New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1895-11-24
COMMERCIAL DAY"
THE CENTENNIAL OF THE JAY TREATY
AND ITS SIGNIFICANCE.

AN ANNIVERSARY THAT SHOULD BE OBSERVED
BY EVERY COMMERCIAL BODY IN
THE COUNTRY.
To the Editor Of The Tribune
Ctr. For nearly twenty years the people OF the
1-,,,aa States have INDUCED in patriotic centennial
celebrations From the Declaration OF inoepe"
dence in l776 down TO the Evacuation VI NV
York IN the British In 17sS. the struggle Tor Amer-
can liberty has been thus commentaries wnie III
1850 with imposing ceremony was recalled Tue
inauguration in New. York Of George Washington
a. Are, President Ry history and oratory the
country has been made familiar with the STORY Vi
its freedom from foreign control ana OF inc oe
ginning of It's Government December ~ heN' Is
a date pregnant with 100 years OF progress ana ue-
yelopment Our prior centenniais presented upon
tho National canvas the picture OF the formation
81 the institutions under which the people might
govern themselves. December 10 celebrates the re-
suits OF that government and or those ihs'i'u'io"'
for the first 100 years.
II Is difficult al this time 20 grasp the SITUATION
which Washington, as first President. had to meet.
The Renublic was exhausted by the seven years
War of the Revolution The jealous colonies no"
States were not able work together hai"ohi-
ously We had foreign commerce; our INTERNAL
trade was IN its infancy. On the one hand Great
Britain was powerful and mos; dangerous he's"-
Dor by land and had control of the seas ahu' on
the other the people were mad with frenzy for
France and the principles of the French he'oiu''0'
Another war with Great Britain was i'h'''i'e'
simply on account OF this insane frenzy lot inc
French revoutionisis 1t is difficult at this
day to form a judgment as TO what wouid nave
heen the result of such struggle France could
have rendered us no assistance and England wouio
either have hopelessiy crippled or reeonquered the
country.
At this juncture. that cain. COURAGEOUS far-see-
ing man. 10 whose mind and character we owe
He'd
confidence which his countrymen had In him, by
resisting the French frenzy and encountering the
public camor and distrust IN an effort to estaphsh
commercial relations with Great Britain he Sc
Iected for this difficult and unpopular mission the
first Chief Justice Of the Supreme Court or the
United States Washington felt that the emer-
Sencv REQUIRED more than diplomatic talent or
legislative skill He felt that II needed proiouhd
legal requirement. calm judgment and lofty cnarac-
ter such as could be found only in the head OF That
matestIc tribunal whose decisions and influence
have excited the wonder and admiration Of the
statesmen and jursts OF the world. No ordinary
man and no man unless possessing great dignity
both OF office and achievement could have OBJ
tanned any footing at that period a; the Court or
ST. James. John JAY in connection ana coHaoora-
ton with Alexander Hamilton and James Madison
had in "The Federalist." fought and overcome the
passion and prejudice of the colonis,s against the
adoption OF the Federal Constitution. He when
convinced OF the right. sercne,y immovaole
10 the clamor and howlings Of the hour.
There never was such contrast between AM
bassadors as between Chief Justice Jay, Envoy EX-
traordinary. to promote the commercial treaty
with orr then most dotesed enemy, Great Britain
and Genet the French Minister TO the United
States-the struggling 10 obtain for MS DIS
tressed embarrassed and bankrupt country peace
with honor and the other seeking TO carry the
torch of revolution aiuony our people. and to in
volve them IN the horrors OF a European CONNECT,
IN which they had interest and from when
they could. by possibility. derive benefit.
Jays arrival in London was event. English
statesmen inst grasping the future possibili-
ties OF the relations with the mother country IN
her European entang.ements of this new nation
OF their own kin across the seas. They were look
ing. not for enemies. but for allies. Always as
mi Of Ripbts tSdy saw me noss,bes OF the
fiti,re Of his new authority In government over
riding kings and parlaments py us decls,onsutne
its dignity and its power appealed their magma
ton in the person of Chief Justice John Jay II Is
and influences OF the day which makes the history
We have the Jay treaty We read of the abuse
and condemnation with which it and its author
thiny yelled hatred which England held for our
country. and We wonder how the treaty was oo-
tanned by which such marvellous cor cessions, un-
der all the conditions were secured. and we won
der still why its benefits were not appreci-
free intercourse by our inland lakes and rivers,
free access to The ports OF Great Britain and its
our Citizens their ships and their trade; the
oDenns of the Of the world b to AmerGae
Of our territorial growth by the removal of all
the results Of the treaty obtained by Chief Justice
Jay from the British Government
Ne,r-York, then as now the commercial centre
OF the Republic. appreciated the treaty; SO did
the commercial men OF Boston and philadelphia.
Against it were arrayed all the French frenzy, me
agricultural population which constituted eight
tsnhs Of cur people and the West and the has so sn
vived the century II was ratified and went INTO
and went into effect in free country. against the
desires and the judgment and the expressions OF
Washington.
From the year Of its ratification began American an
q feet Of American merchantmen was seen upon
the seas, In the harbors OF Great Britain ana a.!
of the Orient, appeared this strange mas nnoe es
began to discover that there sailed new. most
erterprisng and most adventurous recruit TO ne
ranks OF the trade and Of the commerce Of tie
world Through the gateway but partly opened by
the Jay treaty came volume of trade which lib,
restrictions OF the centuries. While Europe felt
the he in hundred S a, and hen most ar 5sns
We on the other hand. started upon that career
With Ourselves which in hundred years has out
stripped the achievements of the ages The figures
nance and reality. fiction and fact They make
mathematics poetical, and they make poetry mathe-
Such. in brief outline is the story to be COM m;
m eS on me e G boT s the ned
sates ina, time me seed WAS p sbn Ss
% %oS Day from one end Of this country
TO the other, in reverent recognition OF the origin
OF American commerce and the creation OF the con-
dit.ons under which every Board OF Trade and
every Chamber of Commerce exists in the United
States to-day. CHAINCEI VI. DEEPEN.
New-York, Nov. %. 1895.
IAN account Joy Treaty will be found page 81
HELP FOR THE WORTHY POOR.
TO the Editor of The Tribune.
Sir: attended a meeting OF hundred
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