New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1891-06-03
THE RETIRING SEA PAPERS.

the dispatches published yesterday, is this !:
Three months ago, it being reasonably clear
that an arbitration of the controversy would
presently be agreed to, Mr.. Blaine proposed to
tho British Government total cessation of seal
killing both on land and water, each Govern
ment to guarantee to the other the Observance
of the prohibition by its respective citizens or
subjects. Lord Salisbury did not reply defn-
itely, but intimated his disposition to consider
the matter favorably. Before decided answer
was received Mr.. Blaine so amended his propo-
sition. by the Presidents direction, as to make
il permit the lessees of the Prybilof Islands
to kill $500 seal for the sustenance OF tne
natives whose keep and education are charge
against the company. This amended proposal
has been pending before the British Govern
ment for about six weeks, but no definite an
swer to it has even yet been received. Inc
Canadian pirate sealers have meanwhile got
off and are now in Behring Sea attacking the
seal. Lord Salisbury's excuse for all these de-
laws is that he has needed TO consult Canada,
and Canada, OF course, has omitted to agree to
allow her responsible superior, who ostensiDly
conducts her foreign affairs, to do anything
until the pirates having escaped whatever is
done will be of no particular account. This
satisfactory situation having now come about,
Canada sereney consents, and the British Gov
eminent has introduced bill In Parliament to
enable it to enforce the prohibition proposed
The bill is not opposed, and is likely TO pass
during the present week. Perhaps by the
middle Of June the terms of the modus Will be
agreed to, and in another month it may be
supposed that British fleet will be in Behnng
Sea- The sealing season will then be about
half over, and our herd of fur-seal will be ma
terially if not ilreparably destroyed. VI course
by so much as seaskins are scarce next winter
the Canadians, who will have all there are IN
the market, will be enabled to advance their
price. so that, while our plant will be perma-
nenty damaged, our years revenue wholly lost
and our lesSees put off without any returns from
their contract the pirates will be as fortunate
as if the season had been open in name as well
as in fact.
This seems to us to be as unsatisfactory
condition of the case as could possibly be brought
about, and the public ought to understand Just
where the responsibility for it lies. President
Harrison and Secretary Blaine have done their
duty but from the nature of the controversy,
delay in settling it has been almost as fatal as
abandonment The British Government, since
its disgraceful reputation of the definite agree
ment made between Lord Salisbury and Min
ster Phelps in 1887 without al any time leav-
ing the negotiation in such shape as to war
rant the President in assuming that its peace
full adjustment was impossible, has nevertheless
persistently and almost contemptuousy resort
ed to every expedient of delay that 1t could
possibly invent. The pirates have thus been
encouraged to 60 on with their depredations,
their zeal increasing naturally, as the prospect
of an international agreement has seemed favor
able. Our Government, in its anxiety TO DO
nothing that would create hard feeling and en-
barrass a peaceful ISSUE has refrainedfrom those
acts of seizure which it originally undertook,
The Canadians have accepted our good-natule as
proof Of weakness and irresoluton, and of a want
of confidence in our case. And in all they have
done and in all British authorities have done,
they have been encouraged and supported by
q noisily unpatriotic section OF the American
press, whose outrageous abuse of the Govern
ment has been reprinted in English and Ca
madam papers, reported officially to the British
Government. and of course received as proof
of a division of sentiment here and as such
awaited of.
nate plight into which this controversy has fall
ell is due largely to the score or so OF
American journals which have so .unscrpu
lousy assaed the Presidents policy. In
recent letter our London correspondent quoted
remark of Lord Salisbury's, enjoining upon
the British public the policy OF silence concern
ing international affairs. We must DO our
utmost" he said, that our expression OF opln-
ion on foreign affairs should be as little tainted
as possible with party prepossessions because
words that are uttered with but slight effect
at home have an intense effect abroad" In no
negotiation has the truth of this been more
sharply demonstrated than in the Behring Sea
discussion, and at no point more than in its
latest phase. For two months, and in despite
of the fact that The TRIBUNE has repeatedly
made public the truth concerning the progress
of the negotiation for a closed season, these
dishonest American papers have almost daily
asserted that the proposals for it were first
made by Lord Salisbury, long deferred by Mr..
Blaine, and finally refused in the interest of the
lessees. They have brought infamous accusa-
tons against the Secretary, even going so far
as to alese that he was in collision with the
lesSees to prevent q closed season at all risks.
And Sir Julian Pauncefote, knowing these state
ments to be utter fasehoods knowing that all
the proposals came from us and all the delays
from Lord Salisbury, grayely transmitted them
to the British Foreign Office as representative
expressions of American opinion, with the as
suranoe that Mr. Blaine is being criticised Sc
vereyn and violently attacked for not doing
precisely what he had done, and the British
Government covered with praises for doing pre-
cisely what it was negecting TO do Sir Julian
speaks of these papers as Opposition journals"
Certainly they are that, but we do not charge
them to the Democratic party The leaders Of
the Democracy, almost to a man, and for the
most part its press, have cordially sustained tAe