Daily tobacco leaf-chronicle. (Clarksville, Tenn.) 1890-1895, 1890-12-22
THE SPIRIT on '76.
The President Ready to Fight
for the Seal Fisheries,
But Will First Appeal to Congress
to Say the Word.
The Behrlng Sea Controversy to
Have a Special Message
Giving His Views of Our Claims
and Rights There.
THE COMPARATIVE MERITS OF
THE CONDUCT AND POSITION
OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS SINCE
THE FIRST SEIZURES IN 1885.
THE COMPARATIVE MERITS OF
THE CONDUCT AND POSITION
OF THE TWO GOVERNMENTS SINCE
THE FIRST SEIZURES IN 1885.

THE FIRST SEIZURES IN 1885.
The Message to BE Framed with Special
Reference to the British Governments
Proposal for an Arbitration Now Pend
ing-Congress to BE Asked to Appropri-
ate Sufficient Money to Fit Out Enough
Vessels to Serve as Revenue Cutters to
Either Capture Keep Out Marauding
Vessels During the Next Sealing Season.
VIII the Senate and House Stand Firm
for Our Rights?
WASHINGTON, Dec. 20. - President
Harrison expects to accompany his
transmission to congress of the further
papers relating to the Behring sea CON
troversy with a special message Of some
length. In this message he will ex-
press, in Language of his own selection,
his views respecting the rights and
claims of the United States connected
with the seal fishery, the comparative
merits of the conduct and position of
the two governments since the first
seizures in 1886, and the duty of con-
gress in the present position of the
question.
The message will be framed with
especial reference to the now pending
proposal Of the British government for
an arbitration, which proposal it is in
tended to reject before any communica-
ton is made to congress. The rejection
of the proposal will effect practical
if not completesuspension OF diplomatic
efforts for settlement, there being no
expectation that either government will
bring forward any effort for a renewal
Of negotiations after the impending re-
lection of the British tender of arbitra-
tion has been announced by Mr.. Blaine
to Sir Julian Pauncefote.
The personal bitterness between Mr..
Blaine and Lord Salisbury. said to have
arisen out of the course of the negotia-
tions, is perceived here to constitute
material obstruction to continuance of
efforts toward a settlement, especially
after the diplomatic relations between
the two governments shall have been
further strained by the energetic man
ner in which Mr.. Blaine is preparing to
show up the hollowness and unfairness
of the British arbitration project. 1t is
because of the seeming hopelessness of |
the prospect of a settlement by peaceful |
means and the necessity of almost in |
stantly resolving upon new course of
conduct for the United States that the |
president has determined to lay the |
matter fully before congress and to APP
ply for Legislative assistance in shaping
and enforcing the policy OF the immedi-
ate future
The pending British proposal as
already stated, is to refer to the de-
termination of friendly and impartial
arbitrator the question whether the
seizures of British sealing vessels by the
United States in 1886, 1887 and 1899,
were or were not lawful seizures. To
this form of the proposed submission of
the case to arbitration, the president
objects, and he will never
agree to it unless congress shall assume
the responsibility in some mode of yield
ing adherence to it.
The principal ground, however, is
that such form Of submission would
preclude the arbitrator from giving
to those good neighborhoods,
which, as the president contends, are
owed by Great Britain to the United
States in respect to the seal fisheries of
Behring sea. Those duties, as the pres
ident conceives them, arise partly out
of the natural and partly out of the
historical conditions of the case, and he
will neither ask nor accept the award
of an arbitrator upon the controversy
unless Great Britain distinctly agrees
in the articles Of submission that the !
legality of the seizures shall depend so ,
far as in reason and justice it ought to {
depend upon consideration Of those
and conditions.
The disturbance of the protective
right assumed by this country over the =
Behring sea seal fishery for nearly
twenty years after the cession of Alaska ,
is greatly relied upon by the president 5
to establish the right OF the United ]
States, and he viii not agree to an arbi {
ration that does not permit weight to '
be directly given TO his acquiescence in
American jurisdiction.
The message viii put the merits of
.he dispute on broader grounds than :
mere legality. The seal fishery is a val
1able source Of public revenue, and has
Deen conducted for twenty years exact I
" as Russia conducted it for four times /
hat period with the approval of all the !
powers. This revenue has been built !
up by the pains and at the expense of y
he United States and of American citi- /.
.ens, and is not to be shared with those =
who have not earned and cannot be
rusted to conserve it.
This government has not at any time
lsked more than Lord Salisbury spon- {
aneously ohelNd in 1885. and from e
which, he has admitted. he was {
lisuated by Canadian importantly. =
The United States has even proposed to y
.ccept some reduction Of Lord Sails
,ury's own proposals. Last season the
evenue cutters we're held back from q,
heir protective cruise in Behring sea :
or a long time, and their protective !