ALABAMA CLAIMS. 65 
Britain to the United States might not be purchased 
too dearly by conceding to the United States, in con- 
sideration theréof, indefinite and unlimited exemption 
from responsibility for wrongs of the same nature to 
be ‘inflicted in all future time by the United States 
on Great Britain. 
_ Further interchange of dispatches on this subject 
followed, the British Government insisting on modifi- 
cation. of the terns of an pigposed oy the 
Senate. 
But Congress ee now y adjourned, ‘The. 13th of 
June was impending, on which day the United States 
must of necessity present their final argument or lose 
their hold on’ the Treaty. If, at’ the commencement 
of the difficulty, the British Govemmett had proposed 
to. the American Government to agree to postpone 
the proceedings of the Tribunal and take time for 
negotiation in the usual way, a new. treaty might 
have been concluded as contemplated by the: two 
Governments. » Such treaty, requiring ‘careful cdn- 
sideration _of phraseology, with discussion and expla- 
nations regatding the same, could not be ‘conéluded 
in haste ‘by means of telegraphic communication: be: 
tween London and Washington. 
The spectacle exhibited by the two Governments 
at this time was one of profound interest to the whole 
world. They were inspired by friendly sentiments on 
each side. , They differed in regard to the. construction 
of .a treaty: which neither desired’ to: break. . Diplo: 
matic correspondence had failed to bring them into 
concord of opinion. They endeavored to reconcile 
E 
