Studies in American History 
211 
of anxiety, is from Fenianism, which is excited by the proximity of the 
British flag in Canada. Therefore the withdrawal of the British flag 
cannot be abandoned as a condition or preliminary of such a settlement 
as is now proposed. To make the settlement complete the withdrawal 
should be from this hemisphere including provinces and islands.®" 
The administration determined to ignore this ultimatum 
and to shape its foreign policy without further reference to 
Sumner. After consulting with Sumner’s colleagues, and tak- 
ing other precautions to enable him to feel sure that the Senate 
was ripe for revolt against Sumner’s domination, Fish invited 
Rose to his house on January 24 and informed him that the 
United States would enter on the proposed negotiations. 
Sumner’s '‘flag withdrawal” ultimatum was shown to Mr. 
Rose in confidence, and doubtless had an important influence 
in the negotiations that followed ; but Fish stated clearly that, 
if Great Britain should send commissioners to treat on the 
basis agreed upon, the administration would spare no effort 
“to secure a favorable result even if it involved a conflict with 
the chairman on foreign relations in the Senate”.®^ 
Events now moved rapidly. By aid of the submarine tele- 
graphic cable. Rose and Thornton were able to report, on 
February 1, that the Liberal Gladstone ministry were ready to 
send a special mission to treat on all questions at issue. In 
another week President Grant named five commissioners, 
whose appointments were at once confirmed by the Senate. 
On February 27 the joint high commission organized in Wash- 
ington, on May 8 the treaty was signed, and two days later it 
was submitted to the Senate and referred to the committee 
on foreign relations,®^ from the chairmanship of which Sumner 
had been displaced in March. On May 24, the Senate ap- 
proved it, Sumner casting his vote for it. 
The treaty contained: a statement of a formal apology for 
the escape of the Confederate cruisers from British ports; 
three rules of international law which practically admitted 
J. C. B. Davis, Mr. Fish and the Alabama Claims (Boston, 1893) ; J. B. Moore, 
International Arbitrations, I, 525, 526 ; C. F. Adams, Treaty of Washington (N.Y., 
1902), 141; Nation, February 23, 1871 (also see Netv York Times, January 9, 1871) ; 
North American Review, July-August, 1878, 61 (article by E. L. Pierce on “A Senator’s 
Fidelity Vindicated”) ; also Netv York Herald, January 4, 1878. On January 11, 1871, 
Senator Stewart of Nevada said : ‘‘The fact that the American people are in the market 
to purchase or annex all the adjoining lands will not be controverted . . . Canada 
cannot live long without us.” 
Moore, International Arbitrations, I, 528-530. 
Thru a leakage somewhere the treaty was published at once in the Neio York 
Tribune of May 11, 1871. 
