Green-Mountain freeman. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1844-1884, 1864-03-01
SPEECH OF JUSTIN S. MORRILL,,
tcontinuei from First Pase.]

having weakly surrendered our rights under the
treaty OF 1883, and thij gave to Us privilege
on upon the casts and shores within celtan
boundaries, while we rsnouncel all claims t. any
thing beyond By the reciprocity treaty we ob
tanned some privileges in common with I'u ~
sui cts upon the coasts and shores generally j
Brush American possessions, and gave up 70 at
common use Of British coontl SUBJ cts similar
privileges 90 our own casts, shores, and -land
north Of 10 deg. north latitude, mutually except.
ing she'll iish and tie salmon and shad fisheries.
Tue layors exchan 3ed we're cal and equal
unless the fishing grounds near the United State
are the least productive; aud however that may
be. the fisheries OF the United States, as a whole,
have not acquired thereby additional prosperity
The exception Of the shad and salmon ishere
gives 10 the provinces an entire monopoly Of Ina
lrale; and yet our markets were made free, even
Tor the hsh we ar precluded from cachinl
here are free imports, and d decidedly .fshy ie-
clproely. 10 the late mackerel fisheries th
treaty may nave been OF some service, and espec
ally 10 that OF Gloucester. which has increased
but 10 macy places since the treaty the business
has diminished aud is slowly Disappearing. t.
in the seas fishing near the shore for fat N OK.
erpl is indispensable TO success but the mat
Catch is outside Of these limits and Goldfish Il
now mostly dry-salted on shipboara and thef
brought home TO be cured. Proy.ncIi! shores
are therefore less needed than formerly. Tue
provinces are allowed by The treaty to 5rinb int
our markets Tree OF duties fish OF all kinds, fist
oil, and products Of fish, and all other creature
llv Z 10 tbs water" and II is this permission
when ppants our fishermen, and robs them OF
their occupation.
The hsh part Of the treaty had been steadily
refused BY US when rendered alone or cjui1insa
to o her propositions up to l7j4 The proposal
made by canada, from 1917 70 1851, Tor FREE
interchange Of all natural producuOns' were not
accepted by the United States. The British min
bter in 1851 offered ''f the United states would
admit all ii b, either cured Or fresh imported
from British North American possessions 10 YES
sells Of any nstoA or description free OF duty and
upon terms 10 all respects Of equality with d'h
imported by the United States" that they were
prepared TO throw open their fisheries, with Ger
tin limitations, 10 u, with threat OF measures
TO be adopted 1t no arrangement on the subject
should be madej and this overture was slso de-
cIined. MI Seward, 10 the Senate, agreed With
the President that il anything was to BE- done 1t
should be by reciprocal legislation. Chat BY
the way, is our only true course now The prov
nces were disappointed, and, with the alaollty OF
those already seeming their prey, they obeyed
and joined England in that stroke Of policy--set-
ting up new Interpretation Of the freely excIud-
ns Us from bays, and running the line OF three
miles from shore, not according TO the shore line,
but from headlahd to he4dland--to compel US IN
1852 to sccept Of reciprocity, which resulted n
the advent OF fleet OF naval vessels to seize such
OF cur fishing vessels as might pass hey nd the
new Interpretation so suddenly ard without no
tlce to be enforced. They assumed to held US
to our bargain" as they styled it, unless we con
sented to give them till better one. War was
played as game.
Mr.. Webster, then Secretary Of State, in a
speech made at Marshfed said
The fishermen shall be protected IN all their rights
property and in all their rights OF occupation. 10
Mablehead phrase they shall be protected hook and line
bob aud sinker'"
Who could have supposed that in two years
(under new Secretary OF State) the reciprocity
treaty would have been an accomplished fact, OF
that history would require the " Marbehead
phrase to be pretaced by the word gone F?
IT would be just to revive the rghtsso fully
conceded to US ~ the treaty OF 1888, when were
secured through common treasure, and won more
by the repeated prowess OF our own people, in he
d'ys OF our coIonybood, than by that OF Greal
Britain, who often surrendered our couquests here
to recover our losses eistlehere and these ights
permitted our fishermen to 20 wherever they had
been accustomed to go. Anything less now would
be 1n-Amercan and fall short Of our due. In
lime We may reach higher plane when freedom
The seas will comprehend freedom OF fisheries.
Non.tion can have an inherent tight to map off the
ocean and clam exclusive enjoyment of any mex.
hauslibe fishery
10 20 back again 10 the treaty of 1918, as the
worst possibility that might happen, would subject
Amrrc IN fishermen to the neonysnieuce II keep
ing of three marine mllej from shores to which
that trea'y gives us no privileges, leading to DC.
ea,ioDal disputes, and might prove an ilury %
the late maesere! fisheries but these evil are not
wholly insurmountebla and by no means of the
weight OF the general considerations exacted OF
us Us equivalents. These would be the proper
subjects Tor treaties, aad would be re.sdjusted in
some su sequent convention, IL is no longer
doubtful that our fishermen lose more from the
free admission Of fish from the provinces than they
gain from the privilege ol fishing inside Of the line
oil three lies from certain shores When the
each is short they make nothing, and Nhtu
abundant lheg gut from provincial competitor ste D,
10 between them and aud all Legitimate profits.
Besides th7 near.shore fishermen lose their hardi.
ness aud become ders. Thus our people re
nosned for their aptitude and success IN securing
= the wealth. of the cas-" behold their empire
passing 10 the hands OF strangers.
LUMBER.
The lomber trade IRON the British provinces
has given some Commercial life to townsand cie,
where II might not without the treaty have beer
found, but even this is at the Expense of Amer.
can interests. The pines OF Maine, of New York
and OF N chigan must wait for the az unt.l III,
black forest, OF the provinces have been culled ant
exhausted The timber lands OF our own S,alss
exposed 10 this unlimited Canadian rivalry, ar,
indefinitely postponed, and will not be CLEARED
sOa fitted for cultivation while timber at les
eos c,1 be Obtained anywheri this eide of Lap
Iador
II the sources of cur supply were again to b,
manly conhn,d to the United States, the prosper
ny obtained by even the local distiidutye point
would not be lost, though in some degree angel
TO othef localities. An equal trade would pprln,
up 'ome~here, differing chiefly in the sources o
supply, and that difference would be posity,
gam TO the United States. 1t is also true tia
prov. clal lumber if subjee, to moderate duly
sould no, be wholly excluded, bu, would s,iI
boat 10 q considerable extent to United STATE
markets. Provincial lumber might be sold a
home foe uiae less, or as much less as III, duty
snd would be offered here s,hou, any materis
sdyance.'
Looking at 0swego, the port where perhap
the largest amount of the lumber trade centers
and the fact is evident that It /, mainly in th,
hands of the Canadian. Ia 1862 there vas So,
DOL 1883 IN value OF merchandise received nnde
the treaty free of duty. but OF this more than five