No. 160.
Mr. Holt to Mr. Hale.
Gaspe Basin, June 24, 1872. (Received July 3.)
Sir: I had the honor to report by telegram to the Department on 21st instant that the gross indignity offered to the United States had been repeated by again hoisting the United States flag beneath the Dominion flag, at mast-head of American schooner “James Bliss,” of Gloucester, under seizure for alleged inshore fishing, under orders of Mr. L. H. Lachance, commanding marine police schooner Stella Maris.
On the 22d instant I received and replied to the Department’s telegram, and I trust that my omission to develop by the wires the actual position of the “James Bliss” at time of seizure will meet with approval. I considered that it would be unadvisable to state through a channel not quite private the admission which Captain Allen Mac Isaacs had made to others as well as to myself.* * * He was, I must say, singularly reticent for a man in his position, and it was only by direct questions that I obtained the little information that I got from him. * * Upon discovering the offensive position of the flags on his vessel, I informed him that if he did not care about my looking after his vessel, it was my duty to take care of his flag, and with him sought and found Mr. Lachance. Upon stating to Mr. Lachance in clear and explicit terms the object of my calling on him, he replied with earnestness that he was following the Queen’s orders; (?) that he did not mean any insult, and then called for “Gauthier,” a young man who is a secretary in the marine police, (then in the adjoining room.) Mr. Gauthier hurried out, and, upon learning of my complaint, seemed to assume to take charge of the affair, and to inform me that I was quite wrong—that it was usage—and in accordance with orders. Mr. Gauthier was somewhat vehement; Mr. Lachance somewhat nervously intervened with, “And now, Mr. Consul, what authority have you to show that I have no right to place the flags so? But rather than it should make trouble, I will not carry out the orders.” To this I reiterated that it was offensive, and an insult to the United States, and would not be tolerated, and my duty was to represent it to my Government. I suppose that Mr. Lachance regretted the awkward course he had pursued, and would immediately [Page 203] make some amends, but these flags only came down at the same time with the other flags in harbor, at sunset. Next morning I was much surprised to see that the matter appeared to have assumed the aspect of defiance (truly a rather ludicrous one) by the repetition of the offense.
I was informed by a gentleman that he had heard that Mr. Lachance had received approval of his course from Ottawa, (by telegraph.) Mr. N. Lavoie, commanding the marine police schooner “La Canadienne,” now arrived at this juncture, and I immediately waited upon him as he landed, he being the senior, in the service, of Mr. Lachance, and directing his attention to the spectacle of the flags on the James Bliss, officially requested him to terminate it. He replied that “he had noticed it, and that I “must protest.” I said I had already done my duty that way; and then—as we had held very friendly intercourse always on meeting—I took the liberty of advising him to take the responsibility of countermanding the order of Mr. Lachance; he replied that he would do so; that he did not at all approve of the thing, and would not have done it himself; but he did not interfere; perhaps thought it best not to meddle with it; and, within the hour, the schooner James Bliss sailed for Quebec, in charge of Mr. Lachance, with the flags still at the masthead as she left the port, exhibiting this shameful scene to the last—a sight of exultation to some, of surprise and deep regret to others, and indignation to myself; but I trust that the people here who have enjoyed this sight, will be indulged with another—the apology. When the flags were first hoisted together, I am assured, though I did not see it—when I first noticed them, there was but little wind, and they drooped together to the mast—that the United States flag was placed upside down, beneath the Dominion. Whether this additional indignity to the flag was the result of accident or the recklessness of bravado, I am unable to say. It will appear, probably, by the affidavits of the captain and crew of the James Bliss before the consul at Quebec.
Colonel McNiell, military aid-de-camp to Lord Lisgar, happened to be here and witnessed the whole affair, and expressed himself to me and to others in terms of strong condemnation of the actindeed, telling me that if he were not at the moment leaving the country, he would report it to Ottawa himself. He was then taking the steamer to meet Lord Lisgar, in ocean steamer at Father Point, en route for England. The unmistakable tone of Colonel McMell had a decided effect in modifying the tone of others.
I have much doubt as to whether this disgraceful proceeding originated with Mr. Lachance, for it was not until he had landed, been with bad advisers, and returned to his vessel, that the flags, some three hours after his arrival, were hoisted as described.
The schooner James Bliss, of Gloucester, Massachusetts, owned by William Parsons, 2d, & Co., Allan Mac Isaacs, master, born in Cape Briton, Nova Scotia; claims Gloucester as residence, (but seemed doubtful about it;) twelve men on board all told; had salt provisions and fish on board. The vessel was seized off East Point of Anticosti on 18th instant, brought to this point on 20th. The Stella Maris had been but a short time before delivering oil to the light-house, and, rounding the point suddenly, came upon the James Bliss unexpectedly. Such a sight as has been witnessed here of the “stars and stripes” reversed and beneath the Dominion flag, hoisted at the mast-head of an American vessel, by Canadians, would have (if at all) existed but momentarily, I believe, had a ship of war of the United States been at hand; and I deem it right to respectfully suggest to the consideration of the Department the propriety of recommending that the fishing-grounds of [Page 204] the gulf and this port should be occasionally visited by one of our national war-vessels. It is a measure I consider of much importance toward reminding Dominion officials and people that there are guns behind the flag, a fact they appear to have forgotten, and improving their intelligence by the serious reflections a sight of them would awaken.
The collector of the port has some anxiety for the fate of the schooner James Bliss, and Mr. Lachance, the Dominion officer in charge of her, who has but five men of his crew with him. The crew of the fisherman numbers, all told, twelve men. If any other man, almost, than Allan Mac Isaacs was their captain, I should not be surprised to hear that the notable occurrence of the Emily St. Pierre had been repeated on board the James Bliss while bound to Quebec. In comparison with the case of the improper treatment of the British flag in the prize schooner James Campbell, (recorded in the volume Diplomatic Correspondence, 1862, pages 244 and 245,) the case of the James Bliss appears very serious, for I regret to say that it has none of the extenuating circumstances of the former, but, on the contrary, bears the disagreeable feature of defiance, by repetition, after an official remonstrance and objection.
It may be proper for me to explain, to account for the apparent tardiness of this dispatch, that the mail-steamers leave here but once a week, (Thursdays.) * * * * * *
I have, &c,