ALAUAMA CLAIMS. 177 



States orindi'mnlty lor the captures made by tlie AJit- 

 b(ini((,i\\.ii Florida^ and the hiheuandoah ' tlie rise in 

 tlie cost of cotton and naval stores, and the conse- 

 quent losses to commerce, to manufactures, and to la- 

 bor, in Great Britain, occasioned by the prolongation 

 of our Civil War: in reflecting on all this, it ^vill Ijc 

 perceived that the hasty issue of the Queen's Procla- 

 mation, which gave to the Confederates a standing in 

 Great Britain, and the means and spirit to continue 

 hostilities, was an ill-advised measure, hardly less in- 

 jurious to Great Brita.in than it was to the United 

 States. These are matters which, as questions of di- 

 plomacy between the two Governments, the Treaty 

 of Washington and the Award of tiie Triljunal close 

 up; but they remain as historical facts, full of admoni- 

 tion to all Governments. JJisciie jiiditidin moiiiti 



FiLinusTi:ii onjixrrroNs. 



Do the Hules, as construed ];y the Decision of the 

 Treaty, disclose that due diligence, voluntary dili- 

 gence, in the discharge of neutral duties, has relation 

 to the exigency, and that the failui'c therein is not ex- 

 cusable by the insufliciency of .sfdfufe means of action i 

 So thouglit Washington and Jell'ei'son. Tliey acted, 

 wlien no statute existed. It avails nothing to say 

 that ours is a constitutional government, witli legal 

 forms which imi)edc administrative action. If Con- 

 gress has not imparted to the Executive adequate 

 jiowers, — if, tor want of such fit legislation, the Exec- 

 utive can not act effectively in some given cases to 

 prevent illegal expeditions, — if, in couseqlience there- 



M 



