54 THE TREATY OF WASHINGTON. 



and "tlie discourteous tone and minatory intimations 

 of the Ministry," imposed on the United States a dif- 

 ferent line of action from tliat, wliicb might liave been 

 adopted by them in response to a calm presentation 

 by the British Government of its construction of the 

 Treaty. 



In this relation there is another class of facts which, 

 as it seems to me, deserves mention. 



Of the five American Commissioliers encracfed in 



O O 



the negotiation of the Treaty of Washington, two, 

 the Secretary of State [Mr. Fish] and our Minister 

 at London [General Schenck], were officially occu- 

 pied in discussing the question on the American Case 

 raised by the British Government, The published 

 dispatches show with wdiat signal ability tliey dis- 

 charged this delicate duty. Mean\vliile, the three 

 other Commissioners, Mr. Justice Nelson, Mr. Hoar, 

 and Mr. Williams, although implkdly accused on the 

 other side of taking some advantage of the unsophis- 

 ticated innocence and simplicity of the British Com- 

 missioners, yet maintained perfect self-control in tlie 

 matter, speaking only when officially called upon to 

 speak, and otherwise leaving the subject where it be- 

 loncjed, — in the hands of their Government. 



The conduct, on the other hand, of some of the 

 British Commissioners was less reserved than that of 

 the American Commissioners. Professor Bernard got 

 completely off the track of reason and sense in a lect- 

 ure w^hicli he delivered at Oxford. Sir Stafford 

 Northcote let off a very inconsiderate speech .at Ex- 

 eter. And Sir Edward TJiornton made a not veiy 



