The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1871-05-18

Mating from the American Commissioners, OF q
money compensation as an equivalent for
free run in the inshore fisheries of the British
Northeastern seaboard provinces; but the
fisheries settlement finally agreed upon was
attained only after q heightened discussion
OF various propositions from each side,
including several appeals by the British
Commissioners to London for instructions.
Equally difficult appears to have been the
laborious journey by which the Joint Commits
sion reached their comparatively simple agree
ment touching the navigation of the st. Law
renee. The whole question, in all it's bear
ings, including the old, abandoned Canadian
Reciprocity Treaty, was thoroughly discussed,
and from the obstacles, on the one side or the
other, springing up at every step, it is ap-
parent that, had not both sides been animated
by fixed resolution to secure a comprehen-
sive and satisfactory treaty of peace there
was material enough on the Alabama claims
or the fisheries question or on the st. Law
renee navigation reciprocities to occupy the
members of the Joint High Commission till
recalled from their exhausting labors The
old proverb "Where there is will there is
may say that they have been settled by the
three golden rules of st. Augustine-'In essen
tials unity, in non-essentials liberty, and in all
things charity"
The Northwestern boundary dispute is about
a little island in that oceanic inlet, the Strait
of San Juan de Fuca, which divides our Ter
ritory of Washington from the British possess
sion Of Vancouver's Island. The line of the
forty-ninth parallel from the Lake of the
Woods, on the northern frontier of Minnesota,
is our established Northern boundary to that
inlet which cuts off Vancouver's Island from
the mainland. Thence, by the treaty of 1916,
the international boundary, In order to give
that island unbroken to England, follows the
main channel Of the dividing strait around to
the sea. But there are so many channels
among the small islands in that strait that a
dispute has risen as to which is the treaty
channel. We claim the channel which gives
the dominating island of San Juan to us; Eng
land claims the channel which gives that
island to her, and that is the difficulty In
turning it over, however, to the Emperor of
Germany, we think that we rely upon an hon.
est decision. But this submission to an arbi-
traitor, it appears was granted by our Com
missioners in view of the larger concessions
from England in the other adjustments of the
treaty. And so the protocols of the treaty
justify its stipulations throughout, and confirm
it, in spirit and in fact, as great treaty of
peace
The treaty is the result Of the patriotic and
conciliatory spirit which governed both sides
Of the High Commission, and in this view their
frequent family dinners no doubt contributed
much to tighten their labors and to bring
them to ''happy accord" upon each of the
difficult questions they have SO readily and
happily adjusted. And yet, but for the facili-
ties of communication with the government at
London afforded by the Atlantic cable, the
work accomplished in this treaty at Washing
ton in a few weeks might have occupied as
many months And SO here, in that great
agent Of modern civilization, the electric tele-
graph, by land and sea, we have beautiful
illustration Of its wonderful power as an agent
of peace. And so, with the government at
London working with the government and
Joint High Commission at Washington in this
treaty, we are assured from the other side
that they have nothing to learn concerning it
and nothing to change.