Salt Lake evening Democrat. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1885-1887, 1886-09-04
THAT "HUMILIATION.' -

The DEMOCRAT recently alluded to the
great fear which the naval editor of the
morning Republican organ expressed, ol
another national humiliation as the re.
suit OF the seizure, by revenue cutter, oi
two English schooners, while killing seals
in Alaskan waters, and plainly pointed
out that the humiliation incident to the
seizure would be in the sanctum of said
organ. The New York Sun of the Both
ult. has the following on the subject:
The section of the Revised Statutes under
which these seizures are made was framed
in the interest and for the protection of the
Governments tenant in the Seal Islands,
the Alaska Commercial Company:
'No person shall kill any otter, marten.
mink, sable, or fur seal, or other fur bearing
animal within the limits of Alaska Terri
| tory, or within the waters thereof; and
every person guilty thereof shall, for each
offense, be fined no less than 5000 nor more
than $1,000, or imprisoned not more than
six months, or both; and all vessels, their
tackle, apparel, furniture, and cargo, found
engaged IN violation of this section shall
be forfeited
w hub oAO OhS hdbClS VI I1ldShd
This phrase, together with the phrase, "and
the adjacent waters" occurs frequently in
the laws relating to Alaska.
These laws, and the Executive orders
based thereon, rest upon the treaty of 1867,
by which We acquired Alaska from Russia
The western boundaries of that purchase
are thus defined in the treaty:
The western limit, within which the ter
rltorles and dominion conveyed are con-
tanned, passes through point in Behring's
Straits on the parallel of 65 degrees 80 min
utes north latitude, at its intersection by the
meridian which passes midway between the
island OF hruSenStern, or Ignalook, and the
island of Ratmanoff, or Nunarbook, and
proceeds due north, without limitation, into
the Frozen Ocean.
The same western limit, beginning at the
same initial point, proceeds thence in
course nearly southwest, through Behring's
Straits and Behring's Sea, so as to stop mid
way between the northwest point of the is
land of st. Lawrence and the southeast
point of Cape ChOukotski to the meridian of
l72 west longitude, thence from the inter
section of that meridian, in a southwesterly
direction, so as to pass midway between the
island OF Attou and the Copper Island of
the homandorski couplet or group in the
North Pacific Ocean, to the meridian of 1893
degrees west longitude, SO as to include in
the territory conveyed the whole of the
Aleutlan Stands east of that meridian
The English schooners were taking seals
within the limits herein named, and
under the law governing Captain Abbey,
he could not do otherwise than seize them.
The Sun asks the following questions
But will Great Britain or any other FOREIGN
Power except Russia recognize our RIGHT To
exercise dominion over this vast ocean re
g1on IN the North Pacific? Will any foreign
Power recognize Russia's right, in the first
instance, to convey the greater part of Beh-
rings sea to the United States by sale? If,
under International law, we have the right
TO prohibit British fishermen from taking
tur seals one hundred and twenty miles from
land, have we not the same right to prohibit
British or Norwegian whaIers from takinr
whales within the same seas?
The answer is plainly, no. The whole
Territory OF Alaska was bought by the
United States, solely for its value as
fishing station for seals, and its price was
'et, having the returns from that industry
n view, and at the time of sale and pur-
'hase, the country had no other recon-
'enslng value for the money paid, hence
o enter these forbidden bounds and kill
eals before they could get to land where
hey are always taken-or rather on the
ce skirting the land-would be to rob the
americans OF the only source of profit
which passed to them in the transfer OF
he Territory, and even the naval editor
II the morning organ will not saw that ,
would be right. We repeat: that humi-
iation will be in our contemporaries :
anctum /