The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1858-06-24

than thirteenth part for we have over one
hundred and sixty thousand seamen engaged
in the mackerel fishery, in the whale fishery In
the merchant service, and the military marine
of the United States"
This il true but the Senator from Alabama
omits to state, what is the we'll known fact and
what Senator from my State brought to the
attention of the Senate, viz: " That something
like Hree.tourths of this formidable number OF
seamen are foreigners aliens without any
fixed abode; while the cod fishermen are almost
exclusively natipe-6orn citizens" The law requires
that at least three fourtbs of them shall be Amer
lean citizens The whale fishermen, on the other
hand, are said to be almost exclusively foreign
ers. The Senator from my State, alluded to, has
discussed this branch of the subject so fully, and
presented it so ably, that deem it unnecessary
to do more than alnde to his facts and argu-
ments. He has produced the testimony of high
officers of the navy, and that of other official
persons, to sustain his statements; and l think
that no candid man will deny that he has more
than answered the Senator from Alabama as to
this point He also produces the same high author
ity to show the 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, Ever
ett Wesbter, and others, whom shall presently
quote; and their authority will generally be
considered fair Offset to that of the miserable
stipendiaries Of the Naturalization, quoted 6y the
Senator from alabama, ,oho, TO CRAFTY their
ters haze traduced their neigh6ors and countrymea
The Senator from Alabama raises the sectional
hue and cry against Maine and Massachusetts,
because their citizens are the chief participa-
tors in this fishing bounty Hedenounces the boun-
ty system as unjust and unequal, although its de-
sign is to train sailors to defend the whole country
Now, sir l will call attention to another little
sectional bounty, in which the people of Ala
bama 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 ex-
penses of the Department in Maine and Massa-
chusetts for the last fiscal year, were S5s7, 456 ;
the receipts were $734,5I2; leaving an excess
of $I47,O56, which is taken from the people of
those States, to carry the mail in States whose
expenses to the Department far exceed the re-
ceipts will point out the shortcomings of one
such State, for the edifcation of those who heard
or have read the speech of the Alabama Sena-
tor. According to the same report of the Post
master General, the expenses OF the mail service
in Alabama were $304, $40, and the total receipts
$ll5,397 leaving deficit of $ls9,2l3. The
excess in Maine and Massachusetts falls a little
short of this deficit; but if we 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 amount of the fishing bounty and if we add
the like bounty paid to any one Of half dozen
States whose Representatives will vote for the
repeal of the fishing bounty, the aggregate will
exceed the latter. Take Georgia, for instance
whose bounty is Sl84 900, or South Carolina
whose bounty is Sl73 900; or North Carolina
whose bounty is $l6I,O00 Add any one of these
to the Alabama bounty, and the sum total will
exceed the average fishing bounty. The total
postal bounty paid to the South, out of the Uni
ted States Treasury; is $2,500,OOO Is it not
injudicious for Southern men, under such cir
cumstances, to quarrel with the little insignificant
fishing bounty2
The same remarks will apply to several of the
Western States which are in the receipt of this
postal bounty. New England, New York and
Pennsylvania, pay their postal expenses, and
leave large surplus. The States south and
west of them excepting little Delaware) do not
pay, but fall far In arrears every year. These
facts should teach their Representatives to be
little chary in their assaults upon the New England
Goldfish bounty
! now quote few American authorities, and
begin with the late Col. Benton, who signal
lied his opposition to the fishing bounties in
vigorous report, as chairman of select commit
tee, in 1910. Near the close of that document l
find the following passage:
Far be it from this committee to depreciate
the value or underrate the Importance of the
Northeastern fisheries 1t would argue but lit
tie knowledge of their own country, in relation
to this source of wealth and power, or the con-
tests OF other nations in relation to it, so to de-
preciate or underrate them. They know them
to be valuable-of inestima6le value-as we'll
for the subsistence they furnish to man, as
for the mariners which they create, and the
hardy and manly qualities which they cherish
! in those who pursue them AS nursery for
seamen, they possess great and lasting but
no longer an exclusive, Importance. Things
have changed since 1889"
Mr.. Cooper, in his naval history, says that
" the fisheries may be considered as the element
airy school of American nautical enterprise"
Mr.. Everett, while Minister to England in a let
ter to Lord Aberdeen, dated March 25, ls45, says:
1t is no doubt true tina. the British colonial
fish, as far as duties are concerned, enters the
United States market, if at all, to some disad-
vantage. The Government of the United States,
he is persuaded, would gladly make any reduc-
ton in these duties which would not seriously
injure the native fishermen but Lord Aber-
deem Is aware that the encouragement of this
class of the seafaring community has ever been
considered, as well by the United States as by
Great Britain, as resting on peculiar grounds of
expediency. 1t is the great school, not only of
the commercial but of the public marine, and
the highest considerations of national policy
require it to be fostered"
These, Mr.. Chairman, are high tributes from
high sources to the fishermen of New England.
will add one other from New England's great
orator and statesmen, Webster among the last
words, perhaps the last public speech he ever
uttered. 1t will be remembered by many that
in July, 1852, being then Secretary of State, he
visited his home, and was publicly greeted by
his neighbors at Marshfeld. There was much
excitement at the time in the fishing world in
consequence of the enforcement of some severe
regulations of the British and Nova Scotia Gov
ernments in regard to the fishing grounds. Mr..
Webster made this subject the theme of his adj
dress. will quote his eloquent and emphatic
testimony:
1.-The most important consequences are in
volved in this matter Our fisheries have been
the very nurseries of our navy. If our flag
ships have met and conquered the enemy on
the sea, the fisheries are at the bottom of it.
The fisheries were the seeds from which these
glorious triumphs were born and sprung"
Mr.. Chairman, this is or should be a Govern
ment OF the people We need no standing army
to keep the people in awe. We are separated by
the wide ocean from the great Powers of the
world, and we have no necessity for large armies
to defend us against their sudden irruptions or
their more premeditated attacks. The citizen
soldiery of America are amply able TO defend
their firesides. But, sir, we do need a navy to
defend our commerce. We are rapidly becoming
the greatest commercial State in the world Our
tonnage and our trade, if not now equal to that
of Great Britain and her dependencies, is only
second to hers. No other nation of the earth
approaches within bow-shot of us in commercial
Importance, and, indeed, believe may safely
say, that the foreign commerce of all other ma
tons, combined, would be inferior to our own
Our sails whiten every sea and know not how
many countless millions of American property
are every hour and moment ahoat in the wide
ocean, exposed to the depredatons of pirates, or