The States and Union. [volume] (Ashland, Ohio) 1868-1872, 1871-05-17
The Canadian View of the Treaty.

We expected the Canadians would
not be greatly pleased with the Fish
cries clause of the Treaty OF Wash.
ingtop. we had no doubt that oh,
iections would be made to it on the
ground that it conceds all the Ameri.
can fishermen want, without giving an
equivalent. we were not mistaken.
The Toronto Globe, with the tele
graphic synopsis of the treaty before
it, says of the Fisheries clause:
1t would be unwise for US to pro
nounce dogmatically on an arrange
ment of which the foregoing only pre-
tends to be a rough outline, especially
when. as thus presented, it falls so far
short of the just expectations of the
people Of Canada. AS here presented
the case appears n of mere barter /;
but even if an exact money equivalent
could be ascertained and paid, that
would by no mea satisfy the vastly
more important national considerations.
The three-mile limit covers what is as
sumed to the erea of municipal juris-
diction. The waters within it are as
much part of the country as the earth
on which we tread. It is proper and
convenient that they should be recog-
nized, Especially during a period Of
war between other powers, such, for
instance, as the Praneo-Prussian quar-
rel, do neutrals jealoGsly watch and
guard against an ~infraction of this ter
~ritorial principle. To give up such a
right, to allow foreigners to fish in
shore, and dry and cure their captures
on shore, is concession demanding an
equivalent that money can hardly rep
resent. 1t is true that our people are
to have like privileges on the Ameri-
can coasts, but the advantages thus
accorded r too immaterial to be re-
garded as q material set off; and it
must be admitted that the relinquish-
ment OF q territorial right by the Uni
ted States is.a matter of far less i'm
portance and delicaey, 50 far 90 they
are concerned, than a, similar =toncesr
sion by q younger and Hesbsr power:
With what jealousy any sIch step will
be regarded, how. closely it will be
scrutinized, how unpopular in all the
Provinces it will be, must have been
we'll known the Canadian representa-
tive on the Commission. We shall
look with TOO little anxiety for that
further information which will show to
what extent in the telegram before US
the whole truth is stated.
There is another ground, too, On
which we should have IL to regret
so complete a capitulation as the Wash
ington dispatch indicates. Hitherto
the question of free fisheries and re-
ciprocity in all natural products have
been regarded as inseparable. The
avidity with which the Americans have
pursued the former object has made it
a most powerful consideration in favor
of the latter. There is not much
doubt that the intracticability the
Americans have exhibited in regard
to a Just settlement of the Alabama
claims has been greatly subdued by
the hope that their wishes with re-
spect to the Fisheries might in the
same connection meet with some ia
vor. This shows how important an
instrument the Fisheries must be in
helping forward any negotiations be-
tween Canada and the United States.
Once give them up. it is not very easy
to see what, except the general princi-
pie, we have to urgein order to induce
a measure of fair and just reciprocity.
There is a steadily increasing feeling
in The States, especially in the West,
in favor OF free Intercourse. We need
offer Illinois nothing but a return in
kind, for her people desire free trade