New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1852-07-26
THE NEWFOUNDLAND FISHERIES
Right OF Americans 10 Use them....No.I.

Right OF Americans TO Use them..No. L.
To me Editors Of The " Y. Tribune:
FnAnrxcHAm, Mass, Thursday, July %, 1852
MEssRs. EDIToRs: | am asked, by mu
tual friends, to prepare an article for The Tribune
relative to our Rights Of Fishing and while fss
that can hardly communicate anything of value
to you or your readers, circumstances, not mate
rial to state, seemingly require me to comply with
the request. | proceed at once, then, to the task.
According to the Treaty Of 1893, we could take
FISH in any bay, creek, harbor, or ndentation, and
IN all places in the sea, and upon all the banks and
coasts of British America, except parts allotted
to France. In a word, the third article of that
instrument continued to US the privileges, sub
stantially, Of catching which we had enjoyed as
British subjects. In drying and curing, we were
limited TO the unsettled parts Of Noya-ScOtia, the
Nsgdaene Islands and Labrador; and as fast as
settlements were made at either place, We were to
be compelled to make specific agreements with
those who held or occupied the soil. Such in
substance, were the stipulatiOns in our favor when
We became a free people. An examination OF our
State papers will show that our Commissioners
were tasked to the utmost Of their powers to pro-
cure recognition of these rights ard that John
Adams, on one occasion, when whole day had
been spent in discussions about the fishery AMI
the Tories in reply to proposition from the OPP
posing mission to leave ont of the treaty the wsrd
"riehf' and insert instead thereof the term lib
erty." rose, and, in the direct and vehement man
ner which characterized him through life, thus
spoke:
Gentlemen, is there or can there be a clearer tlga,
In former treaties inst Of Utrecht, aud that OF Paris
France and England have claimed the rigH, aud used
The cord. When God Almighty made the Banks Of
Nevcunda and az three hundred leagues distance from
the people OF America, aud ak hund rct leagues dis
tarce from those If France and England, did he not
give as good rigit the former lh3 ltterl Il
Heaven in the creation gave right Il is least
much as yours. II occupation, use, and possession
give rlgA nave II ss clearly you ID D1T b,Sgf
and ircdssSs give right ours is good yours We
continued b., "baye constantly been hghdng In Can
ada Cape Breton and Nova Scotia, for tho defense OF
this ashery and have 3ded beyond all proportion
M re than you; H. then, the TigN cannot Do Denied,
why should no, be Acknowledged and put out Of dis
pue Why should we leave room for ilitera.e fisher
men to nsngle and chicane 2"
This IS sufficient to show the spirit manifested
BY our Commissioners and, without quoting fur
ther. | will only remark, that Mr.. Adams finally
declared that he "wosld never put his hand to
any articles, without satisfaction about the fish
cry" We enjoyed the right, so cOurageousIy
maintained, unimpGrsd until the close of the War
flSl2.
An arduous duty deyolyed on our Commission
srs at Client. On the one hand, they were ex-
pected to arrange conditions OF peace, and yet
were instructed, in terms which admitted Of no
discretion to break of their CONSULATE rs and re-
tuIn home, rather than allow the subject Of sur
rendering fine fisheries TO come under discussion;
on the other hand, the British PIenipotentar,s
net them with the doctrine that the privileges
were entirely destroyed by the war. " These
gentlemen" said the ate President, John Quincy
Adams, cater commencing ths negotiations with
TIE oniest pTetensioDs o, conquest, finally settled
down into the determination to keep Moore Island
lth- present town Of Eastport Maiuel aud the
fisheries TO themselves. This was the object oil
their deepest sohcitude. Their efforts TO Obtain
our scquiesceuce in their pretenson, that the ish
ing Liberties had been forfeited by th' war were
unvearied. They presented it to us IN every form
that ingenuity could devise. Il was the first
stumbng-block. and the last sbstacle, TO the con-
clusion of the treaty.
L is singular circumstance, that at Gnent, as