INTERNATIONAL AFFAIRS 211 
surely what cannot be proved by distinct evidence cannot be 
made the subject of an award. This country will not go into a 
court to ask for an award which, if against it, it will never accept. 
An award against it in the matter of the indirect claims will never 
be paid, and therefore the only honest course is to object now be- 
fore going into court. Has the coming Presidential election or 
nomination anything to do with this matter? Or is Mr. Sumner’s 
view of the dispute dominant in Washington? I should have 
thought your government might have said: ‘We will not press the 
claims objected to before the tribunal, but we shall retain them 
in our “case” as historic evidence of our sense of magnitude of 
the grievance of which we complain.’ 
“This, I dare say, would have satisfied our government and 
people, and practically it would have satisfied every reasonable 
man in the States. To such as would not be content with it, 
friendship and peace would, in the nature of things seem to be 
denied.” 
Upon his return to the United States in the spring, Field 
talked to a number of his countrymen in order to learn their 
views on the Alabama claims. They seemed disposed to be 
fair toward England and disinclined to insist upon “indirect 
damages.” He wrote to Bright as follows: 
Gramercy Park, 
New York, 2d April, 1872. 
My dear Mr. Bright,—I arrived on 25th March, after a very 
rough passage of sixteen days. .. . 
Since my return I have devoted much of my time to ascertain 
the real sentiment of the people of this country in regard to the 
Washington Treaty, and as far as I can judge, after seeing many 
persons of different political parties, it appears to be almost unan- 
imous that our government has made a great mistake in including 
these indirect claims in the ‘case.’ I am convinced that the best 
people in England and America desire to have this question set- 
tled in a fair and honorable manner. In fact, many say to me that 
they have got tired of hearing about the indirect claims... . 
With great respect and kind regards to your family, 
I remain, my dear Mr. Bright, 
Very truly your friend, 
Cyrus W. Field. 
