The Washington critic., 1886-07-13
II. SYLVESTER. = Editor
WASHINGTON, JULY 10, 1886.
nuR FOREIGN POLICY.

y
letter on the seizure Of American fish
ing vessels by the Canadian authorities,
in which he says that the Consul-Gen-
cral at Halifax has been instructed to
make due inquiries and report The
Secretary also reiterates the information
that has several times before been
vouchsafed to n patient and long suf-
fering people that questions are now
pending between this Government and
that of Great Britain, in relation to
"the rights of American fishing vessels
in the territorial waters of British
North Americas" and that he "shall
relax no effort to arrive at satisfactory
solution of the difficulties. All which
is highly encouraging.
In the mean time the customs off.
GERS of the Dominion continue to tie
up every American schooner they can
lay hands on and the Canadian cruisers
are scattering our fishing fleet Off shore
in every direction. At this rate Consul.
General Phelan is likely to find his
hands more than full of investigations
before the season is over; the "pend-
ing questions" between the United
States and Great Britain are piling up
at an ominous rate and the other ma
tions Of the civilized world are looking
on in amazement at the sheep-faced
exhibition we are making of ourselves
Wherever handful of Western
pioneers. tempted by the rich but idle
and unproductive plains of Oklahoma,
attempt to enter in and occupy them
with the implements Of industry and
civilization, big cry is raised through
the whole circuit of the Departments,
from the Interior clear round to the
White House. These would-be set
tiers of barren waste are denounced
as Invaders, "guerillas' and "vaga.
bond adventurers," and the army Of
the United States is ordered at once to
head them Off and drive them out at
the point Of the bayonet. There are
no long-winded egotiations-no. cor
respondence-no red tape about It,
The Government is as brave rs lion
on such occasions, and the Secretary of
War for the time being imagines him.
self a second deliverer of his coun-
try.
Yet wherever Dominion gunboat
captures an American schooner on the
high seas, or some jackanapes of a
Nova Scotian customs officer seizes and
confiscates the stock in trade of poor
NewbuIyport skipper, we must write a
long and humble letter to Minister
West about 1t, and send word to Mr..
Phelan to put on an apologetic face
and go and see what's the matter, and
why this thing cannot be stopped.
So it has been, weeks in and weeks
out. till the patience of the people Is
well-nigh exhausted, and it is high
time to call halt to such humiliating
nonsense. The Government should
never have consented to enter into n.
gotiations until the British Government
had first been required to order sum-
mary cessation of Canadian raids on
our fishing fleets. The first thing writ
ten to Minister West should have been
something after this sort "The Ameri-
can schooner Adams has been seized
by the Canadian authorities at Digby.
Have the vessel released at once and
inform your Government that proper
reparation will be expected. If nego-
tiations are desired inform your Govern
ment that upon proper assurances that
Canadian hostilities will be suspended,
the United States is ready to make
terms consistent with the national
honor and existing treaties"
This would have brought John Bull
to respectful and prompt understand
ing of our position, and it is not too
late yet. We do not want an aggres-
sive foreign policy, but it should be at
least as aggressive and vigorous as our
Oklahoma policy.
THE Signal Office has been endeavor-
ing with singular persistency to atllct
us with hot weather. For Sunday
unusual heat was predicted, and for
Monday and Tuesday most oppressive
weather was threatened. II so hap
pened that Sunday was not unusually
hot and that Monday and Tuesday have
not brought with them the threatened
discomfort. 1t is not the fault of the
Signal Office that the weather will moi
follow the laws which it has so care
fully laid down. The Signal Service
cannot be blamed for the fact that q
conservative thermometer overrides it,
predictions, No city on the Continen
has been SO uniformly pleasant and
comfortable for the past six months,
and Washington is unwilling to allow
the Signal Office to mar her record OF
overthrow her supremacy in this dlrec
tion.
PRESIDENT CLEVELAND probably
feels very badly these days. Colone
Nat Atkinson of Asheyille, n. c., ha,
gone back on him. The Colonel wa,
until few days ago great admlrel
and staunch supporter of Mr.. Cleve
land. but now he has totally abandonef