Sunbury American. [volume] (Sunbury, Pa.) 1848-1879, 1856-03-22
WHAT ENGLAND iras DONE.

CcItuln, COnceSsiOnS py DOtn ulsputuuts 10 the
best mode of settlement. The Great Law
Giver has advised us to bestow our coat up
on the man who steals our cloak, and our
government has possibly pursued that course
in its dealings with Great Britain in obedi-
ence to the divine command There are but
two instances on record since infant Jonathan
first began to resist the chastisements of his
parent and rebel against his government, in
which he has not given up portion OF his
rights to that avaricous ancestor, to wit the
revolution and the war of 1912. Whenever
it suits the English government to break
solemn treaty she does it boldly or cunningly
If she is dealing with weaker power, she
simply treads the compact under her feet; if
with one Of equal strength, her lynx.eyed di-
plomatists find q rat hole to creep through
and always do it successfully unless there is
a sharp trap of big guns and bayonets on the
other side
Our first treaty with Great Britain was in
1888, at the conclusion Of peace. 1t settled
the boundaries of our claims in the painest
manner, and its provisions secured TO us the
right OF fishing on the Banks Of NcwGound-
land, in the Gulf of st Lawrence, and call
other places in the sea-" and "also on all
coasts, bays and creeks Of all his Brtanic
Majesty's domnions in America" Since
then, in the course Of number Of disputes
concerning boundaries. we have backed from
degree to degree of latitude and longitude
until 1916 found us the loser of some three
hundred miles of sea- Jast on the Pacific,
and large quantity of territory on the north
eastern boundary. English blustcr and di-
plomacy then drove US from $40 4O' or fight
down to 49o and cost us the surrender OF
rights to the Hudson Bay Company, which
we now propose to purchase for over a mil
lion of dollars
| AS soon as the enterprise Of our fishermen
made that trade extensive aud valuable, the
jealous eyes of England were directed to its
curtailment. Then commenced series of
restrictions of our rights and Limitation Of
the bounds guaranteed by the treaty of 7s3
The terms Of that treaty are as plain as the
English language can make them and gave us
the right to fish wherever we chose vet the
Convention in Paris in 1918 prohibited fish.
| ing within all bays and creeks, and even this
has been inrringed upon.
Our seamen were impressed by thousands,
our commerce pirated, all treaties and inter-
national laws were disregardcd. by the Eng
lish until we were driven into the war of
1872. Although we then forced England to
another treaty of peace, the wrongs which
led to the war were never rcdresscd, and un-
til this day no indemnity for them has ever
been obtained 1t was only in 1912 that the
subject was ever officially named TO that gov
ernmcnt.
The objects in dispute between US now are
the construction Of the treaty relating TO
Central America, and the breach Of our neu-
trality laws. On the latter question there
can be no doubt England is guilty aud should
yield US apology and redress. 1t is equally
certain that cur construction Of the treaty is
correct. 1t only remains to be seen whether
whole people believe to be our just rights
There is, Judging from the past, every reason
to believe they will do So The English are
confident We will back down. They know
they have always obtained the advantage OF
us in negotiations either by violating thcil
faith or by juggling diplomacy over GU.
blundering statesmen; and we have quietly
submitted. These successes in cheating have
made them bold. They think we are afraid
of war and that in a nation where the al
mighty dollars is SO much the object Of wor
ship, that money weighs down the seal,
against honor. Their battles on paper, theil
parade of the strength of their navy anG
their army and their ridicuie of our coast
defences, SO lately filing the columns Of th,
Times and other sheets, are but part OF The
game Of brag in which we have so often beel
beaten. Theirs is an audacious attempt tC
bully and frighfen our government into com
promise-which in John Bulls dctonar,
means, all for us and the remainder for You
The whole matter has come to this point
that we must maintain our position. W,
cannot reccde without loss Of honor aud self
respect. The time has come !or us to pun
ish the insocnce of England, We canno
yield TO her demands without forfeiting th
) high regard of all Europe. Her demand i
accompanied by display Of force, and W
shoulu al once accept her challenge 10 com
bar. We are well prepared for war; far bet
Tar than 1872 The blow thirty millions G
freemen can strike would leave Great Brta
a hopeless ruin. Ne are superior to her il
strength upon land, and one of our vessels c
war is al any time match for FIVE of hers
, If We yield, in the present posture OF affair,
il is because We dare not fight, and honcefort
, Jonathan mnst bear The bar sinister Of COW
, ardice on that banner now brilliant with S
many glorious achievements.
EDITORIAL COMMANDMENTS.
NEW YoRK, March II, 1856.