New-York tribune., 1888-08-25
THE MESSAGE UNDER HOT FIRE.
POWERFUL ONSLAUGHT IN THE SENATE on
THE PRESIDENTS VIEWS.

MR. rpMUNDs LEADS OFF WITH COMPLETE
REPUTATION OF MR. CLEvELANDs REASON
1NG-rHE FoUNDATION OF THE MES
SAGE TORN AWAY-THE EAECU-
TIVE BURDEN FALLS on NOR
GAN - SENATOR sHER
MANS POWERFUL CLOS
ING sTEECH
-w.sb,ncton Aur c4-Thc senate plunged a, once
todav into long debate the Presidents reiaiao"
message The message was read directly anel ue
open,ng of the session. and after Mr.. sherman hau
moved that the message be printed and referred 10 'hc
Committee on Foreign Relations, Mr. EamunuS Io'o "
speak he said; .,.., au,
III had been five six years younger thah la an
Holld have been surprised al that messaSe but H.
am not, and 1 am only very hEhiy iaaipnoet inten
lions OF the President in Seference to me %
OF American interests and American fTn,S;, T,rc Isd a
.scniiaritv of the situation Is that. having ndu d
ftatute providing for selfdefence approved ui oie
President and passed by the snoianS & Of
ali It's points and bearings, eighteen months na, e No
by and we are nov e sSn oy ' ne carry into exec
ton the provisions Of that law IL is uue Jtn eecf
IN the way Of selfdcfence. as prefer 10 can J.. te of
than retaliation. until case NhouW t ndtp a ~ ~
Snsrscan ririt, and interests We're beng uhIu,uN
dali with Now, what has happened since ne p" pa,
faTe been no instances Of injustice, ot denlal VI
American rights. of unjust treatment oI ,ion ~
course the President has been entirely right IN ann he
no stop IN respect 10 the matter H. nSiI Of iust
opipion there have been instances Vi I'' 1 Pre-
Yights TO American citizens. why j. II ua. ' % ,bo
dent has not taken , any {nc!ed I u upon linn and in hc
fv.rcise OF the high duty which tne xt,
noses upon him. Of taking care that the laws do ia"
lue tbst We have now the Of period Of nearly
eighteen months during which as o nc Ife tells Us
that in one instance. in le7o an Ni VI ,i te1
vessel catching Ash on thf ig S and sailing 10
and of the twenty mile deAnla 1,~oee ~ eond
,ort NJ british North America fOi tc lutIP'' -
ine her cargo Of fish by rail 10 Boston va o IN"
orders denied tha, privilege aHu cAi4- ~ qrcai
presidcnt saws and JUSTIFY ihat ihat ,a, va arI
ana mos rSGs Why has he been silent f2
.Isbtean months with the whole power ol ne fyc ia
MS nancS rnder the patriotic advice ofthe gentlemen
vic compose his Cabinet ! hus' V 49,, Isr- m
S p.sidsnt Of tho United states must APie,
nv surprise and my regret thai ior NOR ue" Ia La.
tnnd M w taEc any step and now sends 10 rs M
sage asking that additional poW'IS ava cover
t.uPPo.Ssr tonics be given him. And ! must sup
pose under the principle which ne nGs ga him h,
upon. that until these powers @ic e''''
WIZ 40 Prcsde6t il is very odd-ths business An'
wish 10 call attention to@Une incident III s 'uiS ,ri
sage. which struck me VIII t go was ihe course
We apparently do not Know VIA | Trr.tv- What sub
the negotiations which led to IDS uta', ,incs an,
s.,nriosIon~ and enCscemcnts and undefs ahu.Hss H
TTatoeols and gossips and declarations - 49,
I'M intb article of the treaty Of 1871 IS III ioic
or moi The Canadian Government mas t iiot 'erticl
to trSnsShpt 0 m topse rse W It ba @ made no such penon
II has refused 10 transship i; on me eou," f 10
80 a-ticie did not override the convention ol loI
bv vSicb an American fishing vessel was not 10 com
within three miles OF the iahu.
Alter an extended discussion Of the point as t'
whether the 2oth article Of the treaty was still II
tce and as to the intent of Congress In limiting the
retalatory law to matters connected with the hshln'
interests MI Edmunds said
Now. # will be seen that one Of the very thing
ahour which the President Is now Tor the hiSt um'
apparently sOIcitous was brought 10 the atehuoh o
the TWO Houses of Congress, pending me passago pa & o
that the provisions Of that law were entirely alegua
70 tie profession Of Ameean rSalS anu rfepegrc +
topics of discomfort which he has ior inc ms
time communicated 10 Congress. When the Oahadia
authorities denied 70 American fishermen the rght 4
transshp their fish from Halifax to Boston Or New
York, the President was justified III denying ana
was his duty TO deny 10 Canadian FISH trans portatlo
scr9ss eur eur county or % any oher Ganadan a goS Sea
redress for the wrong committed on Us. IT was IN
duty OF the President 10 inform The British Govern
a. longer IN force because 1t could not be IN fore
on the ono side and not tho other side al the sam
time and IL Is that which previous Presidents and Se'
nf tbe American name and American Interests 4
we stand now have got. the only fishing wrOn
which the President mentions OF CRYING and gree
Importance (and IL IS onel the denial by the Canada
AUTHORITIES Of the right Of American fishermen io tran
shin their fish from Halifax 10 Boston New \ Orl
willie Canadian fishing vessels or any other Britis
this a9th article and Of our friendly laws. authorize
Canada to Neviorh for expectation, without the pal
meni OF duties.
That IS the fact and the President tells us IN;
n has existed row for two years. Following IA;
fact IS the statute OF the United states which sa'
that II he IS satisfied that such fact exists he shd
sppy the means of redress which the statute has p
In his hands. Why does he not do II should
glad 70 have somebody tell me ] should have be-
slad If the President had said I'm This message, wh
the impedimentS aIe 10 his endeavorng to eNecu
faith fully the statute of the United states on sta
OF circumstances which be officially reports 10 eXis
when that statute makes II his duty 10 empl
the means which the law has given him 10 accOI
plisb tt Oh no; | believe that I'm the the time
The late war Il was said from time Ia time that l
more troops certain Union general lSnG p rna
rnore than one generaD was supplied with u
greater difficulty be found in moving on the enem
and that he continually teegaphed 10 fIfslne. ~ IL IL
coin that he could not 90 until he hsd more uooI
Does the President Of the United state realy me-
10 say that he cannot take any step pioNldeu III |.
act OF ise7 until Congress shall give him frih
powers, ard particularly and chehy inc Ve
sArS U6,ch on fuI discussion tel"heeD Aon'H