Fort Worth gazette. [volume] (Fort Worth, Tex.) 1891-1898, 1894-11-30
SECRET POLITICAL HISTORY.
THE Famou. Treaty Of wnsbinston'
Sir John. who Was One OF me
british commissioners, Fo"Gh'
Ifnrd to Bcnciit Himself.


seph Pope. The book contains one
chapter OF hitherto secret history whieh
may attract attention both in England
and the United States.
Pope was intrusted by Sir John Mac
donald with all his private papers ana
correspondence, among them series OK
letters to either cabinet colleagues or
friends regarding the share Sir John
had In the negotiation Of the treaty OF
Washington between Britain and the
states In 1871. The papers furnish
come news with a moral.
IL VIII be remembered that the treaty
was undertaken TO settle three load
ing matters between Britain and tho
states. Two OF these We're d imperial
portance--namely, the Alabama
elaims and the ownership ot San Juan
aslauds on the Pacific cOaHt Tho 9th
er was chiefly Of Canadian Importance
namely. the settlement OF conditions
under which the United states could
enter the inshore fisheries OF Cana
dn. Under the reciprocity treaty OF
1s5l-G6, New England fishermen hHd
mad free access 20 The Canadian ilsh-
cries. After ahrUgatlOn OF that treaty
by the United States thair fishermen
continued doing pretty much t8 they
plensed, owing to Canndas hope OF
new relations. But az no new feclpr1e-
ity could be obtained, Canada, by 1870,
had become rcstivc, and ordered tho
Yankees OH the nshins grounds
Great Britain appointed ive COM
missiOnefs, led by Lord de Grcy one
OF the i've being for the first time, IN
international relations Canadian, Sir
John Macdonald The Inside story OF
~ III. lataf M Ia IA
fought "A stubborn battle with his four
brother British commissioners In or
der to make better bargain for him
self.
The United states wanted a fair en-
tree to the Northern Atlantic and Fulf
fisheries, and made a clear resolve not
TO settle ihr Alabama and san Juan
!, sues without that. Caundn wanted 60
obtain trade concessions from the
States In return Tor hpr fisheries. and
n she could not get satisfactory trade
concessions namely. free admission Co
The states OF coal, But. lumber and
fsh, ana free cuahilnE( Hho claimed
that she did not want anything. she
Was satlstled to retain her ilshorius and
stand out The british commigs Iucrs.
fearing that the Uuitud states would
make good their intimaunn that they
would not make a treaty Without clear.
ing up the fishery issue, made strpn-
uous Efforts To force Macdonald to give
way and accept what ,he other British
representatives,, equally with Che Amer
scans, looked upon aH fair cumpcusu-
ton
The commissioners mot in Mnrch.
1871, ana Sir John speedily showed hil
hand lie writes homo on March u:
Having nearly made up my mind
that the Americans want everything
aud VIII give u9 nothing In exchange,
me of my chief aims now is to convince
the British commissioners ur the unrra.
rornblencss of the NaukecR This they
are beginning TO find out aud are i
good dcnl disappointed"
again he writes, on March 20.
IN out separate caucussca my col
leagues aie continually pressing m,
to yield. am Obliged to stand out
and, ] am afraid, tp make mysrl
extremely dlHErcetblt 90 them"
The Americans offered free coal ana
salt and certain free Dish. sh John
SAID no The British commissioner
prcAsed him 10 Yield. Sir John replied
IN erect The fisheries nre ours. ",
nave right TO put q price on them
u the Americans don't like The pic,
they needn't buy" Tho argument Wni
hardly fair, nR the righis of the Gsh
triai were not az an clear. ana LORD a,
Hrny Kept 40 him, frightened that IN,
block would prevent q treaty ON n,
Al4nHmn matter On April ! Sir JOIN
~ must say that am greatly dIsRp
pointed at the course taken by tho Hrit
ish commissioners They seern Ia Inv
only one thing On thulr minds. that h
TO so home 10 England with a trrnt,
~ their pockets, settling evcrythinp
no matter at what cogt Ia Cnnadn -
Relations between Sir John and hi
british colleagues grew so atrnine
that on April IL Sir John writes,
The discussion took an unplenenu
turn, and Lord de Grey commenced /
lecture me on my duty az a cammone
and | was Obliged 10 tell him yrr
shortly that believed that / Itne,
what my duty was, and that 1 woul
cndeaVor 10 perorm H."
Lord de Grey ncvertheiesa. mnIntn;r
cd the pressure, with the resrlt mn
eventually Sir John wished Ia realrl
lie must have felt dsrpiy In crawl
OF his position. 4 failure 10 neg,
tlata treaty on the Alnbnmn claim
might man war between Eutan nm
the United States. This was a terr
bile responsibility for sin John 10 rlsl
yet he held out. md one nrmnmr,
he used rs worth noticing. He elaine
that II he yielded thore would he A
cutlery IN Canada almost equally rrn,
IN It's probable eonseauences. noss,h'
revolt from British ronncotlnn fniioy
ed by annexation 10 the United stnta
Evidently he thought that Canada
lassattss ,ss3t1H .I.f|t