Daily American telegraph. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1851-1852, 1852-08-20
and so | say the British Government has re-
duced the number of guns employed.

Now, when this force was approaching, aletter
bearing somewhat the tone of proclamation,
by Sir John Packington, appeared, and at the
moment was magnifed and applauded by the
colonial newspapers in most bellicosc manner
and before the letter of the British Minister
could have been read or received by the Presi-
dent of the United States, an alarm went abroad
throughout the fisheries and along the North
eastern coasts. 1t was exactly at the season
when the fishermen were going to the ocean
fields to gather their autumnal harvests. The
President it seems, took pains to obtain inform
alton informally, and he caused it to be pub
lished, in a notice issued by the Secretary Of
! State, and dated at the Department of State,
July 6, 1852, and which has been called here
the proclamation of the Secretary The
Senate will see that the Secretary of State set
forth such unofficial information, land all the
information was unoffcial) as had been OBJ
tanned, and stated the popular inference then
prevalent saying that the Imperial Governing
appeared" now to be willing to adopt the
construction Of the convention insisted on hy
the Colonies. Inferring, from circumstances,
the hazards and dangers which would arise he
set forth the case precisely as it seemed to
stand. He adyerted to the question understood
as likely to be put in issue, and admitting that
technically the convention of 1918 would bear
lHSiSteu on Dy tne IOlO-
nies, he declared the dissent of the Government
OF the United States from it; and then conlmu-
nicaed the case to the persons engaged in this
hard and hazardous trade, that they might be
con their guard
! | am surprised that any doubts should be
raised as to the proclamation being the act OF
| the Government. do not understand how
Senator or citizen can officially know that
the Secretary of State is MT Marshfeld, or else
where, when the seal and date of the Depart.
ment affirm that he is ut the capital. | would
like to know where or when this Government
or this Administration has disayowed this proc.
lamation!
In issuing this notice, the Secretary Of State
did Just what the Secretary of State had been
in the habit of doing in such cases, from the
foundation of the Government viz he issued a
notice to the citizens of the United States to
put them on their guard, in case of apparent
danger, resulting from threatened embarrass-
ment of our relations with foreign Power.
The first notice of the kind which have
found in history is q notice issued ny Thomas
Jefferson, Secretary of State under George
Washington to the merchants of the United
States informing them of the British orders in
Council and of the DEGREES of the French Di-
rectory, and of the apprehendcd seizure and
conf.cation of American vessels under them;
and assuring the American merchants that, for
whatever they might unlawfully lose, the Gov
ernment of the United States would take care
that they should be Unidentified. ] brought
that to the notice of the Senate heretofore; and
upon that ground, among Others they have
twice sanctioned a bill providing for the pay
ment of losses by French spoliations. The no.
tice published by Mr. Webster was of the same
character and effect Since that time the
!" Mississippi" steam war frigate of the Uni
ted States has been ordered to those waters
to cruise there for the protection of American
fishermen in the enjoyment Of their just rights.
Thus ends the whole story of these transactions
about the fisheries The difficulties on the
fishing grounds have :" this extent, no more''-
They are the wonder of day. and no more.
| Nonegotiation has been had between the Pres
ident of the United States and the English
Government. No negotiation is now in pro-
gress between the two Governments No ne
gotiaton has been instituted between the two
Governments, for any purpose whatever No
overture of negotiation has been made by the
British Government since the last year, and
no overture has been made by the Amer
lean to the British Government So, then,
it appears that nothing has been negotiated
away at the cannon's mouth. because there has
been no negotiation ut all, either at the can
mons mouth or elsewhere There has not been
any negotiation under durcss, because there
has been no pretence of design by the Impe-
rial Government to enforce its rigorous con-
sruction Of the convention of 1878 or to de-
part from the position Of neutrality if may so
call it always heretofore maintained. All the
change is, that, in August, 1851, the British
Government had 81 guns on that station and
now, in August 1852 it has OIL guns; and this
famous Sir Charles Seymour, who sweeps away,
| IL Il.
bergs coming down from HudSon's Bay and off
the coast OF Labrador, with his broom, is the
Admiral Of the whole station Of British North
America--a field of duty which reaches from
Central America TO the North Pole. He has
two headquarters: one ut Bermuda, in the
winter; and the other at Halifax in the sum.
mer. This same Admiral Seymour was in
those seas with his broom last year lust rs he
is this year, and yet he excited no alarm then
He has four trusts to execute for his Govern
ment with the small force at his command of
which his flag. ship constitutes the largest por-
tion. The first of these is to protect British
rights in the vicinity of Cuba, just ns the Uni
ted States last year sent vessel to maintain
their rights and perform their duties there His
next duty is to secure British rights at Grey.
town, Just exactly as the United States ought
to have had u vessel there to secure their
rights lhe third duty IL 10 watch Solouquc,
the Emperor of Hayti, to prevent him from
suhjugating the Dominican Colony, which tho
British Government is bound to do BY an ar.
rangcment existing between the United States,
Great Britain, and France and the fourth
duty s to protect British rights in these fshc-
ries against encroachments and abuses by
whomsoeyer may come along. The season OF
fishing is in the summer; and, therefore. the
Admiral arrives at Halifax with his broom du
ring that season and perhaps also, he comes
north bocopse the weather is more pleasant /