The Sully County watchman. (Clifton, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-1894, 1888-09-08

matter OF the fisheries, that they second
the presidents extraordinary somersault
and in tho slang of the democratic heel
ers, they are thirsting for Canadian gore.
The democratic papers were but short
time ago telling Massachusetts and Name
that their contemplate little question
over few Goldfish on the banks of New
foundland was not worth consideration
in the national Congress, and that if they
kept annoying the country about il they
would, in tho end, drive Congress into
giving the free markets OF the Uni ted
States 10 all fishermen or the Dominion,
aud applaud tho presidents new move.
Perhaps the national administration of
the democratic party aud it's newspaper
organs think this dodge will put them IN
a heroic attitude. but TO the average
mind OF the American citizen it merely
places them in supremeiy ridiculous
position. What possible sense Is there,
gentlemen, in disturbing the commercial
relations between our country and the
Dominion at remote western points, be-
cause there Is a dispute between Halifax
and Gloucester that can be easily settled
on the ground? Why should the railways
OF the United States, that annually trans
| port $5O,000O 900 Uf Canadian goods in
transit, be deprived of their business and
| endure large loss on account of a sud
den whip. of the presidentr Why should
| the transit from Detroit to- Buffalo and
| New York over both American and Cana
dian lines .of rail be suspended, when it
| has no relation whatever to the fisheries
| question! Why should the large traffic
between Quebec and Montreal on the one
hand ard Portland On the other, by which
| Portland becomes the winter port of
Canada, be summarily stopped at the
caprice of the president, on chagrin over
the course OF an independent, but as he
says, REFRACTORY senate?
1t Is the design of the president TO
make the fishery question odiors by EN-
| harrassing commercial relations and com
mercial exchange along the thousand
miles of "a frontier, and infict upon
| American communities y needless, q vex.
atious, u perilous confusion of tradeS
Does he not practically say to his sup
porters that If the republicans will not
| join him in snrrendering our fishery
rights to England, he will give them some
| medicine on the other, aud if they will
| give him the enactmtnts which he asks
| that he will give them retaliation until
they cry hold enough, and will allow him
| TO settle the fishery question in the pre-
else manner in which their Senate now
contem ptnously rejects II. After all, fel-
low citizens, Is not the presidents pc
sition mere political devics 10 divert
the attention of the American from his
free trade message and from the Mills
tariff bill? is not this bluster ON the
fisheries TO De the plan of the cam pgign
for TIE democratic party? Are not per
mits for bravado to be used by the politi-
cal agents of tho administration, marked
on the back, "Good till after the first
Tuesday of November?
My friends, history repeats itself. Let
me call your attention 10 q remarkable
parallel between the course of President
Cleveland and the course of President
johnson, after he returned to the demo
cracy, in a more weighty negotiation with
England than that relating to the fisheries
You viii remember that under instruc-
tions from Andrew Johnson's administra-
tion, our minister to England, the late
| Reverdy Johnson, negotiated q treaty
designed To settle the Alabama claim. II
was negotiated with Lord Clarendon, the
foreign secretary of England, and is
| known as the Johnson-Clarendon treaty.
1t was communicated to the senate just
before the expiration of Johnson's term,
and the senate had it under consideration
when President Grant wgs iuaugurated.
It was rejected with emphasis and indig-
nation, Just as the senate has now elected
the fisheries treaty. A few months later,
President Grant sent to the senate q com
munication on the whole ject of Ala
bama claims. Referring tc the Johnson
Clarendon treaty he used these weighty
words, which beg to read to you: BE
iteving that O treaty thus misconstrueG
III its scope, and inadequate in it's pro.
visions would have not produced the
hearty, cordial sentiments of pending
questions which alone is consistent with
the relations which desire to have firm
ly established between tho United States
and Great Britain. regard the action
of the senate in rejecting the treat,, &c
have heen wisely taken in the interest oi
peace, and as q necessary step in the in
terest OF perfect and cordial friendship
betwesn n the two Countries
! In his next annual communication
President Grant recommended to Con
gress the appointment Of commission
) to tako proof IF the accounts and the
ownership of the several Alabama claims
on notice 10 the representative OF her
maj ssty's government at Washington
and that authority be given for settle
. mtnt of these claims by the United
States and that the government
: have the ownership of the private claims
as we'll as the responsible control of al
4 the demands against Great Britain. The
. result, you know, was that the BRITISH
r government proposed q joint commiP
: sion 20 settle all claims between the coua
! tries; that Presiden. Grant, unlike Presi
{ Gent Cleveland, secured the assent of The
; Senate before appointing commissioners
in return, and that the joint commission
made settlement which, on the whole
was satisfactory to both parties. Thi,
D was brought about to the honor of bott
: nations, in consequence of tho firm presi
D tion assumed by President Grant. Why
D would not like attitude of to day on th,
: part of the president produce like re
]. suit, peacefully honorably and to the last
ing advantage of both nations?
The truth is my friends, the democratic
; party has never been fortunate in con
; Quoting diplomatic negotiations with