Perrysburg journal. (Perrysburg, Wood Co., O. [Ohio]) 186?-1965, 1896-11-14

officials who may be in any way affected
by the treaty, so that all may be proper
ly informed and govern themselves &C.
cordingly. The great seal of the United
States is affixed to the original ratified
copy, to the exchanged copy, and to the
proclamation of the treaty. 1t is
stamped on wafer of white paper and
Is stuck to the document with muci-
lage. The seals of South America
countries are similarly affixed, but the
treaties with European countries are
always sealed in wax.
The sealing of treaty is formal
ity of vast Importance, and every ma
tlon carefully guards its seal so that it
cannot be improperly used. The great
seal of the United States is under lock-
and key in the department of state,
It is practically impossible that anyone
shall ever get an imprint of it. The
seal is die made by prominent jew
CRY firm in New York, and it is regard,
ed as one OF the most beautiful seals in
the world, in point of skilled workman
ship as well as in it's design.
Treaties are regarded as of such con-
fidential Importance that they are
never divulged before the time for
their proclamation. Newspaper cor
respondents will resort 10 all manner
ef devices in order to get advance copy
of treaty. In 1872 the whole world
was astoun0ed when the New York
Tribune published in advance a full
copy of the pending Washington
treaty" with Great Britain. The cor.
respondents of the Tribune were SUBJ.
'noned here and placed under arrest,
but they declined to state where they
received their copy of the treaty. They
were imprisoned for two or three weeks,
but were finally discharged. They
would not tell. Newspaper correspond
ents at Washington are usually honor
able men who will suffer themselves
them with news.
In 1894 there was a sensation caused
in the diplomatic world when q press
association published the Russian ex-
tradition treaty. But nobody could dis
cover how it became public. That
treaty had been pending for several
years, and several senators were deter
mined to kill it, because they did not
want this country to be searched for
criminals escaping from Russia. They
haid that the treaty was too much like
the fugitive slave law, and it was while
this discussion was going on in secret
session that the treaty was stolen, or
purloined or borrowed, and uncere-
moniously published.
The treaties on file in the department
Of state are very interesting, but sell
dom seen. The seals of the various coun-
tries are curious. The seal of Great
Pritain is as big as plate, and repre-.
sents Victoria on her throne. The treaty
with Persia is in silk bag three feet
long. The extradition treaty with
Sweden is in a silver case inclosed in
box of polished wood with brass clasps.
I he treaties with China are odd indeed.
being written on yellow paper pasted
ON linen, and in the form of book. The
treaty of 1868 is in box of lacquered
ware sprinlSled with gold. That is a
Chinese trick, and Yankee ingenuity
Las never been equal to the task Of
sprinllling gold on paper so that it will
stick, and then to make ink adhere to
Ihe gold and paper alike.
The treaty with the Fiji islands IS
II erely whales tooth. A token from
an African potentate is an elephants
tusk. A robe of grass trimmed with
features constitutes the treaty with
Samoa. The acceptance OF these tokens
by the United States constitutes a
treaty. To send them back would mean
declaration of war.
SMITH d FRY.