The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1870-12-07
Tic Behavior of the New Dominion.
The Presidents Message affords fayorabl

States ut the critical hour when the destinies
war; That policy it is which is now bearing
its legitimate and bitter fruit in the disgrace
full conduct Of the Dominion towards Aneri-
can vessels and the attempts to close the ST.
Lawrence to the navigation of American citi-
zens. The President preserves. as Is right, in
his official utterance the calm dignity and
reserve appropriate to his position. The
| diplomatic character Of the document he sends
annually to Congress prevents his probing to
the quick the temper and tendency of an
nnfriendly government. Such political sur
gerry prefaces war; whereas the United
States are so strong, and will soon be so ire
sistible, that we shall have our due and realize
our dcsinies without war by sheer political
weight
journal Is not under the same duty OF
reserve and reiccnce as the President, ana
we hold ii to be our business to signalize In
this &C ion of The authorities Of the Dominion
the conception, SO hostile to the United States,
which actuated the statesmen of England In
bringing about the new North American con-
federation When our civil war broke out
| European statesmen, short-sighted, Jealous and
| ill-inforrned conceived that the moment was
como to arrest forever the development Of the
United States into q single great Power,
ruling the whole North American Continent.
There may have been no exact concert to that
ends but the measures taken were skill
ful and might have prevailed If they had not
been in utter contradiction to the inevitable
majestic march of events, and an attempt
Machiayelian in its want Of principlc-to
make the whole future history of North
America the same scenes OF inevitable d!vi.
sion aud hostility which have always pre-
vailed in Europe. The design had two great
features One was the creation Of the Mexi-
can empire under Maxm.lian the other was
the establishment Of the new federation Of all
the British American provinces north of our
own boundary line.
This confederation was founded expressly asa
check upon he United States, and much exultn-
lion was expressed at the time by British states
men and journalists at the discovery of so
exquisite a device for placing on the flank
of the republic a Power which, together with
tho Independent Southern confederation,
would forever insure the disruption Of North
American. This foolish and unrighteous idea
still prevails in the British mind. Even 30
late as last year Mr. Goodwin Smith, resi-
dent among us, and sympathizer, according
to his feeble PROFESSIONAL capacity, with our
Institutions and ourselves, wrote letter to an
English journal in which he expounded with
approval this precious piece Of philosophical
craftsmanship. 1t Is not necessary to
quote the letter, but It's drift was
that the hardy northernmost Americans,
with their simpler lives and more monarchical
tendency, would qualify and balance the moro
effervescent and progressive republican Union;
with moro rubbish Of that sort all showing
| that the question of inevitable supremacy on
| this Continent was as sealed Ok, at that late
date even, TO M. Goodwin Smith as to tho driest
English tory at home, whom he 80 heartily
| despises.
Founded on ideas like these, and stimulated
to assert themselves ridcuiously in such
direction as this, even by the teachings of
Goodwin Smith, we cannot wonder at the
unfriendly conduct Of the authorities Of the
New Dominion. We have it on the auth GRITTY
Of the President that they are harassing
American fishing vessels with a severity not
practised heretofore, and subjectng our ships
10 exceptional legislation which must not be
allowed to stand for a moment. They ere
advancing pretensons and making laws to
enforce them which the British government
itself has not hitherto venturcd upon-preten-
sions which are little short OF impudent. A
statute of the Dominion prohibits the fishing
vessels of the United States from having on
board any merchandise whatever except what
is necessary for such fishery, and subjects
them to seizure and condemnation if they
have; enforcing this by police visitation and
intoerable inquisitorial proceedings. Such
policy must be resisted at once. 1t IL simply
intolerable 1t combines insult and injury,
and seems more calculated to bring about
trouble than to satisfy any legitimate interests.
But even more 1lgrant is the attempt
| of the New Dominion to exclude Ameri-
| can citizens from the navigation Of the ST.
Lawrence The President shows clearly tat
| this is counter to the whole tendency Of inter-
| national action for seventy years all over the
world in respect of rivers whose course runs
throughout separate sovereignties. 1t is diff
cult to understand the drift Of such legislation
and policy, unless it aims at providing British
statesmen with spurious equivalent in the
! settlement OF the Alabama claims. ''As sat-
isfaction for those" they may say, 1--WE will
open the St. Lawrence" We can hardly snp-
pose them capable of such pettifogging; but
why then, do they permit the New Dominion,
which the President rightly describes as ire
sponsible, to play such pranks as this? The
| lnrislntion oH the Dnmini0n is snhiect to imne.