The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1888-08-25

VI lOIciSu TtlhUOce.
Mr. Edmunds-On that motion I would like
90 say word, although am in favor of it. If
: haa oeen flre or six years younger than / am.
6shoud have been surprised at that message.
ou. am not SO. and ! only very highly
grained az the patriotic expression Of hopes.
wishes, almost intentions of the President of
the United States in reference 10 the protection
OF American interests and American rights. But
.ne regularity of the situation. as it seems TO me-
is that, having had a statute providing for self
defense approved by tho Presidens of the United
states and passed by the substantially unani-
nous vote of both houses-if that made
any any difference to his duty in faith,
fully executing the laws-and after full
consideration of all its points and bearings, the
extent to which it should 60, the objects to
which 1t should be limited, and the circum-
stances under which 1t should be brought into
play, eighteen months. in round numbers, have
gone by, and we are now informed by the Pres-
dent or the United States-for / take it that
is what he means. although no word OF that
kiad is in the message-that no step OF any kind
bas been taken to carry into execution the plain
provisions of that law. 1t is true that the law
did not require the President to put it into ef-
fecs in the way of self-defense-as prefer to
call It, rather than retaliation-until q case
should satisfy him that American rights and in
teres's were being unjustly dealt with. New.
what has happened since the passage of that acti
III nothing has happened. If there have been no
instances of injustice. Of denial Of American
rights, OF unjust treatment of American citizens
course. the President has been entirely right in
taxing no step in respect of the matter. IT,
however, in his opinioA-as he how states
it-there have been instances Of denial
o. just rights to American citizens engaged in
the business described in the act Of 1887, why is
u that the President has not taken any staps in
the exercise OF the powers which the law in
posed upon him, and in the exercise OF the high
duty which the Constitution imposes upon him,
of taking care that the lava are faithfully exc
cated2 Here was law which he was to execute
when the contingency should arise. or on the ex-
istence of particular fact; aud when he was set
lsned that tho fact existed, then 1t was made his
duty to take steps to obtain redress in the meth
od which the statute pointed out So that we
have now the case OF period OF nearly eighteen
ronths during which, as he states in his mes
sage, action has been called for. Why has he
been silent for eighteen months with the whole
power of the law in his handsl And why has
he renamed inaotivef Doubtless under the
patriotic advice Of the gentlemen who compose
his Cabinet, and doubtless with the most patri-
osic motives, that 1t might be best to submit to
what 10 now declared to be gross and grievous
wrong, with the means At hand to redress 1t or
to defend against itl, and to enter into DISCUS
sion with the wrongdoer to provide for
q new arrangement on broader basis or
Ertish teritoriAlity and An arrangement on
broader basis Of British free trade l confess
my astonishment at such course on the part
OF the President / must express my surprise
and regret. not-using the language Of the mes
saee-the regret of a partisan, but the regret OF
citizen, that for more than year, with the
Means in his hand redress it. he has failed to
take any step, and now sends to US message
asking that additional powers bearing. as he
supposes, a broader field of retaliation and
covering other topics, be given him. And / must
suppose. under tho principle which he has al
ready acted upon. that until these powers are
given TO him he will do nothing At all We find
In this message a thing TO which wish to call
special attention. discussion as to whether the
twenty-pinth article of the treaty of 1871 10 in
force or not. The Canadian government has
hot refused to transship fish. the ground
that that article not in force. 1t has made
no such pretension. II has refused to trans
ship fish on the ground that the article did not
override the convention of lSlS by which on
American fishing vessel wss not TO
come within the threemie limit. When the
Canadian authorities denied to American fisher-
men the right to trsnsship their fish from Hall
fax to Boston or New York, the President was
justified in denying. and il was his duty TO deny,
To Canadian fish trans portation across our conn
try, any other Canadian goods, just as far
1 and as fast as lie should deem il an adequate
eIthin the competency, and was the duty of the
President to inform the British government
that we regarded the 10Th article OF the treaty
no longer in force. because it could not be In
force on the one side and OF on the other side
at the same time; and it is that which previous
Presidents and Secretaries of State have done.
to the honor and benefit of the American name
aud American interests. AS We stand now We
President mentions as OF crying and great i'm
portance-and il is one-the denial by the
Canadian authorities. persisted in. as the Presi-
dent says, frop- 1856 till now, and still con
tinued, of the right Of American fisher
men to transship their fish from
Halifax to Boston or New York, while
Canadian fishermen any other
British vessels coming into any OF cur ports.
by force of this twenty.ninth article and of our
friendly laws. authorized to transhp their fish
or goods to Canada, or from Canada to New
York for expectation without the payment Of
duties. That is the fact, and the President tells
US that it has existed now for TIVE years. Fol-
lowing that fact, which the President says is n
gross outrage and injury, is the statute Of the
United States, which says that if he is satisfied
that such fact exists. he shall apply the means
Of redress which the statute has put into his
hands. Why does he not do i'll / should be
glad to have somebody tell me. l should have
been glad, intellectually. il the President had
said in this message what the reasons are, what
the impedimeEts are, to his endeayoring TO exc
cute faithfully the statutes OF the United States
on a state of circumstances which he
officially reports to exist, when that statute
makes it his duty to employ tao means
which the law has given him TO accomplish it.
believe that In the time OF tho late war-if |
may refer to that without offense TO anv one-it
was said. from time to time, that the moro
troops a certain Union general. and. perhaps,
more than one general, was supplied with the
| greater difficulty be found IN moving on the
| enemy, and that he continually telegrapbed to
| President Lincoln that he could not 60 until he
| had more troops. Does the President really
| mean TO say that he cannot take any step pro-
vided in the act of 1887 until Congress shall give
him further powers. and particularly the very
| powers which. on full discussion eighteen
| months ago, the Senate thought it was unfit to
| give hin2 Alas. Mr.. President, / think it is
infinite pity that in simple q case, adequate
| and full statute the force weakness Of which.
| if it has any weakness. has never been tested
| by the first step. should remain unexecuted and
| in a state of ''Innocuous desuetude." until the
| President may sec whether Congress will not
| nut more ammunition into his hands before he
| fires the first gun.
| Senator Hoar said that confession was good
| cradle satisfaction to a benevolent mind to wit
fessional which seemed to have established itself
| a message, short time ago, within three
this language: II believe the treaty will be
| found 20 contain just. honorable, and there
| fore satisfactory solution of the difficulties
| which have clouded our relations with our
neiehbors on our northern border" Republican
| Senators had been told when they pointed out
| grievance after grievance, and insisted on their
removal. that they were proposing retaliation
that more abhorrent and abominabe
! thing, never to be thought OF, and that. il they
| did not look out. tney would get the country
| into war. The Senators on the Democratic
| side of the chamber had fairly laid
| down before the demands, and threats,
and pretehsions of the little Do