The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1898-03-13


joction was made By orr Executive. but tho con-
tinued reports OF British dofences on the lakes
attracted tho attention Of Congress. and in 1s41
resulted In an appropriation for armed vessels
on those waters. Our rotations with Canada.
however, became In q fow months much moro
satisfactory, and the British forco was soon re-
duced to the prescribed limits. Nevertheless
the United States vessel. tho Michigan, which
had been provided for by tho appropriation Of
ls41, was placed on Lake Eric in ls43. Her
size and armament were in excess OF the stipu-
lntions Of 1917, and this fact drew forth n re-
monstrance from the British Minister. but 1t
was urged that changes from sail TO steam YES
sells since 1917 justified a revision Of tho agree
ment in regard to tho size Of vessels. For many
years tho Michigan was tho only public vessel
In use upon the lakes.
1t will be recalled that Anglo.American rela-
lions were severely strained by several events
growing out of tho civil war. From the latter
part of 1853 till the suppression OF the rebellion
the Confederate agents In Canada threatened
to break the peace on tho northern frontier.
There were no British naval vessels on tho
lakes, and the United States felt the need Of u
larger force for protection in that quarter.
The crisis came in September. 1864, when
Canadian passengers captured a steamer and
unfurled the Confederate nag upon the lakes.
Their plot to strike n blow at north
ern cities failed. but this attempt, to-
gether with tho attack upon st. Adams, VT, in
October of the same year, and various rumors
which followed, kept the American people in q
state OF excitement, and gave tho Fenians the
idea Of invading Canada. When Congress met
five new revenue cutters were ordered for the
lakes, and the prescribed six months notice was
given in order to assure the abroGation Of the
npraefpenf pf 1917 Wnr navarfhelpaa- wnA
averted. England began to act more energetic
ally. and Canada passed a moro effective law
for stopping Confederate raids. Nevertheless.
several years elapsed after tho end Of the rebel
lion before the questions which it engendered
were adjusted. 1t appears that for some time
after the Fenian invasion or 1866. steamers
were chartered by the Canadian Government
and fttod up as temporary gunboats for service
on the st. Lawrence and the lakes. to resist such
incursions. The Michigan and q revenue cut
ter were sent by the American Government to
patrol the Niagara River for awhile in 1865.
In the following year all tho lake revenue cutters
belonging TO US seem to have been laid up. and
such was their condition in 1870. when it was re-
ported that there were plans for an invasion Of
Canada. The Michigan, however, was ready for
service at that time. and she has since continued
TO cruise in the upper lakes. In 1878 Secretary
Thompson suggested the expodiency Of selling
her and applying the proceeds on a new vessel.
but Congress did not act on the recommends
ton. In 1890 petitions were received by Con.
Rress from Chicago to the effect that this anti
quated ship should be replaced by a modern one.
but no heed WAS paid to the application.
There has been some doubt as to whether tho
agreement of 1917 has been in existence since
1866. from tho fact that in February Of that
year CONGRESS ratified the notice of abroga-
tiop which had hoen Oirap aouoc TINA hef0ra nv
the Secretary of State. This notice was after.
ward withdrawn through the State Department.
but without any action on the part of Congress.
Secretary Thompson In 1873 said that
whether the arrangement romans in force
since 1866 must rest upon the decision Of Con-
gress." The State Department has treated it as
still in force. Mr.. Callahan thinks that Con-
gress would do the same, and he asserts that
in 1892 there were very few members Of Con-
gress who would have voted for it's abrogation.
1t is of course recognized by tho author
of this essay that the friendly convention
of 1917, which had tho effect of abol-
ishing rival navies upon the great high
ways to tho Northwest. was a departure
from the old maxims OF diplomacy. There
are. to be sure. many precedents for the neutral
ization Of a zone along n land boundary. and
several instances of guaranteed neutrality Of
small States or territories. but there Is no pre-
cise precedent for the agreement in question.
The same geographical and political conditions
that obtain in regard to the Great Lakes do not
exist elsewhere. The nearest approach to them
is observable in Lake Geneva and the Caspian
Sea. We are reminded that the Crimean War
resulted in the naturalization of the Black Sea,
but the author might have added that the pro-
visions Of tho treaty Of Paris forbiddine Russia
to maintain a fleet in that basin was %abrogated
by that power during the Franco-German War.