66 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



this difference by supplemental treaty. Only a few 

 weeks remained in which to negotiate ; and the 

 parties were separated by thousands of miles of 

 ocean. It was necessary, therefore, to negotiate, if at 

 all, by telegraph, an operation quite as novel as had 

 been that of conducting the business of government 

 in France by means of pigeons or balloons during the 

 siege of Paris. But, before it was possible for the 

 parties to conclude a treaty by telegraph, the fatal 

 day arrived, greatly to the embarrassment of the 

 British Government. 



PRESENTATION OF ARGUMENTS FOR THE UNITED STATES. 



For the course of the United States in this exigen 

 cy was plain before them: it was to present their 

 final Argument to the Tribunal of Arbitration, in con 

 formity with their own conception of their rights, just 

 as if there were no controversy on the point between 

 them and Great Britain. 



The President of the United States was immova 

 bly fixed in the purpose not to withdraw the contro 

 verted claims, nor to abstain from making claim be 

 fore the Tribunal in respect to the so-called indirect 

 losses, except in consideration of a new treaty regard 

 ing the same, satisfactory to himself and to the Senate 

 of the United States. 



In a dispatch of the Secretary of State to the Min 

 ister at London, of the 28th of May, 1872, the induce 

 ment and object of the United States, in persisting to 

 retain these claims before the Tribunal, are summa 

 rily stated as follows : 



