Daily Republican. [volume] ([Wilmington, Del.]) 1874-1890, 1888-08-25

/ w WAsHiNGToN, ID. Z August "a
The message Of the President was read Ia
the Senate to day aud was listened to by
Senators on both sides of the chamber
with close attention. When II came to
q clt 60 Mr.. Sherman asked that it be
printed and referred TO the Committee on
Foreign Relations.
Speaking t. that motion Mr.. Edmuuds
said II he had been or o year syounger
he would have been surprised at tho mes.
sage. He WAS not now, but only highly
gTatiaed at the patriotic expression OF
hope wishes, almost intentions, of the
President Of the United States In refer
encs TO The position Of American interests
and American rights. The Senator con
tinued:
But the popularity OF the situation Gas
II eeems 70 me) is that, hayi & had q
statute providing for self-deferse, approx
ed by the President Of the United States
and passed by the substantially unAnt
nous votes OF both Houses III that made
any difference TO his duty in faithfully
executing the lawsJ, and after full con-
sideration OF all It's points and bear 'ngs,
the extent to which 1t should go, the OBJ
Ijeets to which 1t should be limited. and
the circumstances under which 1t should
be brought into play, eighteen months In
round numb re have gone by; and we
are now informed ty the President OF the
United States (for / take It that that is
what he means, although no word OF that
kind is In TIE message) that no step OF
any } ind has been taken to carry into
eKecution the plain provisions OF that
law.
1t Is true that the law did not require
the President to put into ef1ectin the way
of ,he self defense Gas prefer to call IL
ITather than retaliation) until case
should have arisen OF wrong and injustice
which should satisfy him that American
Hrights and interests were being uniustly
IdeAlt with Now, what has happened
since the passage of that aci2 lin thing
has happened, If there have been no in
stances Of injustice, of denial of Ameri.
lean rights, OF unjust treatment Of Ameri-
can cltiz ms In IN provinces Of the Do
minion, then, ofcourse, the President has
been entirely right in taking no step in
respect of the matter. IT. however, in b 8
lopinion Gas he now stites ~, there have
been instances OF denial Of jus. rights to
American citizens engaged in the busi
ntss described in the act of 1887. why %
1t that the President has not taken any
step in the exercise Of the powers which
the law imposed upon him, and In the
exercise OF the high duty which the Con-
lstitution imposes upon him, OF takil &
care that the laws are faithfully execu edf
4 Mr.. Edmunds then went on to declare
that the President had not executed the
Ilaw when the contingency arose, and
when he was satis6sd that the fact exist,
led. He suprosed that the President hs.II
remaiLed inactive under the advice OF
Il the gentlemen who composed his Cabinet
4 lat 50, al % IN IuaI
dent In ;he mestage which struck him
wi b a great deal Of surprise, and said;
We apparently c o not know now what
was the course Of the negotiations which
lleo 70 this treaty. We apparently do moi
lnoa Lrt. what substipulations, and en-.
gs@ements an. understa dings, and pro,
ltoeoIs. and gossi,s, and de slarations ex
ia ed Here we flnd 10 this message "a
Ithipp to which wish to c1li special at
tention) discussion as to whetu.r tht
twenty ninth article OF the treaty Of 1877 |
lIs In force or not. The Canadian Govern
ment has not refused tltransship tsh on
1.-THE gro nd that that article was not In
force, II has made no such pretension.
| II has refutei 10 trausship fish on the
IPrOund that the article did not override
the Convention of 1878, by which an
lAmerican fishing vessel was not to come
within three miles of the land
/, AMER an extended discussion OF the
poInt as TO whe her article N&lN Of the
treaty was sttll 10 force, aud as to the in
tent of Congress in limiting the Retalia-
tion law to matters connected with the
, fishing interests, Mr.. Eimunds said:
Now, 1t will be seen that one of the
very things about which the President Is
now for the first time, apparently solicit
lous was brought to the notice OF the tTo
/ Houses of Congress pending the passage
OF the law oil 1887, and that the senats
! was of the opinion hat the provision,
lconiained in that law, as it proposed, snd
, and as It was finally pas ed, were entirely
I adequate to the protection Of American
: rights and Interest3, in the respects IL
lwLfeh they had been intruded upon ant
assai,ed
WHAT that act referred to was really tn
FISHERY question. When the CANADIAN
lauthorities denied to American tishe mel
The right 10 trausship their fish from Han
fax to Boston or New York the Presden
; was right in denying, and 1t was his dut
to deny. to Canadian fish transportatio
s across our country, ,or any other Canada
goods, Just as far and as last as he shoul'
deem it an adequate redress for the Wron
committed on us IL was within the com
potency and was the duty OF the Presi
dent of the United Stat to inform tn
British Government that We regarded til
n twenty ninth articl of the treaty as
I. longer In force, because IL could not be l
force ON the one side and not On the othe
side at the same time, and it Is that whic
lpreylous Pres d nts and Secretaries {
State have done, to the honor and bench
of the American name and American IL
terests.
AS we stand now, we have got, as IL
only fishing wong which the Presidel
mentions Us of cry ing and great imnol
tance land II is oHe) the denial by Il
Canadian authoritiss-per listed in Ga
the Pres dent says) from 1856 until nov
and still cont nued-of the tight I
American fishermen to transship the
tsh from Halifax to Boston or New Yorl
while CanadiDn fishing vessels, or an
other British vessels coming into any
our ports are by force Of this twenty
ninth article and OF our friendly law
authorized to transship their fish or goot
to Canada, or from Canada to New Yor
u for expectation, without the payment {
- duties. That is the fact; and the Pres
dent tells that 1t has existed now for tN
years.
In conclusion Mr. Edmunds said :
Does the President OF the United Stat
really me 40 to say that he cannot tah
any steps provided in the &C. OF 1887 III
til Congress shall give him further pow
ers? and particularly and chiefly the Ve
powers which, Oh iull discussion eigl