The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1855-01-20

asked for the introduction free of duty into
the ports Of the United States, of the fish
caught on the coast by British fishermen
This being the compensation stipulated IN the
trcatu for privileges of the highest Importance
;uld value to the United States, which were
thus voluntarily yielded before it became er-
icctive, the request seemed to me rcasona-
bic one"
Now this is all felton, without one fact
to give it countenance, and contradictci by
the history of all the diplomacy, negotiation
and legislation on the subject from the time
General Dix first introduced his bill into Con-
grcss in 1919.
The boon they sought, and the boon (the
compensation we gave them was not our
markets to sci fish in which fish they never
caught and probably never Wilt was our
grain and produce markets for the sale of
their agricultural produce 1t was not for
markets in which to sell fish that Sir Henry
Bulwcr sought by every means in his power
to get General Taylors administration to ne
gotiatc, and Congress to lcgislate upon this,
50 miscallcd reciprocity matter, and sought
in vain; it was not for this that Lord ElSin
came on a special mission to this country and
that Washington has been made to swarm
for the last two years with Canadian officials
and unotlcials, but it was to get our home
markets for sale of provincial produce. Eve
rvLody knows this. How absurd, and almost
ridiculous then the attempt to keep the real
compensation" from view. Nobody will be
deceived by it; but it is notifying and hui
initiating to see men in high places, i'll state
papers of the gravest and most solemn I'M
port, rcsorting to such pcttlogging subtcr-
fugcs, for they hardly deserve better name
For the mutual considerations thus named by
the President-thc right to the inshorc iishc-
rics, and the navigation Of the st. Lawrence,
coded on the one hand, and the right to sell
fish in the American markets on the other,
no such treaty could have been formed; not
that the privileges thus respectively granted
arc d,sproportionate, or that Great Britain
would consider she was parting with any rca
boon whatever, but she would rather keep
the difficulties about the fisheries a bone of
contention for ultcrior ends than part with
her recently asserted right so cheaply. In
deed this fishery title was merely revived or
asserted after our free use Of the disputed
grounds for half a century, that it might be
used as a prctcXt to get possession OF our
markets for the agricultural products of their
provinces. But for the consideration really
given, almost any and every disputed and
unsettled matter would have been yielded up
to Great Britain Our minister at her court
is understood to complain that his negotia-
tons have been seriously embarrassed by the
too easy REIMBURSEMENT of the only boon this
wise and willy nation sought
There is no doubt but that our government
has been entirely overreachod i'll the bargain
they have made. The Secretary of the State
seems only to have taken into view, in his
craftsmanship the State OF New York, or at
most only the fishermen and manufacturers
of New England, and the merchants and mil
lcrs of New York. The interest Of n. York
canals and railroads, the freight, storage, and
commissions of New York merchants. and
the grists to grind for the Rochester and Os-
wcgo milcrs, have been secured as far as
could be done, by Mr.. Marcy, who has had
these interests in charge before at home, and
docs not seem to forget them when abroad.
That his views have been so limited, and his
policy so sectional and local, is fail infer
cnce from the fact that 10 such treaty was
ever before negotiated between two civilized
nations. No instance can be found of q ma
tons throwing wide open its markets to an
other nation or people without an equivalent,
growing staples and products similar to its
own, and growing them in abundance and
supcrabundance, except in the contingency
Of drought or some great national calamity.
All England did was TO let in one or two ar
tices which she could not supply to her starry
ing people. But we have thrown our mar
kcts as wide open as though these British
provinces were States of this Union--markets
which they will seek merely to sell in, rcceiv-
ing only in payment our precious metals, or
exchange on England, to pay for the goods
they buy of her. Everything they can grow
from their soil, produce from their forests or
their mines, we shall have to take on these
| terms.
What do they give us in return besides
their river to navigate, which they can t nav
gate much themselves being frozen tight
| six months in the year and hazardous nav
gat1on the other six-and right to catch
fish where we had always caught them be-
fore? What real reciprocity can they offer
us in the way of markets? Why. a dstin-
| guished Senator from Vermont, when Gen.
| DiX's bill was before the Senate, in lS49, de-
clared that, from his own personal knowledge,
living, as he did, near the line, there was
nothing or next to nothing we could send to
Canada. How can we expect to send any
agricultural products there, when five-sixths
of their population arc engaged in agrcul-
ture ard these Provinces are without large
cities, towns, or manu- featuring villages
Great Britain taking care to do all the man
| utacturing for them, and to make the Colo