New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-03-19

police, threaten the utter extinction of seal-lie
To deny that in the face of the fact that those
methods have already destroyed the vast herds OIL
the South Pacific. until ours is the only great herd
left upon the earth. would be manifcstly absurd
1t is conceded that 10 preserve the seal the an
nual catch must be regulated and that II cannot
be REGULATED in the water but only upon tlc
breeding grounds.
After snoring in the Pacific throughout the
winter and spring the herd swlms nor'hWaru 10
ward i. homo The vanguard is composed of
the old bulls They begin to arrive early Ill
Nav. They take their station upon the preeoihs
grounds. each marking of the boundarleS Oh HIS
particular domicle. The young puiis are ho'
permitted TO come upon the brccdlng-grouhds al
oil 7, * as much as their lives are worth 70
mako the attempt. Until they are fully grown
and therefore competent 10 defend their rleho
10 the possession of harcm. they must maui ouD
by themselves When the COWS arrive. cach oio
bull takes possession of as many as he feels apc
70 nrotcct-a number that varies from ten to
twenty Thus the herd is naturally and Voluh-
tarily separated into two distinct bands. the young
males in one place and the old fellows and their
families in another.
These habits render the slaughter OF certain
number of the young males easily performed. with
herd From 10000 10 100000 skins can he pru-
IDENTIFY taken every year Indeed, by protecting
the rookeries as is done under the Treasury De-
partments regulations, the herd Will grow.
II was growing scnsby year by year
until the Victorian scalcrs began to attack 'hc
herd in Behrng Sea upon its approach toward o'c
islands. The herd comes north from the ocean
and enters the sea through Unimak Pass ana inc
narrow straits that separate the Alcn'lah lsianus
Fishing in the ocean is wholly proh'less' "ecauSc
the herd it<cattcrcd over too VIDE an aIe'' D''
after it gets into Behrins Sea IL conVerses' an"
bands of hundred thousand are readily meo VIII"
Tho Canadians anchor in the shallow water that
intcrvcnes between the rooScry islands ana the
Aleutian chain put ont rowboatS mahhcu W
.xnc,. Indians and shoot or spear the seal, ncces
.or;lr reoardlcss Of their sex or condition. vi
those wounded more than half are lost, SO 'na'
the slaughter is deplorobly wasteiul. .
Oar right TO such form of animal lie, WIN
ifs natural home upon our land. right so ho"o'-
ably ACQUIRED and long existent, Is. o"Nlo"sN'
the best right. Whatever may be the rleh' VI
Canada or Mexico. Japan. Italy or France oui
riaht in equity and reason is inc largest anu INV
hest Now. if TO share that night would DC 10
cxposc il. and all others with II. 10 the oanEc'
81 irrovocohlc loss il is clear that is shown
in which the flcf ana 'Vhli'H "'' "
dangerous and prciudcial.@ To assert them that
orr right. the best right, must he supreme ana
exclusive. because otherwise II would soon CEASE
70 cxist at all is 10 respond TO the promptihHS
of the Grand law of sclf-prcscrvatlon.
We think cur correspondent Is fully ana clearly
o,e,v.rcd lie knows now what the facts in the
case arc and the principles of law that apply 10
thcm We have endcavorcd TO present an eA-
ros;tion both impartial and complete II we
have said less that goes 10 support the Oahauin
contention than that vindicates our own, II Is
lcc,use less can be said in favor OF methoos whloh
.adly resemble poachin., and which, Ii pursued
must end in the destruction of a great ana Nalu'pc
oo,nc than in favor Of hunting rights honorary
bourht and mcrcifuly and piudcntly eAcrclScu.
TO sum up. the Canadian ease rests on 'hc
doctrinc that the sea is open. and that pelh-
orcn. nothing III it or Of it can belong 10 any
one sovereign If any part Of THIS contention
fails the Canadian claim Is Invalid.
The American case rests upon three distinct
assertions: First, that The sea Is shut. a claim
hat has clements Of weakness; second. that o"r
RIGHTS in the sca-fshcrirS are ancient, nave ever
hccn held TO be exclusive. have been respected
as such for full century. with notable marks
of ocouiesccnoe-a claim which. if sound IN fact
Fnclish authorities must regard as sound III law
ar abandon their claims in the Gulf Of Manar
and third. that our RIGHTS. being obviously TIE
best rights, must, from lie very nature 81 Ia"
proucrty. nc exclusive and complete, since the ad-
mission of others would probably mean the de
sruction Of all.