St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1888-09-17
MUST Be SELF-RELIANT.
Sir John Macdonald Sees Unity OF
Sentiment in Canada.
FAILURE OF DIPLOMACY.
The Canadian Government viii Simply
Await Developments This Side
the Line.

New YORK, Sept. 16.-An Ottawa
special says that Sir John A. Macdon-
aid, in an interview yesterday, being
asked what would be the policy of Can
ada, replied:
1.-THE policy of the Canadian govern
ment will be to await developments in
the United States. By this mean that
the only question from which trouble
can arise relates to fishing. The fish
ing season has just closed, and it will
not open again until May. In other
words, it will be fully eight months be-
fore the United States will have any
chance to bring up that question again.
Until that time we will do absolutely
nothing unless President Cleveland
makes some unexpected move, which is
not probable, even if the senate
should grant him the asked for power.
Nothing can come of the present dis
cusSion, therefore for eight months and
before the expiration of that time things
may have assumed quieter aspect.
The feeling toward the United States,"
continued Sir John, sis not unfriendly,
but it is to be remembered that we have
given much to the States, one thing
after the other under the different
treaties. We do not feel that this can
go on forever. | think that the treaty
of last year, generally known as the
Chamberlain treaty. was in the main
fair and decisive. have no hesitation
in saying that if politics had not inter-
come to the conclusion by this
time that it had made a first
rate bargain by that treaty. In
that measure, however, the utmost
limit of concession was reached. We
can go no further, and now that the
| treaty has been set aside the whole mat
ter falls back on the treaty of 1918, as
far as the fisheries part of the dispute
is concerned. The convention of 1918
has been admitted by both governments
as recognized undisputable basis, and
there can be no further discussion con-
corning it. Diplomacy has utterly failed
to convince the United States of the adj
visibility of adopting the more recent
treaty."
"What would be the effect on Canada
| if the retaliation measures we're fully
carried out?''
The Grand Trunk railroad will suffer
| to certain extent, because its Eastern
terminus is in Portland, and its West
ern terminus in Chicago, but many or
the other roads may be built up by the
increase of trade diverted to them: AS
the matter now stands the president
must carry out his threats or lose his
hold upon the voters. One good effect
has been subserved by the recent action
of Mr.. Cleveland, and that is the marked
growth of unity of sentiment among
Canadians. There is feeling now i'll
Canada that we have been thrown upon
our own resources, and that we must be
more self-reliant." Concerning Barn
hart's island, Sir John said that the gov
eminent had fOreSeen many years ago
that there might be difficulties with the
United States on account of the posi-
ton of that island, and therefore the
Rideau canal had been constructed,
whereby in times of difficulty traffic
could be sent inland from Kingston to
Montreal by way of that canal and the
Ottawa river.