The Portland daily press., 1871-07-06

The treaty of Washington was fifty pro
claimed on the anniversary of American 'nueI
pendence, and the knowledge of this iac'
must have given zsst to the annuai o.'eo'"
lion. Indeed we might well have ceieora.eo
this year the final pacificalion oil the Two En-
elisb speakine nations instead OF their disrup-
lion ninety-fiye years ago. The former event
IA not only one that touches us more nearly
than the latter, bat in the end it may prove
historically more important by saving consti
,utional liberty from the onslauehts of the
most omnous combination of despots that
how seems to be forming in Central and
Northern Europe
We speak Of the treaty which is at length rati
fed and promulgated with all due formalty
as certain to secure harmony and even friend
ship between the United States and Great
Britain. We assume this, though, as we have
previously pointed out, only one of the three
matters in dispute, that are susceptible of be-
coming the occasion of war, is finally settled
without further action on the part of the two
countries. The San Juan controversy is sub
United to the Emperor of Germany, and his
decision will be final. And it is right to re-
gard the Alabama claims and the claims OF
British subjects against the United States as
nut in the way of definitive settlement by the
treaty for it is not worth while to take into
account the unimportant fact that our House
of Representatives, on the one hand, and the
British House of Commons, on the other, may
be guilty, if they will, of the gross bad faith Of
refusing the appropriations that will be neces-
ssry to pay the sums found by the arbitrator
or assessors to be due from one country to the
other. In view of hestage liberalization that
the United States and Great Britain claim to
have reached, we are authorized to assume
that the awards made by the five arbitrator,
appointed by the United States, Great Britain
Italy, Switzerland and Brazil, who are about
to assemble at Geneva, will be submitted to,
without delay AMI without question. 1t is
only halfbarbarous Russia that disregards the
obligation of treaties when the power and the
will to do SO happen to be coincident.
It is true that the fisheries, the third and
perhaps most serious matter in dispute, may
still be left an open question without breach
of good faith on either side, it being under
stood that the consent of the legislative bodies
of both contracting powers, as well as of the
Dominion, Newfoundland and Prince Edward
Island, would be necessary to give effect to
the articles touching this point. But it is Ger
tain that the Congress of the United states and
the Parliament of the British Empire will pass
the laws necessary to give the treaty effect
without hesitation. And the conjecture we
made some time since, that, in the event Of
the refusal Of the Provinces to give their con.
sent to an equitable adjustment of difficulties
necessary to continue a state of peace in
which they more than anyone else are inter
ested, Great Britain would throw upon them
the entire responsibility, and decline to b.
compromised by their obstinacy, has received
aspeedy confirmation. Already the intelli
gence has come that the imperial govern
ment has withdrawn from Halifax all blu
one ship of the naval force that hal
been stationed there to protect the
Provincial fisheries No doubt this was dom
with reference to the treaty. The inferenc,
from this prompt action is, that if the Provn
ces persist in their selfish and unreasonable,
designs, and if a collision should in conse
quence take place between their naval fore,
and ours, thus giving rise to warke compiled
tons, the mother country will leave the Cana
dams to reap the reward of their contumacy
/. Between England and the United States nj
conflict can now take place till occasions
arise other than those now in axistanca