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, OF
another national humiliation as the re-
suit OF the seizure, by revenue cutter, OF
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 30th
ult has the following on the subject
The section of the Revised Statutes under
which these seizures are made was framed
i'll 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 $500 nor more
than 81 600, 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
What are the waters of Alaska Territory?
This phrase, together with the phrase, "and
the adjacent waters, occurs frequently III
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:
''rhe western limit, within which the ter
ritories and dominion conveyed are con-
tanned, passes through point in Behring' s
Straits on the parallel of 80 degrees 30 min
lnttt tt,,ln at tY,fa lNxt tnn
meridian which passes midway between the
island of Krusenstern, or 1gnalook, 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 a
course nearly southwest, through Behring' 8
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
172 west longitude, thence from the inter
section of that meridian, in q southwesterly
direction, so as to pass midway between the
| island of Attou and the Copper Island of
the Komandorski 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
Aleutian Islands east of that meridian"
The English schooners were taking seals
within the limits ferein 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-
gion in the North PacifioF 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
fur seals one hundred and twenty miles from
land, have we not the same right to prohibit
British or Norwegian whalers from taking
whales within the same seasp
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
set, having the returns from that industry
in view, and at the time of sale and pur
chase, the country had no other recon
pensing value for the money paid, hence
to enter these forbidden bounds and xii
seals before they could get to land where
they are always taken-or rather on the
ice skirting the land-would be to rob tn
Americans OF the only source OF prof
which passed TO them in the transfer c
the Territory, and even the naval editO
OF the morning organ will not say tina
would be right. We repeat: that humi
liation will be in our contemporary
|