The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-09-26
THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF PRESIDENT PIERCE AND
THE FISHERY AND RECIPROCITY TREATY.

THE FISHERY AND RECIPROCITY TREATY
!" THE FISHERY RECIPROCITY rREATY.-The Wash
ington Union says:
we boldly claim for the administration of President
Pierce the sole credit Of concentrating this great
'The Albany Register, upon this, remarks:
But the claim SO boldly made is point of fact
The greatest difficulties that laid in the Of the con
summation of this treaty were removed during the brilliant
was head Of the department filled by Mr.
Marcy This is assertion 1t is both fact and his
is boldness that the spirit Of preyarieaon might
blush at and shows with what avidy straws are
The great blow was work of this treaty when
Daniel Webster promptly ably, and boldly assumed the
noint Threatening war with Great Britain The stand
taken by Mr. Webster instantly seconded by Mr. Fillmore
and followed by Mr. Everett opened up line OF diplomatic
negotiations which laid the foundation of the present vaua
Bile treaty, particularly with reference to all the points in
has simply finished work that commenced with con
ability and carried through its most important and
difficult stages by the administration OF Miard Fillmore
Thus shamecssy does the wing press claim for its party
credit in matter whose true history is record of the ut
mbecty and negligence the part Of the late ad-
mnsraton "This not assertion tits both fact and
history" We present to the country the evidence which
sustans this charge.
The policy of reciprocal free trade with Canada by far
the most important of the British North American colo
MES warmly supported by the administration of Mr.
Polk. Mr.. Crampton in despatch to Mr. Clayton of
March 23d says in the early part Of s4s II had myself
the honor of communicating with Mr. Walker upon the
subject (reciprocty with Canada and learned with
satisfaction that the views of the United States
highly favorable TO tho principle ofarecpocal relaxa
ton of commercial restrictions between Canada and the
United States The Secretary of the Treasury in letter
dated May S4s addressed to the chairman of the Com
mitee Commerce Of the House of Representatives
esly recommended the immediate adoption of the measure
by Congress bill passed the House for this purpose,
but failed to become law from want Of action in the
Senate.
Upon the coming in of General Taylors administration
the subject of reciprocity between the principal British
North American colonies and the United States
esty pressed upon the attention of the administration in
power by the British minister and by delegates from the
colonies proposition made arrange the matter by
treaty. 1t is well known that General Taylor Mr. Mere
dth Secretary of the Treasury and Mr. Clayton Secretary
of State opposed to the Of reciprocity the
ground that concted with the protective policy of the
administration This view is distinctly intmated in
letter of Mr. Clayton to Mr. Champion dated June 26th
849 and also in the message of General Taylor In the
letter referred to- Mr. Clayton declined to enter into any
goatons upon the subject saying If the legislative action
Of the United States has failed to carry out the measure
that very fact is held in the Judgment of the President
be sufficient objection to his attempting to press it the
country by treaty We must give Mr. Clayton the credit
of consistency The opposition this measure thus early
commenced by this great whg leader continued the
last for he most strenuousy opposed the ratification of
the reciprocity treaty when it before the Senate
The British minister and colonial agents continued to
demand the attention of the administration of Mr. Fillmore
IN tba of info
sured Mr. Fillmore Mr. Webster that the questions rcl.
tive the fisheries might be arranged together with that
of reciprocal free trade They prepared make the
most liberal concessions for such was then the state of
feeling in the ewer colonies that existed when
all these questions could haze been arranged with little
difficulty or upon liberal terms to the United States
in the early part of Mr.. Fmores administration No no
tice of these proers was taken by Mr. Fillmore or Mr.
Webster for than year. except recommends
ton of the subject of reciprocity the attention of Con-
gress by Mr. Fillmore in his annual message This notice
could hardly be called recommendation for Mr. Fill
most carefully avoided committing himself to any
policy The real sentiments of Mr. Fillmore however may
be inferred from the fact that the Republic, his peculiar
organ at Washington bitterly denounced the of
reciprocity in repeated articles and the Albany Register
his organ in New York. never advocated the So
oFct lnc OF tTe
the portion OF the Presidents message relating recproc
y not referred 10 committee Of the House.
1t manifest to the friends OF these measures that
nothing would be done for the fisheries reciprocity by
Mr. Filmores administration. Mr. David l.. Seymour of
New York prominent member Of the democratic party
and chairman of the Committee Commerce in the House.
whose attention had been brought these questions by
his local and official position brought the whole subject of
Commerce. and prepared report forcibly advocating the
adoption of measures by Congress very similar those
which have since been effected by treaty While he was
engaged in the preparation of this report the British and
colonial authorities irriated by the total indifference of
the administration determined take step which should
their attention. They determined to send the
fishing grounds large feet of armed vessels resist the
encroachmens of American fishermen Information of
these preparations obtained from colonial sources was COM
municated to Mr. Webster time before the feet was
despatched This information not before the public
simple from him the British minister that
he would commence negotiations would have suspended
these offensive preparations. But instead of ancpntng
these difficulties by quiet negotiation, Mr. Webster most
proclamation. This followed by his famous speech to
the Marbehead fishermen, of hook and line bob and
sinker celebrity instantly created OF excitement
through the country Violent speeches made in the
nifty for negotiation all chance for legislation was at an