National Republican. (Washington City (D.C.)) 1872-1888, 1874-08-12
SUSPIClOUS DLPLOMACY

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SUSPICIOUS DIPLOMACY
When Congress meets next winter, and
the reciprocity treaty with Canada comes up
for consideration, the first thing in order in
connection with it should be a rigid and
searching investigation into certain trans
actions, to which we shall presently al
lude. 1t is notorious fact that the Cana
dian authorities have been endeavoring for
years to revive the old reciprocity treaty
with the United States or treaty as SINH
lar in its operations as possible. Since 1t
was terminated it is equally well known
that the Dominion, as it is now called, has
not been as prosperous as while it was in
operation; that immigration is flowing to
our shores from that country in spite of all
the efforts made to keep its citizens and
population at home. The gentlemen who
are entrusted with the management of the
political affairs of that country understand
very clearly what is the trouble, and hence
have been unceasing in their efforts to re-
store to them the exceedingly profitable
trade regulations under which they formerly
did such thriving business.
Under the adroit management of Mr..
George Brown these efforts came very near
to being successful last spring. 1t will be
recollected that about March that gentle
man arrived in Washington for the pur-
pose, the Canadian journals told us, of ne
gotiatlng reciprocity treaty. Some Of the
correspondents of the outside journals
forthwith entertained US with stories about
Mr. Brown and the State Department. 1t
was reported at first that Mr.. Fish had
promptly rejected the proposals of the
''shrewd Scotchman' of the Dominion, as
he is called, on the ground that they would
be detrimental to the interests of the United
States Mr.. Brown thereupon withdrew to
his northern eyre, but in short time he
swooped down again to renew the conflict
This time he was little more gentle and
we are informed that he had made SO many
concessions that the treaty was entirely sat
isfactory 70 our Government, and met the
approval of the Department of State. This
latter statement, if we are not mistaken,
Mr.. Fish fatty contradicted, declaring that
although he had sent the treaty to the Sen
ate, he had not given 1t the full and close
examination which he desired before sane
tioning it in all its provisions. The suspi-
cious circumstances TO which we referred
came to the surface about this time. In
different cities of the Union some of the So
called leading journals began to blaze with
editorials upon the subject-an Of them,
singular to say, in favor Of prompt and i'm
mediate ratification. All these articles were
written between the 9th and the goth Of
May, and were subsequently reprinted in
q broad sheet, which was sent free to every
newspaper editor in the country and thou
sands of men in public and official life.
The telegraph was also brought into opera
ton, and dispatches from this city and New
York loaded down the wires, all announcing
the great triumph the Government had won
and the immense advantages we had gained
in the contemplated treaty. On May 70
there was printed a long dispatch from
Washington, giving the outlines of the nego-
tiations. On May Is the New York Tribune
printed an editorial, several columns in
length, and crammed with statistics and
figures, from which it was deduced chat
- the repeal OF the treaty has certainly hurt
Gus, and that not little, adding: 1T is
"clear that few more important topics
could occupy the attention of the authori-
/" ties at Washington than the consideration
"of the commercial. relations between
"the United States and the British
" North American provinces, and it is fair to
"infer that negotiations may result in an
enlargement ofdomestic trade which will
"prOve most Opportune during the period Of
Transition between irredeemable paper and
specie payments. We hope therefore that
" Mr.. Fish, without yielding to all the pre-.
" tensions of our neighbOrs, will make a
treaty" Mr.. David A. Wells, the Free
Trader, is understood to be the author Of
the article in question, which practically
committed the once great Protection journal
Of the country TO the cause it had so long
denounced as Tuinous to the best interests
of the country. Articles Of similar import
appeared in the New York World on the
9th, in the New York Times on the 10th,
in the Chicago Tribune on the 18th, in the
Springfield Republican, the New York
EUeRiRg Post. and several other journals.
The unanimity with which they all sup
ported Mr.. Browns scheme is certainly
suspicious; but is perhaps accounted for by
the charge which is now made that the
British legation in this city had instructions
to spend large amount of money in fur
therance of the project, and did spend it as
directed. This charge is made bya respon-
sible journal-the Philadelphia Pres
which says: ''Al these articles (the edito-
rails referred o)were prepared by the same
hands, all were distributed from Washing
ton, and all had the same purpose The
facts oftrade with Canada were statistically
" talsified with more or less elaborateness In
every case and all had in some form the
same assumption that the treaty was
already negotiated with great care by the
State Department, when in fact nothing
whatever had been done by the Depart
"ment or by anybody else to represent the
Interests of the United States The whole
movement was matured in secret, and
suddenly sprung upon the public BY the