The Richmond palladium and sun-telegram. [volume] (Richmond, Ind.) 1907-1939, 1912-12-30
History OF Treaty With Russia Which
Will be Abr0gQted Next Wednesday

violated. But that statesman did not
concur in his view of it. He said the
treaty coverd commercial relations
only and called Mann's attention to
the stipulation that the inhabitants
of the two states should have the
same protection and security as ma
tives of the country wherein they
reside ION condition of their submit
ting TO the laws and ordinances there
prevailing, and particularly to the reg
ulations in force concerning commerce
and that the right of sojourn and
residence must have reference to that
subject.
There were no more cases of this
kind until 1874, when Marshall Jewel,
the American Minister, brought the
attention of the State department to
the complaint of an American Jewest
who was threatened with expulsion
from Russia.
Hamilton Fish, secretary of state,
instructed him thus:
THE context and subject of this
article (Article u seem to contemplate
a commercial soiourn and residence
within the territories of the respec-
tive contracting parties in order to
attend to their affairs and it insured
to the parties availing themselves of
the liberty thus granted the same
security and protection as natives OF
the country wherein they reside may
enjoy on condition of their submitting
to the laws and ordinances there pre-
ortiz nj ,Iv tn he
lations in force concerning commerce,
thus Strengthening the idea that the
article was intended to guarantee only
a commercial residence"
Later in the same year Mr.. Fish
added these comments on the treaty:
ut may be proper subject for re-
greet that the Russian government
should feel itself constrained to adj
here to policy which the statesmen
of the United States regard as a relic
of illiberality. But in the presence of
history it cannot be denied that the
right to enact and enforce laws re-
specting religious faith and observ
ance of persons who receive the pro-
lection of a state has been insisted
upon and exercised by almost every
nation of modern Christendom."
1t was not until 1881 that an Ameri-
can statesman took the opposite view
of the matter. And since the man who
did was no other than James G.
Blaine, his Interpretation of the treaty
has been the one generally accepted
by the people and the statesmen of
the United States.
BIaine's Argument.
Mr.. Blaine argued that Russia had
taken advantage of a technically in
expelling American Jews and that
such action was contrary to the spirit
of the treaty. You can further ad-
wise the Emperor" said he in the
course of a letter to the American
minister at St. Petersburg, that We
can make no new treaty with Russia
nor accept any construction of our
existing treaty which shall discrimin-
ate against any class of American citi-
Zens on account of their religious
faith"
The treaty article which the Car is
accused of violating is the first upon
the list of Il articles. 1t is as fol-
lows:
There shall be between the terri
tories of the high contracting parties
a reciprocal liberty of commerce and
navigation. The inhabitants of their
respective states shall mutually have
liberty to enter the ports, places and
rivers of the territories of each party
wherever foreign commerce is permit
ted. They shall be at liberty TO So
journ and reside in all parts whatso-
ever of said territories in order to at
tend to their affairs and shall enjoy,
to that effect, the same security and
protection as natives of the country
wherein they reside on condition OF
their submitting to the laws and or
dinances there prevailing, and partic-
ularly to the regulations in force gov
erning commerce"