Some External Interests
in the face of such Republican diplomacy the British government reconsidered the matter and withheld its purposed action. In such fashion did the Republican administration in those trying times uphold the interests and honor of the Republic abroad.
Nor was Mr. Adams, our Minister at London, content with even so great services. He was incessantly alert and vigilant to detect infractions of the neutrality act. As early as 1863 he informed the British government that the United States would make claims against it for indemnity, and as soon as the war closed and the time was ripe for such a settlement he had in hand an overwhelming mass of evidence to prove our case and to substantiate our claims against the British government for the losses which we had sustained through its failure to fulfil its duties as a neutral power. There followed a few years of direct negotiation, culminating in the Geneva Arbitration. That was the most notable case of international arbitration that the world had ever seen. It may truly be said to have founded the succeeding era of arbitration and adjudication of international disputes, opening the way to many other peaceful settlements of controversies which formerly would have led to war as well as to the great Peace Congresses at The Hague. In that august international court of justice, thanks to Republican principles and Republican statesmanship, the United States won a sweeping victory. Its contentions were upheld and it received a cash award of $15,000,000, which was ample to cover the direct damages for which indemnity had been demanded. The event was acclaimed by the world as one of the greatest achievements for international peace and justice that history had ever recorded.
49
