The New York herald., 1871-02-22
The Joint High Cominission-lts Duties and
Its Di@culties.

| of the debate which took place yesterday In
the New Dominion Parliament ut Ottawa. We
refer our readers to the despatch. 1t speaks
for ITSELF It shows that the New Dominion
legislators are seriously exercised about this
Joint Commission; that they are afraid OF it;
that they distrust it; that their conviction il
they are betrayed. Our New Dominion friends
have got titles. Sir A. 7. Gait brought forth
a motion on the fisheries. Sir John A. Mac
donald replied. Sir John admitted that the
Treaty Of 1918 was still power. The Ameri-
cans recognized the three-mile boundary line.
But Sir John could not refuse to admit that
the headlands, which had not been sufficiently
looked at in 1918, made new question, which
was still In abeyance. In the course
of the debate il was stated that the Canadians
had been slightly snubbed by Sir Edward
Thornton in the negotiations which led to the
enlargement of the powers Of the Commission.
II will be seen also from our despatch that our
New Dominion friends are encouraged In the
belief that this Joint High Commission, with
its enlarged powers, must consider, along with
the fishery question and the Alabama claims,
the damages done by the Fenians in their
territory.
So far so good for Canada, or the New Do
minion. On the part of the British public, as
we know, very general opinion prevails that
this Joint High Commission is glorious affair."
And why? Because 1t is to put an end To
American buncombs to make all outstanding
questions plain and Ineligible, to counterbal-
ance Alabama and other claims by claims as
solid, as substantial and more easy of proof,
and otherwise TO bring about on easy terms a
final and satisfactory settlement between
the two great English-speaking peoples.
In other words, It is the conviction
in Great Britain to-day-a conviction
shared by Britshers here and elsewhere, and
all the world over-.hat whatever claims we
may present. these can aud will be counter
balanced by claims equally heavy on the other
side. The reasoning in consequence is that
Great Britain can admit all and pay all with
ont paying anything at all.
Our New Dominion friends and the
Britishers. wherever found, are equally at
fault in their calculations. We have distinct
and unmistakable ends in view. We have
suffered, and suffered severely. In our four
years struggle our greatest enemy was Great
Britain; and British North America, as part of
the British empire, shared the sin and folly
and shame, and must share the consequences
We want compensation for our losses-losses
! unjustly inflicted upon us-and we have no
other end in view in connection with this High
Commission than to have these losses repaired.
| At the commencement of the civil war in this
country our shipping was scarcely second
| to that of Great Britain. The war
ruined our carrying trade and drove
our ships from the high seas. But for
the course pursued by Great Britain this loss
on our part could not have happened
Vessels built and equipped and owned in
Great Britain preyed upon our commerce, and
under the thinnest veil the world has ever
known claimed responsibility while wickedly
destroying our ships and surreptitiously enter
ing our ports. AS nation our loss has been
irreparable; but, while the nation can bear the
burden, thousands upon thousands of our cti-
zens have been hopelessly and irretrevably
! ruined. We have sought no revenge. Twice
over section Of our people, Irishmen by birth
| or by descent, believing that the New Domin-
ion was part Of Great Britain, have attempted
invasion, conquest and revenge, and twice
| over, in place of encouraging folly and wrong,
which we might easily have turned to account,
| we have put down the Fenians and saved to
| Great Britain her North American provinces.
| We have not nursed or aggravated or tried in
tn
have only not forgotten them; and,
with the magnanimity which characterized
our treatment of the South, we have
dealt with our British cousins. We have
waited long, but we have waited patiently.
We have reasoned long, but we have reasoned
wisely. We have had onr opportunities for
| revenge, but we have, with magnanimity
becoming our cause and our strength,
uniformly refused to take any unjust advan-
tage. We want nothing but reparation for our
wrongs, compensation for our losses. When
this Joint High Commission was appointed
| we, speaking in the name Of the great
American people, whose sentiments we have
rarely misinterpreted, hailed it as an omen of
| good, and believed we saw in the not distant
standing difficulties between the two great
| English speaking peoples. We still believe
| in the Joint High Commission; but we still
stand also by the American people, by their
wrongs and by their losses; and our voice
! to-day is still loud, emphatic and imperative
| for redress, if not for revenge.
This was our position when the announce
| ment Of the Joint High Commission first
reached us. This is our position to-day
It was our belief that the Commission
was appointed for the purpose of redressing
our wrongs, not the wrongs of Great Britain.
When, however, our New Dominion neigh