LETTERS TO THE EDITOR.
THE AMERICAN CASE.
[To THE EDITOR OF THE " SPECTITOIL1
Sta,—Mr. Morse, in his letter published in the Times of Monday, characterizes the claim for damages arising from the prolongation of the war as "visionary," and thinks it "a mistake" to have included it in the American Case.
If his countrymen are of the same opinion, is it too mach to expect that they will withdraw that claim ? Can they have so false a notion of national dignity as to think that, having made a mistake, they must stick to it, even at the risk of a war between nations
"Who speak the tongue That Shakespeare spake, the faith and morals hold That Milton held "?
And if this visionary claim were withdrawn by America, would there be any insuperable objection to our agreeing that the other indirect claims, which, however untenable we may consider them, are not so absolutely visionary and undefinable, should be adjudi- cated on by the tribunal of Arbitration ? These claims are for the cost of chasing the cruisers, for loss in the transfer of American ships to the British flag, and for the enhanced premiums of insur- ance. The arbitrators will in all probability find these claims untenable, and in any case it is certain that they will not award any sum which England would not gladly pay, rather than see a Treaty which promised such blessings both to England and America,. and by the example it held out to the whole civilized world, end in a renewal of strife.
Oh for one hour of John Bright ! It is generally understood that that great man feels profoundly grieved that the claims put for- ward in the American Case should be of such a character as to. threaten to transform the feeling of amity and kindness to which the Treaty of Washington had given birth, between the two great Anglo-Saxon nations, into one of mutual distrust and hostility.. Would that in his place in Parliament he could express those feel- ings in words which, coming from him, would have more weight with the people of America than those of any other English- statesman !—I am, Sir, &c.,
Previous page
