New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1888-03-01
.BAYARD AND HISTORY.
THE FISHERIES SURRENDER.

nor line in that extraordinary convention TO
indicate recognition Of the historic rights Of the
Americans to the North Atlantic fisheries Secre-
tary Bayard seems to have forgotten not merely
the history Of his country, but even the traditions
OF his family. His grandfather was one OF the
American Commissioners at Client and supported
John Quincy Adams in upholding the Nations
honor and ancient fishing franchises. There was
time when Bayard knew that the fisheries
question was something more than q quarrel over
the duty on fish. and that the Americans had
lnalienable rights to the fishing grounds, which,
as John Adams declared. had been given 20 them
by Nature, the Almighty and their own swords.
Secretary Bayard has left scarcely q vestige Of
these rights in his treaty. lie has converted
treaty law into an instrument OF British privilege
and Canadian aggression
This treaty should be dealt WITH not as an
Irish question, as English journals contemptuo usly
assume that it will be by the Senate; nor as .
tariff question, as Secretary Bayard confidently
expects; nor as q question OF partisan politics,
Republican Senators being under obligations TO
condemn it and Democratic Senators to support
it solely the work OF a Democratic Admins
tmtion. IL should be dealt with as q question OF
American rights What are the historic grounds
for these rights? First, that the fisheries were
conquered from the French. mainly by the Amer-
can colonists. Secondly, that the fisheries wers
held by the United States before and after tho
Revolution as a tenancy in common. Thirdly,
that these rights were recognized and sanctioned
by every Fisheries Treaty ever made between the
United States and Great Britain until Secretary
Bayard appeared in the diplomatic council cham
Der, rs ignorant Of his country's history he
was destitute Of patriotism. 1t win be necessary
q Main fhnas fhraa haf,
strating Secretary Baynrds departure from tho
honorable traditions Of American diplomacy.
Whatsoever rights the British Government and
their colonial dependencies now have in the Prov
inces grouped about the Gull OF st. Lawrence are
based upon conquest from the French and this
conquest was virtually effected by the American
colonists French sovereignty was sanctioned by
treaty after the restoration Of the Stuarts and
subsequently by the Treaty Of $50 In 500 an
expedition recruited largely in New-Engiand cap
tured st. Johns and other ports and placed An
English governor in command OF the settlements.
his conquest which added Acadia 10 the domain
OF Massachusetts,, was frttered away by the
Treaty OF Ryswic< and French sovereignty re-
stored. Another expedition fitted out in Massa-
chusetts Bay reconquered Nova Scotia in i III and
obtained exclusive rights to the fishing grounds
with the exception OF Cape Breton. Here tho
French made final stand, fortifying Louisburg
q rcndeZyOus and stronghold for their fishing
iieet For thirty-Gve years they were undis-
turbod Then feet was manned in New-England
with sailors, marines and soldiers recruited almost
wholly from Massachusetts aud after siege Of
seven weeks Louisburg fell BY the Treaty Of
Aix-la-Chapelc French sovereignty again re-
stored and the Notifications were rebuilt. In
1853 Lousburg was invested for the last time by
colonial army and feet and again taken. In
these military and naval operations Massachusetts
men were engaged by the thousand. Four times
the North Atlantic fisheries were conquered fot
the Crown with the scanty treasure and the best
blood of New-England. Every territorial and
maritime right which the British and Canadians
now have on those coasts and in those waters was
won in the first instance by Yankee energy and
valor.
Almost from the settlement Of Plymouth. Salem
and Massachusetts Bay the coonists had begun to
catch cod off the banks OF Newfoundland. AS
time went on they explored and developed tho
fisheries and made them source of wealth to the
colonies They had occupied the fishing grounds
from the earliest times and before and after the
final conquest Of Acadia and Lousburg by their
arms they enjoyed equal rights with the British
fishermen. 1t was a tenancy in common. and
when their rights were invaded they rebelled.
They had established great trade with Europe
and the West indies. exporting fish and BRINGING
back merchandise. Parliament enacted the Navi.
CATION laws and deprived New En- gland merchants
of their foreign trade with France, Spain and tina
West Indies by heavily taxing the imported mer-
chandse for which fish was exchanged Tho
fisheries were the foundation Of that commerce
which Great Britain sought TO destroy. and the
defence Of which was one OF the chief causes Of
the Revolution. Parliament attacked the fisheries
rights directly as well indirectly. IL pro-
hibited the coonists from fishing of the banks Of
Newfoundland and ia adjacent waters and armed
the British fishing fleet with exclusive privileges
These violations Of the tenancy common wcro
fercely resented in Boston and openly defied by
the hardy fishermen themselves. who continued
to exercise the rights won by their own swords.
These Outmgcs were discussed at all the indlg-
nation meetings held in b ston Samuel Adams
learned to be eloquent while defending fisher
mems rights Colonial prohibitions OF the sale
of provisions to British fishermen were among tho
earliest acts of resistance to the Crown New
England was eager to take arms against uie
mother State for depriving the colonists OF ono
of their chief means of livelihood and resources
of wealth, and for denying their tenancy in com
chusetts had conquered The defence of the
historic rights to the fisherGs WINS one of tho
great issues for which Lexington and Bunker Hill
were fought
In the ne gotations for peace at the close of the
Revolution equal lights to the fisheries w"rc inn
peratjvely demanded The colonists were unwilling
TO mike peace on any other terms. Mr. Livingston.
Secretary of State, wrote to DIR. Franklin III
we were tenants in common wirh Grat Britain
while united with her, we still continue So unless
we have relnquishcd our title. Our rights are
not inv alidated by this separation, more partca-
larry as we have kept up our claim from the
commencement of the war, and assigned the at
tempt OF Great Britain to exclude US from tho
fisheries as one Of the causes Of our recurring to
arms" The Continental Congress instructed John
Adams by resolution that it is essential to tho
welfare of all the United States that the in