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New York Septem. 23rd 1872
Wm. W. Crapo Esqr New Bedford
Dear Sir,
We have your valued favor 20th Inst. In regard to claims not filed prior to the arbitration not being left out, we think if you will refer to the Circular letter we sent you 18th Inst. You will discover that such impression prevails at the State Department, still we may interpret their meaning wrong.
If Mr. Bancroft Davis can distort the meaning of the arbitrators award so as to let the Government in for a large slice of it you may depend that he will do so; it will therefore be necessary for us to bring the strongest kind of influence to bear upon Mr. Fish as soon as we can, to come to a conclusion the reverse of what we have good reason to believe Mr Davis wishes shall prevail. As soon as Mers. Cushing, Evarts, & Beaman return it would be well for you to have an interview with them & fix upon some plan of action.
We remain Yours truly Barling & Davis
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New York Sept 25 1872
Wm. W. Crapo Esqr New Bedford
Dear Sir,
We hand you enclosed a very good article to day "Journal of Commerce" upon the subject of dividing the award made in the matter of the "Alabama" claims. The "journal" is, as you know, Democratic, or rather anti administration, but is usually fair in its arguments, & has, doubtless, good grounds for writing so strongly upon the Chances of the money being passed into a channel never intended by the Arbitrators, but which would especially please Mr. J. Bancroft Davis, in this, that if such outrage were perpetrated a certain class of his stripe would applaud him for having carried out his original idea of being paid for consequential damages. How would it to get Mr. Fessender to publish this article & then write a leader upon it, saying in substance, that, the claimants, & especially those living in New Bedford, have too much faith in Mr. Fish
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as a sound lawyer (which the writer has his doubts of) and an honorable man to believe that he would not for a moment countenance any attempt, no matter from what quarter it might come, to direct the funds from the claimants upon the plea that our Government has an equity, & that if such thing should even be attempted it would be an insult to the Arbitrators who emphatically declared against their claim. If it were added, (the impression being otherwise) that the original claimants in New Bedford & elsewhere, having had an abiding faith in sooner or later getting justice, have not parted with them to speculators, but hold them still - & notwithstanding the ruin and loss to which they were subjected by the act of these answers?? - still stood by the Government in the way of lending it material aid in its darkest days to the fullest extent of their ability &c. &c. Either you or JWF. - can write a first rate article (which us cannot) by taking the points https://www.fromthepage.com/uvalawlibrary/css-alabama/1872-correspondence-with-barling-and-davis/transcribe/23272