36 The Fishery Question, 



treaty of peace having been indefinitely 

 postponed. This conclusion did not vary. 

 On the appointment of a commission to nego- 

 tiate a peace, the common right of fishing 

 was not made an ultimatum. It was simply 

 declared to be of the utmost importance. 



The English objected to the word ''right" 

 in connection with drying and curing the 

 catch on English territory, and " liberty " was 

 substituted in its place.^^ John Adams' state- 

 ment of the American case remained, theoreti- 

 cally, the position of the United States Gov- 

 ernment in the convention of 18 18. At this 

 time there were some Englishmen, notably 

 Admiral St. Vincent, who would willingly 

 have abandoned Canada to avoid the antici- 

 pated trouble of holding it. During the war 

 Newfoundland had remained loyal. At first, 

 riotous demonstrations against the custom- 

 houses had indicated some sympathy with 

 the Americans. Latterly the island suffered 

 from the non-importation agreement recom- 

 mended by the American Congress, and from 

 American privateers. After the war the 

 cruelties formerly enforced against the set- 

 tlers abated. A better system of government 

 was also inauo^urated. Newfoundland re- 



