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 hject of the United States, in persisting to 
retain these claims before the Tribunal, are summa- 
rily stated as follows: 
