The Valley Virginian. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1865-1895, 1888-08-30
The Presidents Message.
A Clear statement of the Case by Mr..
Blaines

At Lewiston, Maine, on Saturday last,
Mr. Blaine delivered the second of his
spec ches in the campaign now going on
IN that State. In the course of his re-
marks he made reference to the Presi
dents extraordinary message sent to Con-
gress last Thursday. in the following
choice and instructive terms:
II did not happen to have an opportunity
of reading the full text of President Cleve-
land s message Oh the Fisheries subject
until this morning, and with all due re-
spect to the Chief Executive of the nation,
| must say that considering ali circum
stances it is the most extraordinary dOcu-
ment that ever was sent from the White
House TO the Capitol. Here are the main
facts of the issue between Canada and the
United States. or perhaps to speak more
exactly between England and the United
States, in respect to the fisheries. 1t was
our belief, and still is. that after the art
Giles of the treaty of Washington relating
to the fisheries had expired, the Canadian
government behaved in an unneighborly,
unseeming and unjust manner towards our
fishermen. in refusing them rights which
they had enjoyed 10y long prescription. In
order to bring the government OF the
Dominion to just appreciation OF the
subject Congress authorized the President
in the spring of 1857 to adopt at his dis
erection a policy of suitable retaliation,
directing, among other things, that when
ever and SO long as American vessels were
deprived of commercial privileges in the
ports of canada. Canadian vessels should
be deprived of like privileges in the ports
of the United States. This, if | may in
dulge in appropriate slang, was genuine
tit for tat policy, in which the punish
ment was admirably fitted to the crime.
President Cleveland declined to enforce
the policy. and allowed outrage after out
rage upon our fishing vessels to go unre-
dressed. He was bent upon some form OF
negotiation with England. even against
the expressed wish and will of the United
States Senate, and in defiance of the large
share in the treaty making power, which
the Constitution assigns to the Senate.
Finally, without the consent of the Sen
ate, and practically against its protest, the
Pr sident organized a commission to
frame treaty that should settle all points
of dispute. He thus gave what was never
INTENDED by the Constitution, a partisan
side to an international discussion. II
was never designed by the found rs of our
Government that intercourse with foreign
nations should be conducted by Republi
cans or by Democrats or by Wings, o. by
Federallsts 1t should only he by the
nation as whole. Why should the rail
ways of the United States, that annually
transport fifty millions of Canadian goods
in transit, he deprived of their business
and endure a large loss. on account of a
sudden whim of the President? Why
should the transit from Detroit to Buffalo
and New Yoik over both American and
Canadian lines of rail be suspended when
it has no relation whatever to the fishery
question? Why should tie large traffic
between Quebec and Montreal on the
one hand, and Portland on the other, by
which Portland becomes the winter port
OF Canada, BIZ summariy stopped at the
caprice of the President because of his
chagrin over the course of an independent,
but as ne considers, refractory Senate? Is
it the design Of the President to make the
fishing question odious by embarrassing
commercial relations and commercial ex,
change along three thousand miles of from
tier, and to infiict upon American commun-
tiles needless. vexatious and a peri Gus
confusion of trade? If Congress will give
him the enactments which he asks. he will
give them retaliation until they cry ''hold.
enough" ami will allow him to settle the
fisheries question in the precise m amer in
which their Spnato now COZ tnmOtuOuS v