Washington telegraph., 1852-08-11
From tile Washington Republic.
The American Fisheries,

rlves interest from It's conneXiOn with men,
orable eras in American history, and its re-
lationship to previous difficulties of simi-
lar character. The pretensions of Britain
are not now advanced for the first time; they
have been put forward at periods when we
were less able to grapple with them; and
having always, and under disadvantageous
circumstances, successfully resisted them,
we are not likely now to succumb to their
influence.
The right of fishing in American waters,
acquired by Massachusetts and the other old
colonies, was an object of special protection
with the fathers of the Revolution Il was
watched over as a right resulting from geo.
graphical position, strengthened by enter
prise and labor and existing altogether In
dependently of Legislation by the mother
country. 1t formed the subject of frequent
debate in the earliest sessions of Congress
from 1776 to l782--and was invariably
asserted as thing to be recognised in con-
nexion with our national Independence
With all the then existing anxiety for a
cessation Of hostilities, the unreserved ac-
acknowledgement of the American right to
American fisheries was insisted upon as one
of the conditions of peace. The British
Peace Commissioners proposed to grant to
the States a privilege" in the fisheries,
but JOHN ADAMS and those who acted with
him persisted in demanding ''the right
the right, or no treaty." and eventually sue
ceeded in carrying the point The idea of
holding the fisheries as grants of favor from
the British crown was never for moment
tolerated; they were claimed as an essential
part OF our liberties; and they will be held
with as much tenacity as any portion of
our territorial boundaries.
The treaty negotiated in 1888 stipulated
that the citizens Of the United States should
have the right ''to take fish of every kind
on the Grand Bank and on all the other
banks Of newfoundland; also in the Gulf
of st. Lawrence and at all other places in
the sea where the inhabitants Of both coun-
tries used at any time heretofore to fish ::
and also that the inhabitants of the United
States shall have liberty to take fish of eve
ry kind Oh such part of the coast of New
foundland as British fishermen shall use,
(but not to dry or cure the same on that
island) and also on the coasts, bays, and
creeks of all other of his Britanic maiesty's
dominions in America; and that the Amer
lean fishermen shall have liberty to dry and
cure fish in any Of the unsettled bays, har-
bors, and creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalen
Islands, and Labrador so long as the same
shall remain unsettled; but as soon as the
same or either of them shall be settled, it
shall not be lawful for the said fishermen
to dry or cure fish at such settlement with
out previous agreement for the purpose
with the inhabitants, proprietors, or posses
sors Of the ground %
At the close of the second war with Brit
ain, negotiations again took place upon the
question. In anticipation of a renewal of
British pretensions to an exclusive right in
the fishing grounds, the American commits
sioners were instructed to abandon the ne
gotiations rather than surrender any of the
rights recognised by the treaty of 1888
The British commissioners realized the an
ticipation by maintaining that the previous
understanding had been abrogatcd by the
war: and they insisted on new arrange
ment, restricting the ground within smaller
limits The American commissioners con-
tended that we held our right in the fisher
les by the same tenure by which we held
our independence as a nation; and that the
treaty of 1888, instead Of conveying any
thing from England to the United States,
merely acknowledged a light existing in
the latter The logic of men contending
for the just prevailed, and American rights
were left standing on the basis of 1888.
This state of affairs did not continue
long Difficulties gradually developed
themselves in reference to the construction
OF the treaty, and the British authorities hav-
ing forbidden our vessels to approach with
in sixty miles of any coast of British Amer
lea, several that had been found violating
the injunction were seized and condemned.
TO arrange these disputes the convention
of 1918 wss held; Albert Gallatin and Rich
ard Rush being the ministers chosen to rep
resent the United States.
A new treaty was entered into, providing
that the people of the United States should
forever possess the right, in common with
the subjects of his Britanic majesty to take
fish Of every kind in that part of the south
ern coast of Newfoundland between Cape
Ray and the Rameau Islands; and between
Cape Ray and the Magdalen Islands; and
also on the coasts bays, harbors and creeks,
from Mount Jolly, on the south coast of La
brador, to and through the Straits of Bel
Isle, thence north indefinitely along the
coast-without prejudice, however, to any
of the exclusive rights of the Hudson Bay
Company. Also to cure and dress fish in
any of the unsettled bays, harbors, and
creeks of the parts described but not in
any settled, without agreement with the
proprietors or inhabitants OF all other
places, the United States gave up all right
ever claimed or enioved TO stake dry or