Nashville union and American. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1868-1875, 1870-12-06

| the power 10 eusptnu ny pFOcIaHlaiiOu TIT
operation of laws authorizing. the transit
of goods, wares and merchandise in bono
across the.territory of the United States
| to Canada; and, further, should such an
extreme measure become necessary Il
suspend the operation of any laws where
by the vessels of the Dominion of Cana
da are permitted 10 enter the waters Of
the United States. 40
The River 81 Lawrence.
A like unfriendly disposition on the
| part of Canada is maintenance of claim
of right to exclude citizens of the United
States from the navigation of the ST.
Lawrence. This river constitutes q neu
trail outlet of lakes 10 the ocean, with ar
aggregate population of about IL, 600, 00(
/ inhabitants, and with an aggregate tonnage
of 661, 187 tons upon the waters which
discharge into it The foreign commerct
of our ports on these waters is open to
British competition, and the major pat
of 1t is done in British bottoms II
American seamen be excluded from this
natural avenue to the ocean the monopoly
of the direct commerce of lake ports
with the Atlantic would be in foreign
hands, their vessels in TRANSATLANTIC voy-
ages having an acces to our lake ports
which would be denied to American vessels
on similar voyages. To state such piope-
sitidh is to refute its justice. During the
administration of Mr.. John Quincy Ad-
ans, MIR. Clay unquestionably demonstra
ted the natural right of citizens of the
Unified States to the use of this river,
claiming that the act of the Congress of
VieEns in opening the Rhine and other
rivers, to all nations, showed the judg.
ment of European statesmen and jurists
that the inhabitants of y country through
which navigable water passes, have nat
ural right to enjoy the navigation of that
river 10 and into the ses, even though
passing through the territory of another
power. This right does not exclude CO.
equal right of the sovereign possessing,
the territory through which river de-
pouches into the sea to make such regu-
lation relative to the policy of the naviga-
ton as may be reasonably necessary; but
those regulations should be framed in
liberal spirit of comfy, and
should not impose needless bur
dens upon the commerce which
has the right of transit. 1t has been
found in practice more advantageous to
arrange these regulations of mutual
agreement. The United States are ready
to make any reasonable arrangement to
the police of the st. Lawrence, which
may be suggested by Great Britain. If
the claim by Mr.. Clay was Just, when
the population of the States bordering on
the shores of the lakes was only AGO.
900, it now derives greater force and
equity from the increased population,
wealth, production and tonnage of States
on the Canadian frontier. Since Mr..
Clay advanced his argument in behalf Of
our right, the principle for which he coli
tended has been frequently and b.
various nations recognized, By lay
or by treaty it has been extended TO
several other great rivers. By the treaty
concluded at Msyence in 1881, the Rhine
was declared free from the point where
it is first navigable into the sea. By the
convention between Spain and Portugal,
concluded in 1885, the navigation of the
DOdro throughout its whole extentwas
made free for the subjects of both crowns.
In 1853 the Argentine Confederation, by
treaty, threw open the free navigation of
the Parsna and Uruguay to the merchant
vessels of all nations. In 1858 the Cri-
mean war was closed by treaty which
provided for the free navigation of the
Danube. In 1858 Bolivia by treaty de-
clared that it regarded the rivers Anna
ION and La Plata, in accordance with
fixed principles of international law, as
highways or channels opened by nature
for the commerce of all nations. In 1859
the Paraguay was made free by treaty,
and in December 1866 the Emperor of
Brazil by an Imperial decree declared the
Amazon to be open to the frontier of
Brazil TO the merchant ships of all ma
lions.
The greatest living British authority On
the subject while asserting the abstract
right of the British claim, says it seems
difficult to deny that Great Britain may
ground her refusal upon strict law, but is
equally difficult to deny that, first in so
doing she exercises harshly an extreme
aud hard law, secondly that her conduct
WITH respect to the navigation of the st.
Lawrence is in glazing and discreditable
Inconsistency with her conduct in respect
to the navigation of the Mississippi. On
the ground that she possessed 8 |
small domain in which the Mis-
sissippi took its rise, she insisted on this
right to navigate the entire volume of its |
water. On the ground that she possessed |
both banks of the st. Lawrence where it |
dlsembogues into the sea, she denies to
the United States the right of navigation. |
though about half the waters of the |
Lakes Ontario, Erie, Huron and Superior, |
and the whole of Lake Michigan through |
which the river flows are the property of |
the United States. The whole nation is
interested in securing cheap transporta |
ton from the Agricultural States, of the |
y est to the Atlantic seaboard. To the
citizens of these States it secures great |
return for their labor; to the inhabitants |
Of the sesboard it offers cheaper food; to
the nation an increase in the annual sur
plus of wealth. 1t is hoped that the
Government of Great Britain will see the
Justice of abandoning the harrow and in
consistent claims to which her Canadian
Provinces have urged her sdherency.
Our Commerce.
Our depressed commerce is subject to
which call special attention. At the last
session l suggested that we will in future
rave to look more to the countries south
IF us and to China aud Japan for its re-
rival. Our representatives to all these gov
have eXeF ed their influence to |
encourage trade between the United States
md tbs countries to which they are &C
but the fact exists that the carry
ng is done almost entirely il foreign bot
oms, and while this state of affairs exist
We can't control Our due share of commerce
If the world. That between the Pacific
states and China and Japan, is about all
he carrying trade row conducted in
American vessels. | would recommend
LIBERAL policy toward that line of Ameri-
an steamers, one that will insure its |
uccess, and even increase its usefulness. |
The cost of building iron vessels, the only |
mes that can compete with foreign ships
Il the carrying trade, is 80 much greater
n the United States than in foreign cOun-
ries, that without some assistance from
he Government they cannot be success
ully built here. There will be several
laid before Congress in the
,oulse of the present session, looking to
! remedy for this evil Even if it should
Ne at some cost TO the National Treasury,
hope such encouragement will be given,
IS will secure American shipping in the
high seas and American ship building at
lOme.
The National Archives
The condition of the archives at the
of State calls for early &C
ion of Congress. The building now
'ented by that department is frail struc-
ure, at an announcement distance from the
Executive Mansion, and from the other
departments. 1t is ill-adapted to the pur-
pose for which it is used. 1t has not
capacity to accommodate the archives