SPEECH OF HON. CHARLES SUMNER, ON THE JOHNSON- CLARENDON TREATY FOR THE SETTLEMENT OF CLAIMS. DELIVERED IN THE U.S. SENATE. WITH AN APPENDIX
1870 · Boston
by Sumner, Charle
Boston, 1870. 69pp. Original printed wrappers. Spine chipped. Lightly tanned, a few early manuscript corrections to the text. Very good. The Johnson-Clarendon Treaty, signed by the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Clarendon, and the American Ambassador to Great Britain, Reverdy Johnson, sought to settle all outstanding financial claims between the two countries. Foremost among these were the so- called "Alabama Claims," a blanket term used to cover depredations against Northern shipping by Confederate vessels that had been outfitted in Great Britain. The Alabama was one of many ships that raided Union commercial vessels, and some $15 million in damages were claimed in all. In April, 1869, Senator Charles Sumner, Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, made a devastating speech against the treaty, helping to ensure its defeat by the Senate. Sumner argued that the British should also have to pay collateral costs associated with the damaged shipping, which he estimated at more than $100 million. The speech is included in this printing in its entirety, along with another related speech by Sumner, and documents regarding neutral rights and obligations. An uncommon printing of an important document in American diplomatic history. (Inventory #: WRCAM17217)