National opinion. [volume] (Bradford, Vt.) 1865-1874, 1869-02-05


This treaty, beyond all doubt, was
made to induce annexation, but the
arguments used to that end, without
regard to the merits or demerits of
that question by itself, have been
buried too deeply by our eleven
years Of cruel experience under the
treaty ever to be again rssuscitated.
That whatever desire any party in
the Provinces may have en ntertained
prior to the treaty for !josBing the
United States was temporarily =
crushed out by the Reciprocity
treaty cannot be denied. And why
not! If they had secured the chief
benefits to be derived from annexa.
ton why should they not shun any
and all of its duties and burdens ;
There was no inducement left to go
further if the profit and loss account
in all subsequent stages was to be
nearly equally balanced. American
statesmen vainly anticipated an era
of good feeling, hoping that our
neighbOrs were, after all, imbued
with some admiration of popular
institutions, and with some ambi-
ton to become an integral portion
of u great Republic: but the Re.
belliou touched our Provincial
neighbors with the spear of Thu.
riel. Then they assumed their true
shape and boldly hoisted their true
cOlors, and at once all these pro.
phetic and coming glories vanished
rs the unsubstantial visions of
maldenS' dreams. Our recent border
tair.weather friends seemed to be
filed suddenly with every and all
uncharitableness. Eager for bar.
gains i'll the purchase of our fugi-
tive ships hiding from the Clyde,
greedy for the profits of blockade
running, in full sympathy with the
master spirits of the Rebellion,
harboring raiders on our borders,
and furnishing asylums to those who
were sending assassins one day,
disease and death the next among
our people, it became too apparent
that the Government of the British
Provinces, instead of reciprocity,
instead of building up the United
States, would feel as lively a joy as
that disclosed by Nr. Roebuck
their spokesman in the British Par
lament, in having "the presumptu
GUS and audacious bully of the
world" as he styled us, humbled
and destroyed. These undeniable
facts show the folly of making an
exception in favor of British sub
iects in the rule of treating foreign
nations. They are and must be
enemies i'll war; in peace, friends.
1t may be said that the treaty OF
1854 settled an important question
relating to the fisheries. Ii there
is any point where American diplo
macy ought to blush, it is in relation
to this very question OF the fisher
les, and the last adjustment WA
hardly more wise than the pusillan
imous surrender of 1918. Grea
Britain conceded, by the provisional
treaty of 1882, and reaflirmed wore
for word in the treaty of 1888, al
the ri ghts we demanded, and al
that ever could be of practical utili
ty. The language was most com
prchcnsivc:
"Thc people of the United State
shat continue to enjoy mmolcsted III
right to take fish Of ercry Kind on tn
!, Grand Bank, and all other banks G
f newfoundland also in the Gulf o
st. Lawrence, and at all other place
| in the sea 'chere the inhabitants 0
c both countries used at any time herr
| totorc TO fish aud also that the il
= habtants of the United States Sha
e have liberty to take fish of ever
= kind on such part Of the coast {
!. Newfoundland as British tishcime
!, shall use, (but not to dry or cur
|. the same on that island, and ais
# on the coasts, bays and creeks {
i, all other of his Brittanic majesty
|, dominions in America +; and tha
f the American fishermen shall hay
II liberty to dry and cure fish in an
+. of the unsettled bays, barbors, an
" creeks of Nova Scotia, Magdalc
q Islands, and Labrador, so long
{, the same shall remain unsettled
t. but so soon az the same or either
e them shall be settled, it shall not
e lawful for said fishermen TO dry
A. cure fish at such settlement witho'
d II previous agreement for that pu
d pose with the Inhabitants, propri
Is tors or pOssessors of the ground"
1t Here there was little or no !
,r striction upon our rights. Wecou
- fish at all places in the sea whe
le the inhabitants of both countri
lr used heretofore to fish and (cxceI
IN to dry aud cure fish on the shor
Id of Newfoundland) NJ all places us'
c. thereafter by British fishermen.
er The rights we possessed in u
Of fisheries in 1882 were permancr
30 Inherent and in,lestructiblc, al
II. ought 10 moro to have almitt'
IN question once acknowledged, III;
I'd our independence or our boandarit
% War could not disturb them, !
ly cause they were Of higher authori
~ than mere compacts, and time cou
ty not etf:lce them because they we
"a. ever in use and never abandoned.
~ In peace or war, like the title to 0
or own soil, they were unconquerab
After tho war Of 1912, we made I
in treaty Of July 8, 1915, and all ~