Ellsworth American. [volume] (Ellsworth, Me.) 1855-current, 1858-07-09

are almost erclus,ueiy natiue born citizens"
The law requires that at least three fourth.
of them shall be American citizens. The
whale fishermen, On the other hand, are said
= to be almost exclusively foreigners. The
= Senator from my State, alluded to has dis
u cussed this branch of the subject 80 fully and
u presented it so ably, that deem it unneccs
sary to do more thar allude to his facts and
i arguments. He has produced the testimony
OF high officers of the navy, and that of 9TH
er Official persons, to sustain his statements;
and think that no candid man will deny
that he has more than answered the Senator
, from Ala bama as to this point. He also pro-
duces the same high authority to show the
p eminent services which the cod fishermen
have rendered the country in times of war.
, Commodores Stewart and Shubrick agree
entirely on this point with Messrs Benton.
Everett, Webster, and others, whom l shall
r presently quote; and their authority will
generally be considered fair offset to that
Of the miserable stipendiaries ofthe Adninis-
ration, quoted by the Senator from alabama,
,cho, TO CRAFTY their masters, hare raduced
: heir neighbors and countrymen.
, The Senator from Alabama rises the Sec
tional hue and cry against Maine and Massa-
chusetts, because their citizens are the chief
partie'pators in this fishing bounty. He
denounces the bounty system as unjust and
unequal although its design is to train sailors
to defend the whole country.
Now, sir, will call attention to another
little sectional bounty, in which the people
of ALBANIA are rather more interested than
the people of Maine or Massachusetts,. |
allude to the Post Office bounty. According
to the last annual report of the Postmaster
: General, the total expenses of the Dep .rt-
ment in Maine and Massachusetts,, for the
last fiscal year, were S487 ,45G; the receipts
We're S17334 ,5l2; leaving an excess of Sl47 ,056,
which is taken from the people of those
States, to carry the mail in States whose
expenses to the Department far exceed the
receipts. | will point out tho shortcomings
Of one such State, for the edifcation of those
who heard or have read the speech of the
Alahlma Senator. According to the same
report of the Postmaster General the expsn-
SOS Of tho mail service in Alabama were
S3oi .Gt0, and the total receipts Sll5,397;
leaving deficit OF $lS9,2l3. The excess in
Maine and Massachusetts, falls little short
Of this deficit but five take in the whole
New England States, which are interested
more or less in the fisheries, the Alabama
burden upon the Treasury will be made good.
This total bounty to Alabama is something
more than half the am unit of the fishing
bounty; and if we add the bounty paid to
any one of IL half dozen States whose Repre-
scntatiyes will vote for the repeal Of the fish
ing bounty, the aggregate will exceed the
latter. Take Georgia, for instance, whose
bounty, is $l84,000 or South Carolina.
whose bounty is Sl73,000; or North Carroll
ma, whose bounty is Sl6l 900. Add any one
of these to the Alabama bounty, and the sum
total will exceed the average fishing bounty.
D. .,.-i re-..l bounty paid to the South,
out of the United States Treasury, is So
oo0, 200! Is it not injudicious for Southern
men. under such circumstances, to ourrel
with the little iusiyninoant as,,ing uod.vy !.
The same remarks will apply to several of
the Western States which are in the receipt
Of this postal bounty of New England, New
York, anJ Pennsylvania pay their postal ex-
penses, and leave large surplus. The States
south and west Of them excepting little Del
aware do not pay, but fall far in arreas every
year Thes. facts should teach their Repre-
sentatiyes to be a little chary in their assaults
upon the New England cod fish bounty
nnw quote few American authorities,
and begin with the late Col. Benton, who
signalized his opposition to the fishing boun-
ties III a vigorous report. as chairman Of q
select COMMITTEES. in 1910. Near the close
of that document find the following pass-
age.
Gar be it from this committee to depreciate the
value or underrate the Importance of the North
eastern fisheries 1t would argue but little know
edge of their own country, in relation to this
source Of wealth and Ioyer, or the contests Of 9TH
or nations in relation to it, 30 to depreciate
derate them They know them to be valuable
Of ,ncsiimabc value-as we'll for the subsiste nee
they furnish to man. for the mariners which they
create, and the hardy and manly qualities which
they cherish in those who pursue them. AS n
nursery for seamen, they possess great and last
ing, but longer an exclusive, Importance
Things have changed since l7Ss."
Mr.. Cooper, in his naval history, says
that
'sThe fisheries may be considered as the clement
AIRY school of American nautical enterprise"
Mr. Everett while Minister to England, in
in letter to Lord Aberdeen, dated March
|, %, lS45, says:
ut is doubt true the British colonial fish, as
far duties concerned. enters the United
states market if at all to some dsadv antlge.-
Th Government of the United States, he is per-
.uatled, would gladly make any reduction in these
duties which would not seriously iniuro the native
fishermen; but Lord Aberdeen is that the en-
coura cement Of this class Of the seafAring l.
: munity has ever been considered, as well by the
pecuIiar grounds of expediency. 1t is the great
school, not only of the mmercial but of the pub
lie marine, and the highest considerations OF na
/ tional policy require it to be fostered.'
{ These, Mr.. Chairman, are high tributes
from high sources to the fishermen of New
England l will add one other from New
} Ensland's great orator and Statesmen, Web
g ster, among the last words perhaps tho last
public speech he ever uttered. 1t will be
remembered by many that, in July, 1852, he
visited his home, and was publicly greeted
by his neighbors at Marshfeld. There wa'
much excitement at the time in the fishing
, world, in consequence Of the enforcement o
soma severe regulations of the British and
, Nova Scotia Governments in regard to tht
, fishing grounds. Mr.. Webster made this
subject the theme of his address. will
quote his eloquent and emphatic testimony
''rhe most important consequences are involved
in this matter. Our fisheries have been the very
nurseries of our navy. If our flag ships have me,
and conquered the enemy on the sea, the fisheries
f are at tho bottom of it. The fisheries the
seeds from which these glorious triumphs were
( born and sprung"
Mr. Chairman, this is or should be Gov.
e ernmont of the people. We need no stand
e ing army to keey the people in awe. W.
i are separated by the wide ocean from tn,
d great Powers Of the world, and we have nj
t necessity for large armies to defend us agains
Y their sudden irruptionsor their more premed
itated attacks. The CITIZEN soldiery O
: America are amply able to defend their FIRE
, sides. But, sir, we do need a navy to defenC
our commerce. We are rapidly becomin,
, the greatest commercial State in the world
Our tonnage and our trade, if not now ea.
quail to that of Great Britain and her depen
n denotes, is only second to hers. No Other