New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1890-06-19

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| anything"
Why, then, are they so reluctant to give up
| so small privilege"
because it is a good stand-p point of diplomatic
| attack. Though valueless 10 them, they know 1t
| is Of inestimable importance 10 u.s. and nndonpt-
| eddy they mean TO make pay for 1t according
| 10 our own valuation. But above ana Deyohd
that they propose TO Use it as lever to conpel us
to sell bait them for in their bank hsherles
| That is really what they are after. They want
| bait and they want it cheapy The waters 10
| which they have access do not supply il. While
| in office passed bait act which prohibited
| all sales TO the French The Royal assent was al
first denied to this legislation but during the Coio
NAL Conference in London, which Sir Ambrose
Shea and | attended as the delegates from this
| colony we succeeded in obtaining the sancuoh
which had before been withheld Ny bait act
was retaliatory 1t was rendered necessary by the
French bountes, by which they enabled their
! fishermen TO obtain an undue advantage over us
in the markets of Spain and Italy. These bounties
amounted to 80 40 per hundred-weieht OF fish
nearly 60 per cent Of the value Of the catch
"What do you propose as the solution OF these
difcultes?7
"My idea has been that the French should be
rrged 70 abandon their somewhat shadowy claims
upon orr coast and that England which inflicted
| that burden on u.s. should pay France an appro-
| pirate compensation"
Would you then consent to leave the bait
question to arbitration p
NO: that would he losing control OF our STA
ME industry. should be in favor of making faIr
terms with France, but not Of giving up our
hold mon the source from which we derive three
fourths OF our income
| But suppose the French decline all oilers 10
| .i,.;. Il
! Then the quarrel can only continue more Bit
terly than ever 1t may even render some radi-
cal change in our constitution necessary. The
! game feeling exists in Newfoundland in other
parts Of this continent, whether under the Stars
and Stripcs or under the Union Jack, that America
| is for the Americans 1t is not spirit of dis
! LOYALTY TO the mother country that prompts this
feeling but rather desire to be clear of the com
/ plcations and embarrassmens that inevitably at
! tend Old World diplomacy. in which we nave no
interest and which serve only to clog our progress
If il he seen that these are great as TO render
Great Britain unable TO enforce our just rights,
what induccment remains for MS TO continue re-
lations which and embarrass her without
| availing us? France has no business on our ter
ritory Our manhood and our necessities alike
/ compel us to demand that she shall make of and
! 20. This cause appeals to the fair sentiment OF
all lust men, and in the end it must win.
France is represented in Newfoundland by NJ
Riballier des Isles, an exceedingly accomplished
man. whose popularity with the people seems to
be in no way affected by his stanch upholdn9
Of the claims they sternly resent. NJ des Isles,
like the French naval commanders. perfectly I'M
derstands all the questions at issue and talks can
didly about them. His English vocabulary Is eX-
1ensive. He does not hunt or hesitate for words,
IL. ,,l frrra
that are much heightened by his accent and his
manner, both Of which are eminently Partisan.
II link can put &c whole zng in n word, he
said, when l asked him TO tell INC his view OF
the situation. If you are born wiz a lame foot.
Eat may be pad, and you may not like him, ch
And you may say, How cruel Of my parents Eat
zev pring NE into zc worlt wiz lame FOOT But
if YOU 20 arount keecking always wiz Eat foot, you
make him worse, Ell? and NJ dies Isles laid his
forcinCer on his nose and lifted his shoulders
until they all but met. lat is trouble here
Do YOU hold that the treaties confer upon the
French exclusive rights from Cape st. John 10
Cape Ray?'
To be sure they do Remember that when
| the first Of these treaties was made both nations
were resortng here, and neither had any fixed set
| Elements on the shore. Experience showed that
they must come 10 an agreement as 10 what por-
ton of the coast each would land upon, if they
wished to avoid squabblcs and disputes. So they
agreed that one should have the northern half
and the other the southern The French took
/ the coast from Cape Bonavista northward 10 Point
Richie, and the English from the cape 10 the point
along the southern coast. But gradually, as the
I English settled the island, they cncroached upon
our territory, and had soon oyerrun the shore
from Cape Bonavista to Cape ST. John. They
did then just what they have always been doing
since They edged in here and there, and then
wonder, until their settlements were so numerous
that our best harbors from Bonavsta to 81. John
were occupied and ruined for the purposes Of a
! fishery Well what did do? Quarrel and
fight? Oh, no. We gave in 10 them. We CON
sented to another treaty, conceding 10 them the
shore they had usurpcd and contenting ourselves
with an extension Of our western shore from Point
Richie to Cape Ray. But their encroachments
went nerrily on and when we made treaty
with them again we took the precaution 10 OBJ
tain from the English King a declaration guarau-
teeing us from these annoyanccs i Will to
it,, lie said, in effect. that your rights are re-
spected. You shall fish of that shore; you shall
land there and dry your CATCH and my people
shall not interfere with YOU by their competition
Now, what can the words by their competition
mean, if they do not mean that the EnQlIshmen
shall not compete? They must mean something.
They were not needed as guarantee that the
English would not scuttle our ships and burn our
huts for, of course, if you give me right, you
will not allow your subjects TO deprive me Of il
by outrages Then why, in assuring me that
should have what | contracted for, did you add
my subjects shall not interfere with you by their
competition'?"
But the colonists say that they always have
ishcd off the French shore, and that you have
not protested until recently"
That is scarcely accurate; but if it were, what
would it signify than that we have been
uncommonly generous and conciliatory? IL Is
true that they have fshed there year after year
and although we have consistently maintained
| that il was done in violation Of the treaty, we