St. Cloud Democrat. [volume] (Saint Cloud, Stearns County, Minn.) 1858-1866, 1865-02-09

Of the country deeply interested in the
Newfoundland fishery, himself regard.
ingit as IA pursuit connected to no
inconsiderablc degree with our national
prosperity and STRENGTH" and lie was
naturally solicitous, while avoiding COL
lision with England, to restore the
rights secured to our citizens by the
liberal treaty Of 1888. Thi ) feeling
prevailed intensely among the people Of
New England. Mr.. Webster, on the
25th of July; 1852, said to his neigh.
bors at Marsb6eld: "'.
"The most important consequences are
involved in this matter: Our fisheries are
tho very nurseries Of our Navy. If our
flag-ships have met and conquered the enc
my on The sen, the fisheries are At the bot.
tom Of il. The fisheries were the seeds
from which those glorious triumphs were
born and sprung"
ii So much tor the special interest Of
New England. and the great national
complication which its embarrassment
involved: From an opposite quarter,
t'om the ,grain-srowi"g Northwest,
there came simultaneously most ur.
gent demand f,r tho: free navigation Of
the river St. Lawrence from its conncc.
tion with the chain of great lakes to
the ocean. On the I'd Of May, 1850,
'hc Committee on Foreign Affairs Of
the House of Representatives, a. W.
Buell.: Of Michigan, J. \. McCleruaud,
Of Illinois, and +. c. Spaulding, ol
New York, presented sn elaborate re.
port, asserting the natural right ol
great ink'"d communities; situated up
on the sources Of a naviSablc river, tt
pursue its channel to the ocean without
material obstruction front any conmu
nifty organized over the mouth or lowe,
sections Of the stream, and asking thai
tho application o. this principle to the
st. Lawrence might be the subject O.
concurrent legislation or a treaty be
tween the United States and Crca
Britain, thus transferring natura
right 20 an international Obligation
Others enlarged upon this rccommcn
datipa, and no Que with more eloquenc.
than John A. Dix, while Senator from
New York. He said:
81 have no hesitation in predicting tina
vessels will be laden with wheat at Chica
60. Green Bay, Detroit, and Cleveland, ant
unloadcd ut Liverpool. Ship-owners. pro
ducers, all will be greatly benefited by ,hi
free commerce. which will have an advan
tage in avoiding transhipment be, wccn tn
point Of embarkatiom aud the sea or tn
foreign Market: -.' -
1t was evident long before 1854 tha
the freedom Of the St. Law renee. witt
ali its immense expansions into lakes
was i"separabls from any commercial
treaty by or on behalf Of the British
colonies with"the United States.
/, AS early as l649 the British colonie
on this continent sought admission +
American mark cts with their product
which were then, as now, almost exclu
sivcly agricultural, animals, aud thei
produce, or products of the forest
mines and fisheries. Great Britain, b,
the repeal Of all determinations in ia
vor OF the importation Of colonial bread
stuffs and lumber, and tile surrender 0
all revenue regulations BY the colonie
in favor IF British manufactures, ha,
gone far to establish the commercial
independence of the province, bu
there was no alternative after the hom,
Government had definitely established
Sir Robert Pcel's policy Of 1916 re
pealing the corn laws. Even the nav
iSation acts we're made to yield to tn,
new impulse, England proudly assert
ing her ability to compete with thu
merchant marine of the world, notwith
standing the commerce Of every por
in her vast dominions, European ant
colonial, was placed for the ships o
all countries upon the footing Of an un
restricted coasting trade. Un1er sucl
a change Of circumstances our colonia
nelghbors naturally sought to buy ane
sell in American cities and manufactur
ing towns. Canada came forward Will
an overture for the free admission o
certain articles, the natural productlo,
Of Canada and the United States, int,
each country respectively but Con
gress would not entertain the PROPOSE
tion unless extended to the other AT
lantic provinces Of England, and unless
it included an adjustment If the fisher,
dispute, and also ? provision, in the 10
terest Of. the northwestern States, 70
the free navigation Of the St. Lawrence
:, Thus the measure took the form Q
a tripartitc treaty. negotiated between
William l.. Marcy and James, Earl o
Elnin - md Kincasd;na on1irmad Ii,