipt in full
of all claims we have against you, and take only
such provinces as vote ave 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 fight


Such a course on the part of the administra
ton, General Butler is confident, would eectrify
the whole country, and bring such n powerful
public sentiment to the support of the President
that his reelection would be sure to follow
England, he thinks would come to our terms at
once, when she found we were in earnest aud
determined to enforce them. There would be
no war, for England dare not to go to war with
any frst-class power. The provinces would vote
TO join us, or if only one or two of them
should, we should have got in the entering
wedge; the Dominion would be split in pieces,
and the other provinces would be sure to come
TO us in year or two. With q few millions we
could pay the people whose property was
actually destroyed by the British pirates, and
we would more than get it back in year by our
increased revenue from our enlarged domain
and our increased commerce.


1t is understood that General Butler has
already urged these views upon the administra,
tion.