The Seattle post-intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Terr. [Wash.]) 1888-1914, 1891-03-31
An rxcrED1noLY AGGRAVATED
CASE.


There was nothing in the colonial his
tory Of the United States, Is to the relar
tions between the colonies and the mother
country, atall 70 be compated with the
outrages that have been and are being
perpetrated against the people of New
Foundland. These outrages could only
Lave been paralleled by grants to foreign
powers Of rights and privileges along the
shores of Long Island Sound, or Massa-
chusetts or Chesapeake Bays. to the
exclusion or damage Of the colonists
residing along those shores.
In view Of the causes-trivial by COM
parison-which were made the pretext for
our Revolutionary war, and which led to
our independence, it is apparent that even
a suggestion Of treatment such a. New
Foundland has been subjected to would
have been resented, at the hazard of the
lives not only Of every resident along
those shores, but ct like hazard to the.
lives and property of every freedom
loving resident Of the thirteen colonies.
In such case the more distant colonies.
not directly interested in the matter i'm
mediately at Issue, would not have as
sumsd the attitude now sustained by the
provinces of the Dominion, of sympathy
for the intolersble position OF the imperial
government, but q liberty loving colo
nists. believing that manhood was entitled
to equal consideration on one side Of the
Atlantic a. the other, and that liberty and
justice we're equally precious in the colo
mics as In the mother country, they would
hare made common cause against any ac-
ton that would have implied distinction
between colonial and English citizenship.
There il no member Of the imperial gov
eminent; no resident Of the British isles
who would even remotely suggest the
granting to any foreign power of rights
and privileges along the coast of Great
Britain or ireland, such Is are claimed by
France along the coast Of Newfoundland,
and against which claims the mother
country refuses 70 defend the province.
belfion on the merest hint of applying this
same principle to the minutest portion Of
the shores Of the home isles.
This raises distinction between the
rights and dignity of home and colonial
citizenship which should be insulting to
every self-respecting citizen Of every Brit
ish colony. and should excite their resent
ment. But in this case there is even
moro and worse than mere refusal to de-
fend against the claim Of France to exer-
ciss. rights which no British ministry
would darn permit that country to exercise
on the home shores.
The imperial government not only re-
fuses to defend the province against the
claims of France, but now proposes to
compel the provincial legislature to make
a cession to that country of what it claims,
and to give away the rights claimed by
the citizens of New Foundiand, which
rights are essential to their very existence,
with repatriation as their only alternative.
These rights taken away from them and
conferred upon foreigners to their exclu-
sion, they must desert their homes and
seek . foothold and subsistence else
where, or they must starve.
It would seem that this assumption of
the imperial government, of the right to
compel provincial legislatures to divest
their people of essential rights in behalf of
foreign power, or to dictate to provincial
legislatures in any matter of local legisla-
ton, should appeal to the self-respect and
love Of liberty in every province of that
empire. The assertion of the right, and its
exercise and the acceptance and defense of
its exercise by other provinces cannot fail
to form . dangerous if not disastrous
| precedent for all of them.
This is the feast to which the provinces OF
the Dominion stand self-invited by the
position they have taken in the contro-
versy between New Foundland and the
, imperial government. II is shameful, a
shameless and heartless position. giving
| clear recognition to distinction between
colonial and home citizenship degrading to
al colonists. Clearly the Dominion is not
stirred by the spirit that inspired ouI
| eolonists.
<