This was what is now called "a twist of the lion's tail." It was something of a twist, although it was accompanied with the offer of the olive branch, instead of the sword. It was effective, even more effective for the conciliatory tone of the final paragraph. Moreover, with the German armies encamped around Paris and throughout France, the affairs of Continental Europe were too unsettled and precarious for Great Britain to run the risk of any serious complications with the United States. [Sidenote: Sir John Rose's mission to the United States.] [Sidenote: The Joint High Commission.] Accepting the President's message as an invitation to renew negotiations, the British Government, at the beginning of the next year (1871), sent Sir John Rose to Washington to sound the President in regard to the matter. The President greeted his advances with great cordiality, and on the 26th of the month (January), Sir Edward Thornton, the British Minister to the United States, formally proposed to the Hon. Hamilton Fish, the Secretary of State, the appointment of a Joint High {307} Commission, to consist of five persons representing each Government, to sit at Washington, for the purpose of settling the questions between the two Governments relative to Great Britain's North American possessions. Mr. Fish immediately expressed the willingness of his Government to enter upon the negotiation, provided the differences growing out of the events of the Civil War should be included among the subjects to be considered. The British Government accepted Mr. Fish's proviso, and the respective Governments proceeded to appoint the members of the Commission. President Grant designated Hamilton Fish, Ebenezer R. Hoar, Justice Samuel Nelson, Robert C. Schenck and George H. Williams. Her Majesty selected Earl de Grey and Ripon, Sir John Macdonald, Sir Stafford Northcote, Sir Edward Thornton and Professor Mountague Bernard. These eminent gentlemen proceeded immediately upon their momentous undertaking, and on the 8th of May (1871) concluded the treaty between the two Governments, known as the Treaty of Washington, which was duly ratified, and on the 4th of July proclaimed to the world. [Sidenote: The Treaty of Washington.] The first eleven articles of this agreement relate to the claims for damages arising from the incidents of the Civil War, known as the Alabama Claims. This was the subject of transcendent importance in the Treaty; this was the subject which was, by these articles, referred to the Court of Arbitration to sit at Geneva. They contain, in the first place, an expression of regret for the escape of the Confederate vessels from British ports and for the depredations committed by them.