The New Orleans daily Democrat. [volume] (New Orleans, La.) 1877-1880, 1880-03-15
OUR RELATIONS WITH CANADA.

Tho action 81 the delegation from Boston
before tho House Ootnmittee eu Foreign A.
fairs brings The question Of u reciprocity
treaty with Canada prominently before the
country. That Canada IL not satisfied with
the present status Of our relations seems
sufficiently clear. and there would seem 70 be
similar dissatisfaction among those In the
United States whom either business interests
OF more careful reflection have excited 10 take
m INTEREST IN Canada. We cannot fall 10 OBJ
eerve that every point Of contact between
tho two countries is becoming point Of trri-
tation, aud that their relations 10 fur from
improving by tho closer acquaintance Of this
age of railroads and kilograms Rts growing
distinctly worse. The reciprocity treaty. tho
new Canadian tariff, tho fisheries settlement.
have all left behind them results Of III feeling.
Some Canadians and some Americans, Il IL
said, look to 4 renewal Of the reciprocity
treaty as m adequate adjustment, which ID 10
BIO regretted. ~ there would seem to DO no
prospect Of tlae adoption Of such treaty. or of
its per,nanence X Il were adopted. No reei-
prooity treaty could be framed which would
put IN end u tho necessity 81 our maintain.
IND customs syntem on our northern border;
nor would any such measure involve proper
and permanent settlement Of the fisheries
dispute. II II were carried In our Congress-
II would be by a party victory, which any
great change In tho political situation would
terminate. A few persons on both sides Of
the border suxgest tho political union Of tho
two countries a. the only adequate solution
OF the difficulty. While there can be no
doubt that Canada would be cordially wei
coined into tho Union ~ an equal II she
came. We do not believe that such
an action II necessary. II the two
countries had common tariff with the
seaboard linc ~ tho common and only
ouatom-house frontier, and q distribution
Of custom-house receipts proportlonedto their
population, the question of the purely pollti-
cal relations Of tho two countries might DO
left To settle itsclf. Such m arrangement
would not be effected on our side by any
purely partisan vote, and would DO accepted
by the whole people AZ fnality and carried
by universal consent. Il. would leave no
fisheries question to settle. II would open
our ooasting trade to the people of the lower
provinces and would remove the line of do
marcation, across which capital now refuses
% now. but across which emigration con-
tin,ies A. with her neighbors across the
southwestern border, the United states will
consult her best interests by endeavoring to
commercial instead of political
union with Canada. Tho theory that
In tho course or human events our govern
ment must extend lts dominion throughout
the extent u North America. II not over tho
entire American continent, -. doubtless. q
very pretty ono to talk about; but the OBJ
stacles that have arisen during the first GEN.
fury Of our national existence should admon-
ish us a. to tho safety Of deliberate progress.
sion. There Ia time enough for the gathering
Of both the Canadian and Mexican plums
when they shall have fairly ripened. Az pres
emit neither IL likely To prove dlgestible.