Year: 1872




from Gcneva-The Arbitration Near
ing It's End.


Information from Washington places the
gross award to this country Of the Tribunal
of Arbitration at Geneva under the Treaty
of Washington at fifteen million dollars. In
connection with this statement we are also
informed that the arbitrative labors of
the Board are virtually at an end. Ac-
cepting these two items as correct,
we might conclude that the sum mentioned is
the outcome Of all the pother about the Ala
bama claims, leaving the national balance
against it to be decided by the Mixed Commits
sion to meet at Newport in a few days, when
the British claims against us have beer" re-
duced, once for all, to dollars and cents.
The general feeling in the United States
which this will arouse will not be one of
enthusiasm. All that element has long since
been squeezed out of it. The history of the
negotiations presents too many features of
fretfulness, overreaching smartness and bom-
bast, followed by ignominious collapse, for
the result to transfgure universal chagrin
into widespread jubilation. The best fea-
ture about the matter will be in the fact
that the arbitrators have had tact and courage
enough to make direct award, and not leave
the matter to fritter away what little power for
future good feeling and peace might be left in
it by deferring the money judgment to board
Of assessors. Apart even from this wholesome
view of the case, the people Of the United
States will rejoice that the whole affair has
been buried and dropped out Of sight.


Looking back from this statement of final
award over the events that have led up to it,
since the signing of the treaty. we are sorry
that we cannot congratulate either government
to any extent on its course of action. For the
diplomats of our State Department it has
been sad record Of bungling and trifling
with subject wherein the good
will and even the peace of two powerful nations
were involved. The introduction of the indi-
rect claims with flourish of rhetoric may
have been, as Secretary Fish protests, polti-
cal or partisan necessity of the hour; but the
indignities which their subsequent with
drawal heaped upon the nation and upon
the administration are enough to show
the flimsiness of his reasoning taken as
he puts it. 1t shows how the honor of o
nation can be flippantly compromised by
those whose opinion of their fellow citizens is
so low as to imagine that the mere tricks of
party can be successfully imposed upon them
as the dignified course for the nation to ac-
ouiesce in. The absolute failure Of this
attempt is one Of the few consultations Of the
people. On the other hand, it cannot be said
that England acted in the controversy with
either forbearance or courtesy. The how
which went up from one end of that country tc
the other on the publication of our "case'
indicated how very thin the layer was of treaty
cordiality War and treaty breaking were
spoken of with suddenness Of expires


sion which was the more marked that OF


this side Of the Atlantic the whole duestio,


had been quietly relegated to the tribunal un


der the treaty. What made this violence o


public feeling in England. the more curiou


was the undoubted fact that her whig govern


treaty, exhibiting love of place almost equa


to our own Secretary of State.


But all that is past The revival of an oil
feud is always prohtless where peace and cor
cord can prevail instead. A statement of tn


facts, however, has this use, that it prevents
| false estimate being placed upon the profe'
sions that may mean nothing Weare please
with one fact--the great one Of IL
controversy-that the apology which Englan
made in the treaty is repeated more pr
: nouncedly in the verdict Of the Court again
f her. What its value may be In the future v
Q cannot now enter upon. It gives Il
, nation another solemn assurance Of u
riohtfulness of its battle with the rebellio
and is O verdict of civilization against tho
o who, in defiance Of law, aided the foes Of u
r Union-the foes Of liberty to oil men.
4 is another triumph for the rigl
!, and. while looking at the mon
G award as the smallest fraction
V that triumph. we can join with becon,i
IS grace in the roseate auguries that the Joy
10 Arbitration Court at Geneva. conirre up
A. their festivities under the shadows Of
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