The Portland daily press., 1886-07-15

would indicate that no adequate guarantee of
the protection of the commercial rights of
our citizens in Canadian waters has vet been
secured secured. a. l note note that you promise to again
and should be more hopeful that this
second notification of the wrongs WOuld he
effectual, If the course of events did not seem
to show the inattention of the British govern
ment TO the representations made by you to
its minister more than month ago.
In accordance with your expressed desire
for full and accurate attested statements of
all the facts in each case of complaint. [
have requested that such affidavits in regard
to the occurrence at st. Andrews be prompt
ly prepared and forwarded to your depart
ment. 1t seems to me, however, that such
information as that conveyed to you by tele-
gram, supplemented by the narrations in the
current reports of the daily press, furnish
basis, upon which our government may
readily obtain from its own officers on the
frontier and all Canadian ports such authori-
tatiye knowledge of these violations of in
ternatlonal rights as may be requisite for a
prompt, firm and effective protest on the
part OF the United States. Although no ac--
curate estimate can be formed at present of
the direct and indirect losses entailed upon
citizens OF the United States through the
damage to our fishery interests by the
harasslng seizures and other interferences
and indignities to which our vessels have
been subjected during the past year by the
losses will be very heavy and result in great
hardship to most worthy class of our citi-
zens does not admit of doubt Our govern
ment certainly should be able to secure for
our fishermen and other citizens who may
seek CanaUan ports the ordinary rights and
privileges of commercial intercourse that
prevail among civilized nations, and it is not
strange that many of our people are becom--
ing impatient of delay in the application of
remedy for the evils so justly complained
Of.
1t is humiliating to our national pride that
our hardy fishermen and citizens engaged in
legitimate trade should be chased out of the
ports of a neighboring country and have
their vessels captured on frivolous pretexts
by so-called ''cruisers" of British colony,
and this modification becomes a substantial
grievance when important industries are OBJ
Structed and vessels thus seized are con-
demned or subjected to heavy exactions in
the shape of penalties and fines, while the
operations OF large fleets are abandoned or
paralyzed by the uncertainty whether their
country's flag will afford them any protection
in the pursuit of their arduouS and hOnOra-
BILE calling. And this Notwithstanding the
fact that Canadian fishermen are permitted
to find in the United states a principal and
profitable market for many million dollars
worth of their catch.
There is abundant reason to believe that
the rumors growing more and more current
in regard to the alleged pendency of negotia-
the abrogated and one-sided treaty have Gre
ated an impression among our people that
adds greatly to the popular uneasiness upon
this subject. There is also strong belief
that the prevalence of similar impression
among the Canadians has largely stimulated
an aggressive policy intended to bring us to
terms satisfactory to them. This impression
has not been lessened ON either side of the
border by the remarkable forbearance main
tanned by our government in the face of the
systematic and eXasperating crusade against
our fishermen by the Canadian authorities,
and the public demand for some effective as
sertion of the commercial rights of the peo-
pie of the United States is fast becoming
unanimous and imperative.
think, there can be no mistake as to the
very general feeling among our people that
ample occasion has been furnished for the
President to exercise the powers conferred
upon him by the act of June 10 last, to with
hold from the vessels of a foreign power the
privilege which it persistently denies to ours.
And if the President is not already clothed
with sufficient authority there is no doubt
that Congress will be disposed to promptly
strengthen his hands in any way that may
be shown to be necessary to render effective
our protest against the disrespect to our flag
and the violations of our own commercial
rights.