The evening telegraph. [volume] (Philadelphia [Pa.]) 1864-1918, 1866-04-17
The Fisheries.


From the Times.
We observe in some quarters an inclination to
discuss the question Of the fisheries in more
warlike temper than existing circumstances
appear to warrant. ''Shall we have war for the
fsheriesW is the suggestive interrogatory with
which an influential contemporary starts upon
the discussion. And the tone maintained
throughout hsrmonizes with this the intiatory
note An unfriendly attitude is attributed TO
the Provinces, with whose Governments our
contemporary would have us refuse to negotiate
"a temporary arrangement" with Great Britain
is proposed as the only proper course, prelimi-
nary to a general settlement of accounts be.
tween the two countries, including not alone
the fisheries and reciprocity in general but also
''our claims for shipping destroyed; our rela-
tlons with Canada; the navigation of the st,
Lawrence, and the boundary in the Northwest
Pending the Adjustment of these questions, we
are 10 be prepared to give British craft "a
broadslde, II 1t SINKS them"
1t Is only fair to presume that our contemporary
does not desire 10 provoke-Ur to have our Gov
ernment provoke-war with Great Britain.
Neither country can afford wantonly to encoun.
ter hostilities and therefore neither should be
indifferent to what is not unlikely to produce
them. But to deal with the fishery question in
the spirit manifested and recommended by our
contemporary would be, inevitably, to produce
grave international complications, and to rem
der war extremely probable.
EVEN THIS would be tOlerable were there no
other way of settling the difficulty. Had our
gh1s in the fishing grounds suffered any grie.
yous invasion, or had our claims or our honor
been subject to outrage, the country would
listen but TO one appeal, and that OF the most
decisive kind
But, go far as our knowledge extends, there
has been neither outrsge nor threats of out
rage The difficulty exists, but 1t exists as a
consequence OF the abropation of the Recipro-
city Treaty. which was our own act the results
OF which cannot be said to have taken us
unawaree. Thus far nothing has occurred for
which we were not prepared, and there has yet
been no sign on the part of the Provinces of any
intention to move III the matter harshly or
Tecklessly. On the contrary, it is known that
the Canadian Government is striving to effect an
arrangement with the sister provinces, with the
view Of preventing hasty aud unfriendly steps
b. any OF them; and with provincial confedera-
OF apprehension arising from separate and COM
paratively irresponsible proceedings by the
minor colonies.
The true plan, however, is to leave the whole
subject in the hands of our National Govern
ment. The House Committee on Foreign
Affairs have evinced full understanding of all
the points involved; and the information, sup
piled to Congress by the State Department
shows that no trouble is at present anticipated.
MIR. Seward is evidently attending to the busi-
ness, which may and should be disposed of
peacefully and salts sactorily. The duty of the
press, 1t seems to us, is meanwhile to sustain
the Government IN any negotiation it NAV un-
dertake; and this Will best be done by avoiding
as tar as possible all needless causes of irritation
and ofiense,