Macon beacon. [volume] (Macon, Miss.) 1859-1995, 1890-08-02
WE STAND FIRM.
Our Rights In tho Seal Fisheries Must Bs
Respectod-Secretsry Blaine Makes Pnb
Lie the Correspondence Between the
United States and Great Britain In ths
Behring Sea Dispute

cofrcSpondenc6 between tne secretary
Of State and the British Government
concerning the Behring sea controversy
was submitted to Congress Wednesday
by the President.
In his accompanying letter Of trans
INITIAL to the President, Secretary
Blaine, under date of Bar Harbor, July
10, regrets the delay in transmission
which the President directed on the
1lth inst, and says that the corre-
spondence is still in progress. The
correspondence includes thirty sep
arate papers, beginning with a
letter from Mr.. Edwards, first secre.
tary of legation and charge d'affaires
after Minister Vests recall, dated Au-
gust "a, 1889, and closing with one from
Secretary Blaine to Sis. Julian Paunce-
fo.y,Sns British Minister, dated July
10, 1850
The correspondence during 1889 is
mostly preliminary, and the desire is
expressed on both sides for settlement
of the question at the earliest possible
moment. The seizure of the sealers
Black Diamond and Triumph by the
revenue cutter Rush is mentioned and
characterized by the British foreign Of
flee as unwarranted by international
law.
The correspondence between Secre-
tary Blaine and the new British Min
lister began January 22 of this year with
a lot ha to Nv
Julian Pauncefote. This letter may
be fairly taken as setting forth the po-
sition of the United States in the con-
troversy.
In this letter the Secretary defends
the acts complained Of by the British
Government on the following grounds:
That the Canadian vessels arrested and de.
tanned in Behring sea were engaged in pur.
suit contra bonos mores, which OF necessity in.
wolves serious and permanent injury to
the Government and people of the United
States. That the fisheries had been in
the undisturbed possession OF Russia
| from their discovery until the cession
of Alaska to the United States in 1867 and
from this date until 1856 in the undisturbed
| possession of the United States Government
That it is fact now held beyond denial or
doubt that the taking Of seals in the open sea
rapidly leads to the extinction Of the
| species. He declares that while the
| United States will not withhold from any
nation the privileges which they demand
| ed for themselves, when Alaska was
part of the Russian empire, they are not dis
| posed to exercise in the possession any less
power or authority than they were willing to
| concede to the imperial Government Of Russia
when its sovereignty extended over them. He
! claims from friendly nations recognition of
the same rights and privileges which the same
friendly nations always conceded to Russia.
On February 10 Sir Julian Pauncelote writes
| to Secretary Blaine to inform him that the
| British Government was willing TO invite the
! participation of Russia to renewed negotia.
| tOns for the settlement Of the controversy A
| letter from the Marquis of Salisbury is also in
cluded. In this the Marquis, replying to the
Secretary's argument that the seizures Of the
| Canadian vessels were Justified by the fact
| that they were engaged in pursuit that is In
! itself contra bonos mores, inquiries
| First, whether the pursuit and killing OF fur
seals in certain parts of the open sea is, from
the point of view of international morality, an
oftense contra bonos nores, and secondly wheth.
| er, II such be the case the fact justifes the
seizure on the high seas and subsequent con-
fscaton in time Of peace Of the private yes.
sells OF friendly nation 1t is an
axiom Of international maritime law
that such action is only admissible in the
| case of piracy or in pursuance Of special inter.
national agreement. The pursuit of seals in
the open sea, under whatever circumstances,
has never hitherto been considered as
piracy by any civilized state. In the
case of the slave trade, practice which
ha cd hoe 20 1nnt,
upon with abhorrence, the right of arrest.
ing the vessels of another country is ex.
ercised only by special international agree,
ment, and no Government h ) been allowed
that general control Of mortals in this respect
which Mr.. Blaine claims on behalf Of the
United States in regard to seal hunting. Her
Majestys Government would deeply regre
that the pursuit Of fur seals on the high
seas by British vessels should involve
even the slightest injury to the people OF
the United States. II the case be proved they
| will be ready to consider what measures can be
properly taken for the remedy Of such injury,
but they w3uld be unable on that ground TO dc.
part fro!n principal on which free commerce
on the high seas depends
The second argument advanced by Mr..
Blaine is that the fur seal fisheries of Behr-
ings sea had been exclusively controlled by
the Government of Russia from the original
discovery until the cession OF Alaska to the
United States in 1867"
Res Getting Mr. Baines statement of the ex.
elusive monopoly enjoyed by Russia, the
Marquis quotes from Mr. John Quincy Adams
letter to the United States Minister in Russia
(Which nation in 1921 prohibited all foreig
vessels from approaching within 100 miles
from the coast OF Bchring s'rai:s to the sis,
degree north latitude) to tbs effect tina
the United States could admd no part of these
claims. He also cites the case OF the United
States brig Lariot to show that the right OF
fishing thus asserted included the right Of
killing fur-bearing animals, The brig was
| forced by an armed Russian naval vessel Ia
leave the waters. He also argues from the
speech of Mr.. Sumner, when introducing the
question OF the purchase of Alaska TO Congress,
In which he said: No sea is now mare
clausum; all Of these may be pursued by ship
under any flag except directly on the coast or
| within the territorial limit" Says the Mar
| QuS in conclusion.
"The negotiations now being carried on at
Washington prove the readiness of her Males.
tvs Government to consider whether any spe.
cial international agreement is necessary for
| the protection Of the fur-seal industry. In its
! absence they are unable to admit that the case
put forward on behalf of the United States af.
fords any sufficient justification for the forcibe
action already taken by them against peacea.
I ble subjects of her Majesty engaged In lawful
operations on the high seas"
A number Of letters exchanged during May
and June Of this year embody suggestions by
| Secretary Blaine TO the Marquis OF Salisbury
that the latter forbid British ships entering
Bohring sea during the present season, SO that
time may be had TO settle the question. The
British Prime Minister replies that he has nc
power to issue or enforce such an order.
ON June II Sir Julian Pauncefote, having
| failed to secure an assurance from Secretary
Blaine that British sealing vessels would not
be interfered with during the negotiations, pre-
sented formal protest In the usual diplomatic
\ form.
Then followed a series OF propositions and
counter-propositi5n looking TO arbitration. Il,
which tie questions at issue are gone owe,
| again, apparently without result, neither side
being willing to concede certain indispensable
points
The thirtieth and last letter OF the mass OF
| correspondence, which would, II printed entire
fill over twenty newspaper columns, was nd
dressed by Mr. Blaine to Sir Julian Pauncefote
| retary says.
Il am instructed by the President to say that
| the United States is willing to consider all the
proceedings Of April 49, 1CSS as cancelled. so fal
as American rights may be concerned. This
| Government will ask Great Britain TO adhere
| only TO the agreement made between Lord
Salisbury and Mr.. Phelps on the 25th of Febru
ary 1883. That was an agreement made directly
petween the two governments and did not in
| clude the rights OF Russia. Asking Lord Sails
bury to adhere 10 the agreement Of February
2Swe leave the agreement OF April Is 10 bt
maintained, II maintained at all, by Russia. FOL
| whose cause and for whose advantage IL wa.
particularly designed"
Shot His Wife and Hanged Himself
WHEELING, W. Va, July "a. 24.-Manda'
Vile Ault, deputy recorder Of Belmont
County, O., Wednesday morning shot
himself In the head He than shot his