New Orleans Republican. [volume] (New Orleans, La) 1867-1878, 1871-12-16
THE TREATY WITH ENGLAND.

|
General Benjamin F. Butler has ad
dressed letter to Senator Ames, in whicl
he freely criticises the treaty AMI con
dennis it. The general touches first upol
the matter of the fisheries, that subjec
being of local and special interest to hi
constituents. He reviews our interest il
the fisheries at some length, and con
clndes that the benefits secured by tn,
treaty, If carried out, to this country
Will not amount to over seven thousand
dollars year. Upon this subject Gen
eral Butler SAYS he saw il stated, in what
purports to be a protocol to the treaty
that the American commissioners opened
the negotiations with an offer to pay a
million dollars in gold for this right. OF
sixty thousand dollars annually for all
time for right which Nova Scotia offered
to sell, and did sell, for seven thousand
dollars a year For the right which
General Butler is disposed to think we
already possess that England comedies
TO US by this treaty, viz: The right
to fish within the three-mile line,
with further permission to land
upon the shore for the purpose
Of drying nets and curing fish; procideI
that in SO doing we do not interfere with
private property We are to concede the
right of all British fishermen to fish in
all our waters for all kinds Of fish, except
shell and river fish, and to land on our
shores to cure their fish and dry their
nets, from the forty-ffth to the thirty
ninth parallel, or from PASSPORT to Della
ware bay. And in addition the treaty
opens our ports to British fish free of
duty. Upon the subject, General Butler
says:
1t has been declared nv some that this
question of free importation of fish is
matter of small consequence. The amount
yearly is much greater than any supposed
money value in the Alabama claim the
highest estimate of loss from which has
been set at fourteen million dollars. while
the value of our fisheries is over seventeen
millions annually.
IN every view that General Butler
takes OF this part Of the treaty he con-
siders it extremely unjust and ruinous to
the American fishing interests In con-
cluding this part Of the subject, he says:
| grieve, therefore, that so complete an
abandonment OF American fishing interests
should have been made by our commits
'ioners, and l trust the Senate will not
atty this portion of TIE treaty unless
here shall be found portions sufficient
advantages. 50 that We can
'tford this great loss.
General Butler reviews that part Of the |
reaty which has reference to our differ
noes with England, growing out Of the
ate civil war in this country, with a great
leal Of force and ability. He takes a pa
riotic and statesmanlike view of the sub
ect, and gives his opinions freely and
oddly, yet denies that he desires way be-
ween this country and England He
avs 'no true patriot can ever desire war
OF his country and I am certain that.
With a knowledge of its expenses and lor-
orS. nothing has ever been further from
~ thoughts than a wish for a conflict Of
rms. ! have never dreamed that war be-
ween this country and England is now
ossible, willie We are demanding only
hat is right, with a determination to
ubmlt to nothing that is wrong 1t
CT Ip oln - : /
eneral Butler, when speaking OF Eng
.nds wrongs to this country at "a period
le was plunged into terrible civil
ar, is at times caustic. But that does
OF imply war.
The very recollection of how England
tied when the gallant Commodore Wilkes
rested Mason and Slidell, while they
ere endeavoring to escape to Europe II
lie interest of the enemies OF this coun-
utter For having acted like bully at
at time in threatening a friendly power
it'll additional war eff the men We're not
,livered up and an apology made, Gen
al Butler would now give England a
.ance to apologize. But the treaty
axes no provision for either restitution
apology, and this displeases him. The {
lestion of wrong done this country,
rough aid and sympathy extended to ]
e rebellion by England, is referred to a
bunal Of arbitration which is to sit in
eneva, Switzerland This tribunal is to
composed Of five arbitrators one to be |
med by the President of the United
ates, one by the Queen Of England, one i
the King Of Italy, one by the President c
the Swiss Confederation and one by
majesty the Emperor Of Brazil This I
novel mode Of settling the |
ficulties our country may have with |
'eign powers. IF it is not successful in S
,ertaining to what extent England a
onged this country in the Alabama af- 1
+ and what restitution should be made, t
trust it will not result in any entang- t
& alliances with foreign powers I
nothing that Washington vas particU- L
to warn his corutlymen against IN his a
cwell message. From the tone Of i
neral Buffers letter in regard to the h
tribunal of arbitration We should Judge ?
is not pleased with the manner Of dis v
sing Of the wrongs that were thrust a
on his country when She was not i'll a c
ldition to resent them. He thinks the a
neror Of Brazil not 2 Nrnner nerSon to $