Year: 1872




public; but the Republic has been made q
possible success with an Assembly two-tbirdi
monarchical Caricatures of prominent legiti-
mists, or of prominent Orleanists. or of promi-
nent republicans, would be offensive and in
furious to the maintenance of public peace
parties would be equally offensive and equally
injurious. If the President is to retain his
authority he must persist in the policy which
he has pursued with so much success. In
forbidding the sale of caricatures of the Bona
parties he is simply doing right; and we have
no doubt that he is equally prepared to forbid
the publication of caricatures of prominent
members of any of the other parties. Offence
must be avoided. President Theirs is doing
his best to avoid offence May he win; and
may the Republic be success.


Tho San Juan Boundary Decision


Pronouncement I'm Berlfn-Opinions


OF tho British Press.


The HERALD special cable despatch from
Berlin which is published in our columns to-
day supplies interesting and important particu-
lars of fact relative to the imperial German
pronouncement in the San Juan boundary
arbitration case and of the bases ON which the
decision was founded, after due and mature
deliberation, by Emperor William It appears
that His Majesty sought the aid Of some of
the most eminent scientists resident within
his dominion-men distinguished alike
for their knowledge of law and study
Of geography-and that he was guided to
the result of which we are informed by q
careful perusal of the reports Of the juriscon-
suits. These documents were handed to the
Emperor some weeks since, and are now filed
away in the State archives in Berlin. The
contents of the papers will not, it is said be
published 1t is known, however, that they
are in complete justification of the positio n
which has been assumed by the American peo-
pie in their channel route claim, and that
Great Britain stands accused of yagueness Of
expression in the treaty of 1916, if not Of
quibbling in her after treatment with respec
to the provisions, spirit and intent Of that
instrument. This is about all that the United
States required, as right, and right only, is
ever r1gnC ana lnvlnclDle


The decision of the Emperor of Germany ex-
cites anything but the admiration or approval
of the British press. The Times says that it
sis unsatisfactory, unclear and indecisive, but
that ''we repudiate utterly the absurd and
baseless charge that England intrigued at
Berlin with view Of modifying the Judgment
Of the Emperor" The London Post considers
the award as damaging to the interests and
diplomatic reputation Of England, as was the
award Of the Geneva Tribunal and, with the
usual notifications and variations in such
cases, these opinions will, doubtless, be re-
fected from the whole newspaper press with
few anti-Saxon exceptions, Of the British
Empire Nor in these British exceptions and
objections to the decision of an impartial arbi-
traitor on this boundary question is there any
thing that surprises us, inasmuch as this
honest Judgment clashes with that long
cherished English fallacy that it is right that
England's pretensions should be the law in
the settlement of all international disputes in
which her pretensions are involved. In the
highways or byways Of her peculiar diplomacy
touching her territorial usurpations she has
not often been SO decisively checked or SO
sharply rebuked as in this San Juan Judgment
of the Kaiser.


Of course, to our bewildered English cousins
this judgment is unsatisfactory" but we
cannot perceive that it is not clear or that it is
not decisive when it clearly defines the true
boundary between the contestants and estab-
fishes it as from the court Of last resort and
as the supreme law to both parties till other
wise ordered in the course Of future events.
The London Tsmes however, may regard this
Judgment as being "indecisive'' from the
terms in which it is expressed, viz:.-sThat the
American claim of territorial boundary is
most in accordance with the true interpre-
tation of the treaty of 1S46, and that the
boundary line should run through the Canal or
(ChanneD De Haro." ''Most in accordance
is comparative statement which of itself is
''indecisive," and may be said to be not per-
fectly clear, for it apparently involves the ad-
mission that the British claim is to some extent
in accordance with the treaty" But in turning
to the Washington Treaty of 1871 we at once
brush away these technical cobwebs. In that
treaty, article "a, this boundary dispute is re-
ferred to the arbitration Of the Emperor of
Germany, and it is agreed between the high
contracting parties that this arbitrator, having
regard to the treaty Of 1S46, which defines this
boundary as the continuation of the forty ninth
parallel of north latitude, ''to the middle of the
channel which separates the Continent from
vancouver's Island and thence southerly
through the middle Of the said channel and of
Fuca Straits to the Pacific Ocean"-having re-
gard to this provision of that treaty he ''shall
decide thereupon, finally and without appeal,
which of those claims (the American or the
British) is most in accordance with the true
Interpretation of the treaty of June Is, 1S46"