The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1889-09-03
sCrrosr VIZ sror AID rsIsk


In response TO . cad signed by issesr
mayor. citizens a Victoria ia large
Numbers turned oct isst saturday
night % CONSIDER the recent sszzure~
al Canadian .eslers by United States
cruisers a gsxsiiy aEa0ans 81 sxssts-
ment wa~ nsasisestssi b. sssr Nicssrts's
n<ixhIoss. wtieh il 81 tie more ssg.
nificant becaas~ u their ususliy saaa'i
and csrcum-p~gt dsnean0r. ian Se
blame them7 Under reversed eofsss'~
lions, where il the thermometer That
could gauge the heated sentiments
and hot expressions 81 . laEgs assem-
blaze in any American city, b'lt ne
vsctorians. In common gith uia'sF
speakers. writer's and other citizef's d
our o.n country, are mistaken when
they assume that the governments 81
the United states has ln.oFsed, e'E
that il certainly wlli iHder-e, thee
seizures. II j. TO ~ hoped that the
Republican convention At aus
WsiIa will rot adopt any fe4o~
luton hasei upon tlls mistaken
idea. Neither President HsFrl-
sons administration nor tie
Republican party IS committed to an
assumption Of exclusive jurisdiction
for the United State ia u bfing sea
On the contrary. 80 far IS anything
having the semblance If a party ssssie
that has been made upon ihis question.
the Republican party sesms 10 be ar
rayesi against the assumption. IL Il
astonishing how general Is the lark 0i
correct information among otilsrNise
intelligent American citizens ss 10 the
true merits Of this question, and - To
the historical attitude Of fbsif go*e u
ment In respect 10 IT, Al ChFtsteIl-
dom eoncarred with John Quincy Aa-
ans when, ia is2i. he uaansseFabiy
disposed Of Russis's prssentioas eisim
that Behring's was iaEd-loegs3 sea,
aud that she, a. the sovereign OF both
shores Of it's outlet. was entitled 10
dominion over il. IIattei's definition
Of iand-iockea, which has been uni
yersaiIy accepted As aeeorsiant With
reason and common sense, l. ~ fol-
lows:
!. u must be entirely surrounded y TIE
Iaterfitory ~ the nasioa claiming jsfsstie-
ton. and mus. have 80 other eonafnuniss
ton with the oeeaa than By a ehsanei 81
which that nation MAY take possession.
II was trne that Eassia Ii til ws
purchased Alaska ard the Aisaiian
islands, owned ali the territory bound
Ing Behring ses. bat between The two
shores Of It's outlet were dozen chan
nels Of which IL would have been ab-
snrsi for her 20 claim that she could
take and hold possession against ans
respectable maritime power, Eat
even II IL could have been admitted
that Russia's claim sas good, the
validity OF OURS does not tellos for
our territory does not entirely sur
round" Bshfing SEA Is a result ~ the
Alaska purchase. AZ the best sc only
bought from Russia one-haii ST
a claim the whole ct which
our own statesman bad pronounced
nuteeable. The position of John
Quincy Adams on this point vas ably
sustained. subsequently, hy Caleb
Gushing and by William II. Seward
IL remsined 10y Secretary Manning.
the master mind Of President Cleve
lands cabinet. to intimate the right
of the United States Il exclusive jufis-
dietion. but the grounds Of his claim
II he had any. were Withheld from ihe
public. At the last session of congress
the House OF Representatives tthe ma
iority being nemocrasici passed an
amendment 10 the statute regulating
the Killing of fur seals and ether fur
bearing animals. which amendment
was designed To assert the jurisdiction
Of the United States 20 include and
within The boundary lines mentioned
In the treaty Nth Russia. hat the Sen.
ate committee on foreign aiilirS tsher
man. Edmunds, Frye, Evsrts. nolph,
Morgan. Rrown. Salisbury and
faynel by uosnimoas vote struck out
the amendment, and adopted instead
one which merely declares that the
provisions of the statute apply to all
the dominion of the Uuited states in
Behrtng sea And President Harri-
son. with characteristic caution. Ia As
proclamation on this szbiect warns
all persons against entering she sassrs
II RehFtHg so eifAia tAe ,ioiaiaiaa ~
she tastsd Sasss Neither the senate
amendment nor the Presidents
proclamation IN set TERMS tTaversos
Secretary Manning assumption. hut
II, a. Is probably inevitable. The aiat-
ter j. left to arbitration. and IL Is de-
cided that cur Jurisdiction extends
only three marine leagues from oar
shore, then this il the fan extent "a
which the Senate amendment or the
presidents proclamation would Justify
seizure, and Nithin that hmli even
our Victorian friends must eonee,le
cur right, IL j. thus qnue clear
that President Harrison. while care
fat tn assert No claim that can
not be sarcly mSintaiued. has adroitly
forced an issued which must Re set
tle1. aed let as hope that 1t a ia t.e set
tleSi in conformity With the principles
of international law shd at even.
handed justice, satisfactory alikc "a
ali good citsseus, beth az British
Columbia aud the trj1ssl state Pet.
ter this than hloo1sheB tSettcr ttgs
than contention. bssseT shis than ill-
viii between neskhssoss a 81 shaalst hs
friends
shall she Submission IL yiysin stale
into The nlon siFslp state bsarses