New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-05-21
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THE DOOMED TREATY.

The fate Of the Fisheries treaty is beneved
to have been sealed by the action OF the Re
nublican Senatorial caucus. The majority OF
the Committee on Foreign Relations having
unanimously recommended its rejection, it be-
came necessary to ascertain whether their
views would be supported by their Repub-
lican colleagues The conference seems TO
have dispelled apprehensions respecting the
attitude of few Western Senators and to have
shown that there will be no deserters to the
Democratic side. The report is accepted as a
coxent presentation Of the subject ON its merits
and will be sustained by the Republican Sen
ators without a dissenting vote. Several
Senators were anxious to offer amendments to
the treaty, but were easily persuaded that it
would only be waste of energy to attempt to
modify a convention that is BritiEh rather than
American in its general lines. How can the
XVIII Article be amended so "a to be made
acceptable to Americans? Every commercial
right which the Yankee fishermen have de-
mandsd Is withheld by that article until the
American market shall be opened to Canadian
fish. Ne compromise can be effected by which
the essential character of the Treaty can be
changed. 1t is product Of British intrigue
and Canadian assurance, without an American
line in IT, The Senators should net consent
to sound parley over any Of its articles nor
be beguiled into postponing action upon 1T
until December fer the sake Of testing the
modus viyendi. The Treaty should be sum-
marily rejected. In no other way can the
hsner Of the country and its reputation for
clear common sense be indicated.
The Senators need net be alarmed by the
If ha rit ~ fhn
mittee and their champions in the Democratic
press to exaggerate the dangers Of war with
England il recourse shall be had to retaliation.
"Unless we can clearly state the causes that
Justify war for the redress Of grievances or
a clear definition of the right we seek to assert
or defend, we have no right to subject the
country 10 the pcrils or even the apErehen-
sions, of hostilities" This is one OF the
assertions Of the minority report addressed to
imorous and ume-serying Americans. A case
for retaliation is not necessarily case for war.
A retaliation act was enforced by the United
States Immediately after the Treaty OF 1913
was negotiated, and it was never suggested by
any one in England or the United States that
there was the remotest danger OF the outbreak
of war in consequence Of the defence Oh Amer
lean commercial rights. England frequently
secures the privileges Of maritime reciprocity
by the same expedient. The President himself
has had recourse to it In dealing with Spain,
and no possible risk Of war was incurred by
retaliation. The outrages on the Canadian
seab GARD and the systematic denial OF COM
msrcial rights TO which American. fishermen
arc entitled by martins reciprocity do not
justify war. but retaliation. The case was
clearly presented by Congress when tho Rstalia-
tion Acts were passed. Secretary Bayard and
Mr. Phelps outlined the same case in their
correspondence with the British Foreign office.
The minority report itself contains prima facio
evidsnce Of the case in its lists OF vessels
involved in seizures and other interfcrences
during the term of the present Administra-
tion.
The weakest invention Of the enemy Is the