The daily republic. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1853-1853, 1853-07-27
our Fisheries and our Government.

w E4DN ZCOhI N1ON1%lkNOJ JUL ACJJ.
Our Fisheries and our Government.
In the magnitude and diversity Of the inter
ests Of the American people, and from the vast
area they cover, one section or one interest is
apt TO underestimate the Importance of another;
and the Government, pressed by its numerous
and daily increasing duties, and occupied so
much with its partisan political concerns. too
often fails to see or neglects matters Of primary
consideration. These evils have increased as
our territory and population have extended,
and as the science of government has become
less the study of our leading men than politi-
cal warfare and the mere personnel of parties.
However, we do not fear territorial expansion,
for the facilities of com municaton by railroad
and telegraph will increase in greater proper
ton. Nor do we apprehend serious danger
from the present degenerate state of our politi
cal system, for the power of the press aug
ments daily.
Take the subject Of our fisheries, and how
few cotton planters of the South or farmers Of
the West comprehend their value either to the
people of New England or to the whole Union
The Government, engaged in regulating
party claims, difficulties, and affairs, had al
most forgotten, till suddenly aroused from its
supineness by the press, that we had an i'm
portant interest to guard and adjust in the fish
cries. And yet they are of great valne, not
only as to the number of men and wealth en-
ployed, but to the country at large.
According to the statistical returns in 1850
of the cod and mackerel fisheries of Maine,
New Hampshire, Massachusetts,, and Connec-
ticut, there We're employed vessels to the
amount of $4,000 tons. or total for
the United States of l43,75S tons, employ
ing over twenty thousand men. Their To-
cal value to the industrious and hardy citizens
of New England--to the many thousands who
have no other employment or resources, who,
if deprived Of their fishing grounds. are, to use
the emphatic words of FISHER AMEs, "too
poor TO live there and too poor to removed
ought not to be lightly estimated. AS matter of
commerce and as a business in W hich such a large
amount of capital is invested. the fisheries are
of the highest importance. But, as nursery
of enterprsing and severely disciplined seamen
for our commercial marine and navy, they are
of great national value. They have been fos
tered by nations of all ages for this reason. The
commercial greatness of the existing mari
time powers, as we'll as of those Of former
times, has been built on this foundation.
Even In the present day, when free trade
principles and free competition, and the great
variety of employments to be found, have SUI
perseded to great extent the old policy Of
protection, governments, and among them oul
own, encourage the fisheries ny bounties. Two
years ago the National Assembly of France
passed law giving liberal bounties to fisher
men. M. SENAc said that s'the fisheries sup
piled more than fifth part of the seamen of
France, and by far the best part of them; and
that there was no cheaper, better, or more use
full school for the formation of seamen for the
navy, and none more capable of extension and
development" And Mr.. RoDEr affirmed
that "without the resources which were found
in the sailors engaged in the fisheries the expe-
dition to Algiers could not have taken place. -
General WASHINGTON, in letter to Congress
dissenting from that body on the subject of re-
for the French, gave, among his reasons, 'sthat
France would engross the whole trade of New
foundand whenever she pleased, and thus Sc
cure the finest nursery of seamen in the world
Mr.. JEFFERSON, in his message to Congress,
1902, spoke of fostering our fisheries as nur-
series of navigation, and for the nurture of
man." as among "the landmarks by which we
were to be guided in all our proceedings y
DANIEL WEBSTER, in his celebrated speech at
Marshfeld twelve months ago, said: "Our fish
cries have been the very nurseries of our navy.
II our flag ships have met and conquered the
enemy on the sea, the fisheries are at the bot
tom of It, The fisheries were the seeds from
which these glorious triumphs were born and
sprung" Eminent writer's and statesmen have
declared that "the English navy became for
midable alone by the discovery of the mex
pressibly rich fishing grounds Of America
Go into our magnificent packet ships, into our
"clippers" that rival the steamship, and into
our war vessels. and you will find there the
ablest mariners and most efficient and daring
seamen from our fisheries
If we would appeal to the sympathies of our
citizens and the Government in behalf of be-
neficial and speedy adjustment of the Difficult
ties of our fishermen, how much could be said!
We could give thrilling details of their suffer
iDgs and heroism; of what we owe them for
their bravery and usefulness in our struggle for
Independence and in the war of 1912; and we
could show that fishermen have been the found
alton of great States and empires, the very
germ of all commerce, and the corner stone of
that beautiful structure of New England re-