The New York herald., 1872-11-19
ENGLAND AND CANADA.
The Washington Treaty and
the Dominion's Wrongs.
THROWING OFF THE COLONY.
"Take Up Your Freedom, Your Days
Of Apprenticeship Are OverS'
From the London Times, Oct. sO.l

Of Apprenticeship Are 0ver.s'
From the London Times, Oct 3OI
writer In German newspaper must have the
credit Of suggesting explanation of the decision
in the San Juan case. The words OF the Treaty OF
Washington. according to- this authority-the
Cologne Gazette-"the canal separating vanc0uver's
Island from the Continents seem to point to the
western strait rather than 10 the eastern, as, in
accordance with the recognized principles OF
geography, the various isles in the passages must
be regarded as belonging to the Continent. and not
to another though larger, island. 1t Is something
to have any explanation of the process, and are
obliged to the Cologne gazette for furnishing it. We
have been discounted, 1t would seem, through
the force OF an appeal to 'rec0g-
nized principles of geography" The judg-
ment did not come entirely out Of tba
depths OF the arbtratOrs own conciousr ess II ia
based on reasoning which is at leas,, highly ,noe.
NOUS If somewhat absurd. Let us see to what re-.
suits it might lead. FISHING Convention between
england ana Frs~.ce refers to the middle line OF
the chanh"si dividing the island Of Great Britain
lrcin the Continent the line OF demarcation OF
the fishing grounds OF the two nations. How is
this line to be traced 0utS 1t must clearly run up
Southampton Water, for all the various isles in the
Channel must be regarded, Sin accordance with
the recognized principles OF geography" as be-
longing to the Continent, ana the Isle OF Wight Is
one Of them.
We have no wish to recur to the process Of arbi-
tration at Berlin and to the award which has
concluded it. A decision has been given to which
we yield entire obedience, and there Is an end of
the dispute. We may continue to be puzzled to
know now the result was reached; We may even
think that when the Emperor OF Germany was
a asked whether the Haro Channel or the Rosario
nd Nwt r.1u hi
clearly referred TO neither ne might have replied
| that the question was unanswerable and might
commend new settlement OF the dispute to the
litigants. But in doing this he would undoubtedly
snatched grace beyond the reach OF conventional
usage; and we cannot complain that, declining to
run run, the FISK OF being misunderstood, the Emperor
William should have resolved somehow or other to
answer question which the governments OF the
United States and the United Kingdom assumed
to admit Of an answer when they agreed to put
IL before him. But, as we have said, we have done
with the circumstances OF the award. The San
Juan difficulty is settled There are, however GER
tain considerations connected with the question
which merit attention. 1t must always be remem-
bia including Vancouver's Island, Is province or
the Dominion OF Canada, and the reference to arbi-
tratlon was made for the purpose OF determining
the boundary between the Dominion and the ter
rtOry of the United States. The real practical i'm
portance of the award arises out of the bearing it
tween vancouver's Island, Manitoba and the East
ern provinces correspondent from British
OF the award could and would be obvated by car.
rrying the line OF railway connecting Victoria with
the East further North than had be been originally
from what would have been the direct and simple
route IN consequence OF the decision. When we
bear these facts in mind, and ask ourselves what
they will say in Canada about the San Juan award,
we see we must consider another question, and
which the Commissioners at Washington agreed to
refer their interests to arbitrati0ns Not that the
Commissioners acted upon their own responsi-
everything
in the matter OF san Juan as much rs In
| the question Of the Fenian raids and the FISH
direction and control OF the government OF Lon
don. who were consulted at every step OF the ne
therefore, extend SO far as to prompt men to ask
what they owe, the Cabinet OF London for their
give to the question II 1T were passed on TO us All
we could say must be that we had acted with
at at our ns' We know wv that that this IS not
enough-strange as u may seem-to satisfy
they were sacrificed at every stage by agents
who ignorant as they were incompetent
to defend their interests the British Columbia
boundary IL gone. The claims for compen-
satiOn for the Fcnian raids-olaims which,
according to tile principles laid down by the arbi-
traitors at Geneva, could not be disputed-were
given up on the least show OF resistance. Their
fisheries have been sold for a sum of money
chinery, very slow to be set in motion ana to be
paid at some distant day, when the House OF
Representatives may vote the ne sum which may be
inhabitants OF Canada last Summer was such that
we had to bribe the Legislature OF the Dominion
the Treaty OF Washington could be procured.
What has happened snceY There mas been
general election which showed, in the most
unpleasant manner, that the people We're
not appeased by bill which was sufficient to
secure the vote Of Parliament. Leading Ministers
have been defeated and have lost their seats; the
Premier had to fight hard Tor his own and the Min
isterial majority had become SO uncertain that no
one can tell how long Sir John Alexander Mac
donald meeting the House without the assistance
power. The San Juan award comes upon all this.
The negotiations which bargained away the fish
cries were chiefly dstasteful to the maritime
were afccted by sympathy only. The San Juan
award will be chiefly obnoxious to canada West.
The adventurous farmers OF ontario have been look
ing with longing eyes on the valleys OF the
Red River and the Fraser River, and IL Is they who
tempting settlements. They will now resent the
award which has interfered with their plans OF the
future, and they viii Join their brethren on the
coast in exccrating the Treaty OF washington.
When the Canadians turn round upon us and
say, ''You have mudded away our interests with.
out obtaining for us aught that we desired. You
have abandoned our fisheries; you have sacrificed
our frontier; you have not given US open trade
with the States; you have not secured any satisfac
tion OF our claims for wanton Injuries what an
swer shall we give9 We must begin by conlessing
our faults. II is true we have failed. We did our
best, but we had TO keep one eye on ourselves and
another eye on you, and all the time to watch
the temper and meaning OF the American Com.
missioners with very little intelligence to guide our
Interpretation OF their words; and II the result Is
not satisfactory to you, neither Is 1t to ourselves.
This we must say II we would be frank; but we 20
on 10 add mething more. 1t is this From this
time forth look after your own business yourselves.
You are big enough, you are strong enough, you
are intelligent enough, and Ii there were any de-
icicncy In any OF these points IL would be supplied
by the education OF selfreliance We are both now
in a false position and the time has arrived wnen
we should be relieved from it. Take up your free.
dom; your days OF apprenticeship are over.