The times. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1890-1903, 1892-03-06
.,v ,yr ro uAyEwAR WITH ESGLAND'

Tho Washington ulbpo'o"'' ''~ 49, $500
lord Salisbury has refused to agree 10 mo
Az, r;rc,df in Behring sea during the sealing
.oa.or about 70 set in This is very brief
announcement of one of those hard. stubborn
fac,s ~ il be a fact which cannot be ignored
or iauntily passed by. II is fact Cif 1t be
fact Of awful moment. 1t is a fact OF 1t DO q
faot) which requires the Government Of the
United States ANONYMOUSLY to withdraw from
position which II has deliberately taken. apd
maintained for number of years, or. maiD-
tanning its position. to engage at once in war
with Great Britain.
| Which alternative will Mr. Harrison adopt?
| Two years back his administration the policy
being boldly led by braggart Blaine) def
an;ly declared that il would maintain the
United States policy and claims IN Behrins
sea at all hazards. Since then petty ana
distracted South American republic casually
fell under Harrison's censure. and no
promptly exhibited all the power OF TINS GOV
eminent in battle array to bully the child IN
swadding clothes. Spelling for hgnt only
month or so back, he is now offered a lar ana
open opportunity to hit man OF his SIZE =.
| 1--WE beg Great Britains pardon. Nhat Will
| he do with his opportunity:
Whatever use he makes Of It, the result
must bring humiliation TO Us. If he hghts,
the fight must DO on the sea- and England
would brush our pretence of a navy from the
| face of that element. IF be does not fight he
must sneak out Of quarrel that he delloer-
ately marched us into. As some Of our read
I. l.. Al. Ira4 & ID
with this matter, we shall not apologize tor
laying its leading facts before them. OF pubic
notoriety though they be.
When we acquired the Territory Of Alaska
by purchase from Russia she coded to Us such
rights as che had in Behring sea. Russia had
Heretofore exercised sort of police control
over Behring sea- and she claimed that she
had always kept 1t in state OF sea closed
to the rest Of the world. Great Britain
denies that she ever in any respect conceded
this claim to Russia. BehIiDg sea Is
part of the Pacific ocean ana -
800 miles wide. and Great britain
claims that it is as much sen
open to the whole world as any other part Oh
the Pacific ocean. On acquiring the Terri
tory of Alaska the Congress OF the United
States passed an act asserting an exclusive
right in the greater part of Behring sea as be-
ing in the United States under its grant from
Russia. and forbIdding outsiders to poach
therein upon the seal fisheries. Sealing hay-
ing become a very profitable industry, many
Canadians sent ships into Behring sea to
take seals. These violated the act Of
Congress, and the United States men-of-warin
those waters took many of them in open ylO-
lat.on of the act They were brought before the
United States courts and condemned num-
Der of these instances took place. the Cana
dams always protesting against them, and
complaining of them % the home government
until. in the summer of 1890, Lord Salisbury
notified Mr. Blaine that if any further attempt
was made to seize Canadian sealers in Behring
sea it would be resisted by all the power Of
the Government of Great Britain. So that
about the end of the sealing season Of 1880
Messrs. Harrison and Blaine were suddenly
given the alternative of back track or war.
Negotiations were set on foot which re-
suited in an act of Congress and an act Of the
British Parliament making Behring sea
closed sea for the people Of both countries
during the sealing season of 1891, and move
ment was started for submitting all matters
of controversy to "a board of arbitrators. This
board has not yet met, and it is impossible for
it to adjust the disputes before the sealing
season Of 1899 commences, the same being
now at hand, and Lord Salisbury notifies this
Government that he will not agree to
Mr. Harrison then is confronted with tho
alternative either of continuing the course
he was pursuing when Lord Salisbury
warned him to discontinue il, or 10 abandon a
course deliberately resolved on under Great
Britans threat. Viewed from any stand
point. the situation is one which brings no
satisfaction to q citizen of the United States
who takes the slightest interest IN the honor
or credit of his own Government Being Of
those who do. we shall submit a few remarks
upon it in perfect frankness and candor.
We cannot approve of Lord Salisburys
course in refusing - agree 10 q closed sea for
the season of 1892. There are honest diff
ferences of opinion between tho two govern
ments which each has agreed to sumbit 20
arbitration. 1t has been found impossible 10
have these differences arbitrated in time for
the seal season of 1892. If it were right that
Lord Salisbury should agree to closed season
for 1891. the reasons that made 1t right then
make it his duty to agree to u closed season
for 1892 There is a suspicion Of jingoism in
his refusal He would possibly bolster his ex-
piring administration by war with this
country From this point of view Lord Sails
bury is certainly wrong.
On the main question we have not the
slightest doubt; on that he IS just as certainly
right AS that he is wrong on the first. Russia
never had any right to appropriate Behrng
sea as her own exclusive property. aud she
could pass no such right to Us. Behring sea.
as any one may look at lis map and see for
himself, is part of the Pacific ocean. and
| belongs JUST as much TO the worlds highway
as any other part of that great body of water
1t is free for all. 1t Is part of the great deep
that place where all men may go down 10
the sea in ships to do their business on the
great waters"
Byron put the idea in noble words when 10
said.
Man marks the earth with ruin,
HIS control stops with the shore