Evening journal. [volume] (Wilmington, Del.) 1888-1932, 1888-10-20
TITS A SHAM BATTLE.
Sir John Macdonald's Opinion
of the Fisheries Agitation.
CANADA'S POSITION STATED.

Sir John At Last Speaks Up and Assures
Canadians That Everything will be
Lovely After the American Election--He
Thinks the Agitation Means Nothing.
OTTAWA, Oct 2O-The talk Of the hour is
Sir John Macdonald's speech at the Chaplain
banquet yesterday, when he outlined Cana
das future policy regarding the fishery diff
Guilty. Hi speech is an assurance that
Canada win not back down, and his remarks
are regarded as official.
He said: II have no doubt that some of
you have felt rather annoyed and irritated,
almost insulted, by the language that has
been used by some of the public men-states-
men of the United States-by some of the
threats that were held out with regard to
Canada; but ! am proud OF the calm dignity
with which Canadians have met all the
threats; the GOODNESS with which Canada has
looked upon the threats, which we can afford
70 look on calmly, because have got right
and justice on our side. If this were an ordi-
nary season in the United States we might
really feel irritated and insulted but we
know that this is a mere theatrical display of
both the great political parties of that coun-
try. 1t is a sham battle The leaders Of the
two parties there are trying to gain major
ity Of the votes, and they believe that to
abuse England and Canada as a portion Of
Great Britain is rather practical way of
affecting the vote, and, therefore, il on the
one side a statesman says anything against
England or Cana Ia, the statesman on the
other side gets up and goes one better.
As this game goes on they perhaps may,
like other ganesters, lose their GOODNESS and
moderation. Our course has been plain and
will be plain A treaty was settled, and we
Canadians had distinguished representative
at Washington TO help on the drawing up Of
that treaty. | mean Sir Charles Upper,
whom you all admire. The settlement Of
that treaty is an honest, fair and honorable
settlement Of a question that has hitherto
caused certain amount of friction between
the United States and Canada. IL is an hon
est attempt on the part Of the negotiators on
both sides to remove all causes of i'll feeling
between the two countries There are some
concessions on our part, and some CORE
spending concessions on the part Of the
United States We were told by the great
Liberal party that we had abandoned every
thing; we had sacrificed the interests Of Can
ada and had given up everything to the
Americans and kept nothing for ourselves.
But what occurred IN the statess We saw
both houses, the house of representatives aud
the senate of the United States, stating that
Canada and England had got the best Of the
bargain They absolutely refused to ratify
the treaty
ut was fair treaty, and believe after the
election is over, after the temporary fever
has subsidized and when they get to the calm
and GOODNESS that characterizes the American,
they will look with more favorable eyes upon
the treaty, and that they win have another
arrangement based on the same lines and
principles as the treaty which they have
rejected. hope and believe that will be the
case. Whether il be or not, our course as a
government, the course Of the parliament as
a parliament, the course Of the people as az.
proving the action Of the parliament and the
government, will be to say: We have rati-
fled that treaty, we are anxious to carry it
out and If you don't choose to accept It we
cannot help It. The responsibility rests upon
your shoulders. We will rely upon the treaty
Of 1878, and we will just rest upon tile law
and let the law take its course, aud if there
be any difficulties as to the construction of
that treaty We must find some mode by
arbitration, or otherwise, to decide what the
true legal meaning Of the convention of 1878
is. That will be the course of the Canadian
government; that viii be the course Of the
Canadian parliament; that win be the course
approved by the vast majority OF the people.
We have no fear that there will be any diff
Guilty with the United States If there be
any question of the construction Of the treaty
we can leave TO some tribunal selected by
both sides to settle what these obstacles are.