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X 14X 18X 22X 26X 30X V 12X 16X 20X 24X 28X 32X *" BRITISH NORTH AMERICAN BOUNDARY. (with a map.) It cannot but be matter of great surprise, tliat a treaty formed so long since as 1783, by wliich the boundaries of our empire in British Nortli America Mere to be determined, is still a matter of contention, debate, and violent collision ; this astonishment is greatly augmented, when it is further considered that since that period a war has taken place between the two respective })owers, in whose possessions tliis territory is situated, and to one of whom it belongs ; and that a jnediator, or arbi- trator, appointed by both parties, under the provisions of the same treaty, determined a line, whicih line was acceded to by the one party, and that party the losing i)arty ; and rejected by the other party, who would have had five-sixths of what they claimed ; it must appear most extraordinary that tliis matter is still open and undeterminedi The conflicting claims involve a territory of lOo miles' distance on the due north line, and of 10,705 square miles in total extent, amounting to 11,000,000 acres of land. Great Britain, in order to have a well- determined boundary, consented to a departure from the ancient French line of demarcation, which, bo it remembered, was the legiti- mate boundary, after her eon(iuest over the French possessions in North America. By this concession to the United States, arising >y ■>;;»( "'J m-i W uniTisii NORTH ami:rican bouxuauv. 31;; fioiu a prufbuiid ignorance (jf the country, she ntlopted a now Inie, jnissin<5 tlirough the »"iddh? of the St. Lawrence and the great hikes, instead of that which was to have gone tin'ongii tlie centre of Lakes Chain})hiin and St. George, and which Mr. Adams, the American anibassathjr, was ready to adopt. It is of immense consequence to our argmneiit to hear always in mind that what formerly belonged to Kraiicc, on tlie continent of An)erica, after the treaty of Quebec, belonged to Great Britain ; and it is very curious that there is to be found on the public ardiives in Quebec, a grant from the Frencii government of C-anada, called '• the fief of I>ladawaska," dated ])rior to the chapter of Massachusetts, viz. KiH.'j, conveying to a French sulyect a large territory, in tlxtt vcri/ dhtrict now claimed by the United States. This fief of Madawaska includes the whole of the Temisquata Lake, and nine miles further in length down the 31adawaska River, extending in dei)th six miles for the whole distance, as well around the lake as on each side of the river. Various i)roceedings and actions under the authority of this act, and by virtue of the original grant, have contimied without interrui)tion, under the jurisdiction of Lower Canada, from its first date imtil tlif present day. The words of the Treaty of 1783, in its first and second Articles, are as follows : — '• Aiticlo I. His Britaiinii! Majesty acknowlcdgos the said United Suites, viz. New Haiiipshire, Massacliusetts Bay, Rhode Ishind and Providence I'lantatioiis, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware, ^hlryland, Viiginia, Nortli Carolina, South Carolina, and Geor^'ia, to be free, sovereign, and inde- pendent States ; that He treats with them as such ; and tor himself, his heirs and suecessors, relincjuishes all claims to the government, propriety, and territorial rights of the same, and every part thereof. •' Article II. And that all disputes which might arise in future on the suhject of the houndaries of the said I'nited States may he prevented, it is hereby agreed and declared that the following are and shall he their boundaries, viz. from the north-west angle of Nova Scotia, viz. that angle which is formed hy a line drawn due north from the source of Saint Croix Rircr to the Hiijhhnds. alonij the said Hiie ; thence along the middle of \ said conmuinication into Lake Erie ; through the middle of said lake, until it arrives at th<> water-communication between that lake and Lake L'uron ; thence along the middle of said water-eommun'cntion into the Lake Huron ; thenre ti.rougli tlie middle of Faid hike to the watcr-rommunication hctv/een that lake and VOL. II. — NO. 7. Y 314 UlUTISII NORTH AMERICAN UOUNDAUV. ■^ U -y m Lake Siipc'rior; tlienee tliroiifjli liiike .Snjjcrior, noitliwiird of tlic Islos Koyiil mid I'lielipciuix, to the Lon^' Luke; tlieiiee tliioii^li llie middle ofs.iid Loii^,' l,id rivers and tl the P^ seen and a and ( perioc the tr minat collisi (( reel HUITISII NOllTll AMJ-.RICAN HOUNDAIIV. :]|.- (' I>l('s Koyiil iilid (1 Long l.iikc, iiiid U)(ls, to till' siiid ist iioitli-wehtrrii livrr Missis^i|l])i , iMisxissi])])!, until )f north liititude I of tlie lini' lu^l tor, to tlie middle ldl(.' tlicrcol' to it> iiit Miiry's Kiver; .ANTIC 0('i:an : — t. (.'roix, fiiDii ils ctly nurtli to tlic '\ri, ANTIC Ocean iidiiig all Islands "^tati's, and lyiiit; atbri'said lioiiii- II till' other, .shall * rxce])tiiif!f such till' said l'ro\iiii (' •:nt, from the source ace l)et\voen the "s/cniDiost head of of the Roiiii- iids from the d uortli-west le those rivers, which fall into iiiver, thence iititude, thence or C'artarugiiy, ses, two Coin- iu the manner Article, unless '.s shall meet at ower to adjourn C'ommi.ssioiicrs '/, in corijhnnitji sc the Bouii(hir>i 'is or Catanujuii Commissioners irt •\tei DIU' idi osi treaty between filiall make a ma]) of the said Hoiindary, and annex to it a declaration iiiuler their hii'ids and seals. I'crtifyin:,' it to he the true map of t!ie said noimdary, and jiarti- ciilarizinj,' the latitude and loii^jitude of the north-west aiii,de of Nova .-^cotia, of the north-westernmost head of Connecticut River, and of such other points of the said I^oundary !i« tliey may deem proper. And both jiarties iij^ree to coii.sider mich Map and Declaration as nniiliy .md conclusively lixlnj,' tiie said l?oundary. And ill the i vent of the said two Commissioners ditleriiij.', or both, or either of tlieiii, rcl'iisiiip, declining, or wilfully omitting to (i(!t, sucli rejiorts, declarations, oi sfalciiiMit-, shall bi' made by them, or either of them, and such reference to a friendly ."Sovereign or State sliall be made in all respects, as in the latter ])art of the Fourth .\rticle is contained, and in as full a maniier as if the same was herein re]teated." Indopt'iKlctitly of the " lief of ^lailinva.ska" liiiviiig l)t'eii undor Canadian jurisdiction, even prior to tlio cliartcr of jMassachus(!tt.''i, there is " the Madawaska settlement," w liic.li has always been luuler the jurisdiotion of New lirunswick, and wliieh contains a jxipnlation of upwards of 2000 Frenchnicn. Tliis territory extends on the main river St. John, from the neigld)onrhood of the (Ireat Falls upwards, for several miles above the confluence of the Madawaska river. This settlement, named from the river Madawaska, which empties itself into tlie river St. John',s, thirty-six miles above the Great Falls, and about lof) miles above Fredericton. This terrilorv> with " the fief of JNIadawaska," has always belonged to Great Britain since the treaty of Quebec, and is comprised in the territory to which the state of Maine lays claim. The two main impediments to draw any line in accord- ance with the treaty, arise from the inability to discover the north- west angle of Nova Scotia ; and substituting a small and insignificant stream called the St. Croix, for the true and noble St. Croix, the Penobscot. It is very certain that the Penobscot river formed the true and proper boundary. It runs far into the country, and divides, at its sotirce, the rivers flowing into the St. Lawrence and Bay of Fundy, from those discharging themselves into the Atlantic. Those rivers which enipty themselves into the St. Lawrence are the Chaudiere and the St. P'raiacis ; those into the Atlantic being the Kennebec and the Penobscot, whilst the most prominent range of dividing land is seen lying about equidistant from the St. Lawrence and the Atlantic and at the source of the Penobscot. All this is to be traced as clearly and distinctly as the geographical knowledge of the country at the period of the construction of the treaty would permit. The object of the treaty, it is quite evident, was to define exclusively and deter- minately the limits of the United States, with a view to prevent future collision, as well as to pr-nriote present harmony, and the future " reciprocal advantage and nuitual convenience" of both countries. y2 .'{!(> HUITISII NOllTII .\Mi:UI('VN BOINDXltV. ■m i^'l !,C- ^■»'. ' i:. ThtTe is ii fixed and ilvx'\) iiiiiHTssion tlirouglioiit all tlic Hrili. Ii proviiK^es in North America, tiiat the manner in whicdi Clreat Britain settles this question of the bonndarv, will he considered the announce- ment of her intention either of retainin^j^ or al)andoning the colonies; at all events, on the settlement of this great, momentous question, thousands will be filled with joy, or chilled by despair. The inmiense possessions which Great Britain has already lost on that continent, through ignorance, should make her doubly determiiunl not to be over- roa^hed by a sliamefid perversion ar(l misrepresentation of the vnirh and s/u>«7 of the treaty. It is inconceivable the injury the non-settlement of this question inflicts on British North America. Capital would be freely invested in it, were this point determined, from the absolute certainty of tho great return such investment would j)roduce; but, amongst all th(^ symi)toms connected with this settlement, none ai)])ears so ominous or fatal, as a recent article in a journal establisli(!d by one of the prin- cipal fumenters of the Canadian rebellion, evid(Mitly frum the pen i»! an honourable gentleman, vviiose misstatements in the House of Com- mons, in his desire to vindicate the Ihiited .States in reference to thi^ invasions into Up[)er Canada, were contradicted l)y the American journals; and whose article, it would appear, had almost received ,'i semi-official sanction. I- well behoves the British naMn-i to rnrse from tlie apathy it hss'^ hitiierto exhibited on this subject ; not an inch of its territory shoulil be surrendered : not a maritime or commercial right compromised oi sacrificed: but that a good, suHicient ])oundary, tliat shall iiot iuvoht other great questions spritigiiig from an ill-defined one, shall be resoluteiv determined on. In 179M. we yielded tiie main branch of t!>e St. Croix, taking the small, insignificant eastern branch, althougii the great western branch was always considered tlie main one, alike by thf Indians wiio resided on its banks, as well as by the inhabitants of the Cnited States. Even to this day it is so designated. This eastern branch is now tin; limit of tlie Tnited States in the east, as far as i' runs, from the Bay of Fundy to its source. Now, from tlie treaty ot its;], a line is to be drawn '* due north to the Highlands." The com- mencement of the difliculty is not its running norili, but where north the line should stop. We contend that it should stop at Mars Hill, the Americans, that it should proceed nearly 200 miles further ncn-tli ; consequently, carrying tlieir claim near to the St. Lawrence, and taking in In its route a considerable portion of the St. John's river. .Again, tlie Americans hav<< pertinaciously contended that the Bay oi respei Thev consit each ; the B con>e( tion w not, iv proble contei lands divide from that I the Si thus, wlthii the te h.ad J'enol the " the ti ♦' divi from the 1 reaso whicl i aui'viau .Nuiirii amkkican uolnu.vuy. ;ji' all tiic Isnii. h Fuiidy. and tlu' Atlantic Ocean, arc to he considered as the same. h uvvdt hntaJ!! gy ||,,,^ cunfuMnding tlieni tngetiier, they obtain an evicU'nt advantaj^e. II the ann(»nnce- jj,j( [i i«, (jnite clear from the treaty itself, as well as in strict confor- ig the colonies ; n^i^y ^■[^\^ (.ustoni, that the Bay of Fundy must he viewed as a iiitoiis question, gcocrraphical feature per se. In the second article of the treaty, the liie immense river St. .Mary, which was to form the southern boundary of the that continent, iTfji|(.,] States, is describeil as falling into the Atlantic Ocean; the not to be over- fiver St. Croix, which was to form the eastern boundary, not merely )n ot the words j„ ^1^, same article of the treaty, but in the very next paragraph, is described as falling into tlu; Bay of Fundy; and, as if to place the »t tins question matter absolutely beyond disputation, as the article proceeds it states, iieely invested ^\^^^l ^j,,. eastern line of boundary, where it terminates at the mouth of certainty ot the j|,p ^iver St. Croix, and th<' siMithern line of the boundary, where it unongst all the terminates at the mouth of the river St. Mary, are described '' as so ominous or respectively touching the Bay of fundi/, and the Atlantic Ocfnu/ le ot the prin- 'l'|,ey are actually placed in ojiposition to each other, instead n, riglit, and .Johns river, rt'ason. On the other hand, the further and high northerly range. t the iiay oi -wliieh the Americans desire, as hri>njui UULNDAUV. » ■, :" rence, the navigation of \vhicli they would next deniand, divides tiic uniall, iiisi<;iiiH(';itit St. Lawroiict' strcandots, scarcely scrviccal)Ie I'or machinery. Hie Metis, tiie Uiviere N'erle, du Loup, locally honoured \n the name of rivers, from tril)utaries of the St. John's Kiver, and from the llestii^ouche. This latter ri\'er (the Hestiay falls into tlie (inlf of St. Lawrence, and the (Jidf of St. La\vrenc(» into the Atlantic^ Ocean, there arc some in the I'nited States who think these three removes rather opposed to the doctrine? of tin* llestigouche i'aliin}^ \uto the Atlantic Ocean, and are willing t(» yield that point accordingly. Hut as the identity of the Bay of Fundy witii the Atlantic Ocean is far nmrc essential to their pretensions, so it is most important that the geo- graphical character of tiie Bay of Fimdy shall he defined, and it may be proper to state, that the Americans contend, that it is an inseparable part of the ocean, and to treat them as two, is to attem])t a distinction without a diH'erence — a legal (piiddity, or a stratagem raised to drivt' Maine 100 miles south of her true limits. IJnt Cireat Britain can never yield this point, and must e(»nsider the claim of Maine i)rej)os- terous, extravagant, and inadmissible ; that the Bay of Fundy is, fur any purposes of this treaty, to be considered as the Atlantic Ocean : seeing tluit, indei)eudently of tlie nmnberless arguments and instances to the contrary to be deduced from geograpliical science, the coimnoa usage, and the coniinon sense of mankind. The treaty itself, ttvi((: within the In'ief limits of the boundary article, employs the appellative ot the " Bay of Fundy, bi express and absolute contradistinction to the Atlantic Ocean. The sec(Ui(l article of the treaty of (Jhent declares, that the line shall connnrnce at tlie north-west angle of IVova Scotia, namely, that angle whicii is formed by a line drawn diu' north from the source ot the St. Croix River to the Highlands, along the said Highlands wliicli divide those rivers whicii empty themselves into the St. Lawrence from thos(? whicii fall into the Atlantic? Ocean, to the noith-westeni- most head of the Connecticut River, ^:c. In conformity with tin' provisions of the treaty, a commission was ap[)ointed to run the line and discover these Highlands — the connnissioners disagreed — tliosi' on the part of Great Britain contending these lands connnenced at Mars Hill, tliose on behalf of America contending they were 100 miles further nortli. Now, it is obx lous by this treaty, that the line is to commence at the north-west angle of Xuva Scotia, and that that angh is to i)e sought for at those Highlands whicii separate waters flowiiip into the St. Lawrence and flie Atlantic Ocean. Tracing the liii' i'laiuMi Ht (he into til re(|uirc unprov the }{(• which into til the tr( to innl capalii he ha\ Feathc - I l.« stud// III the plii/f iliitiiin, i is^ue is llU'Ilt (l( 'riio ('ill iti matt till'. kllOH (iheut i second iiortb-w wliich iniliici'i .iiiil till' wlieiv 1 (lary to aii.l tliL iiortli-\ IVoiii (' inoiiieii IlIU'?' 1] cii'iil ri !iav(; f, tli(> tu (ieiitlt matter (hicetl aei|iii.> persiia aiit Ml I ■^ay t (lie S HIUTISII NOUTH AMKHMMN UOl NDAUY. ;ni) il, divides the ,.|;,iinH| l)y flif State of Maiiif, it is (juitr i-icar that the IIi«^hhiiids 'I'vieeahle lor ^^^ ,1,,, ,„,|.(|, ,,f l]^^, |(iver St. John's, separate tiie waters onli/ Howinj; lioiioured \\\ j,,,,, jIij, j^f liawreiice, h'aviiijf tiiaf rt'(jiiireiiieiit of tlie treaty, whieii ver, and troiii i.,.(niii-,.s that they si jiarate those tlowiiij; into tin- Atlantic, totally talis into the uiiitrovideil for ; the rivers Howinjr to the sontii of tiie Hi;::hIaMds, heinj; St. Lawrence, the Kestiizoiiche, which falls into the Hay of Chalrnr, and the St. John, 111, there are whidi fi,l!.s into the Hay of Fiindy; no river in those lli«ihlands Hows Moves rather i,,t,, the Atlantic, and, therefore, that cannot hv the line recinired hy ) the Atlantic the treaty. The eonnnissioner appointed by the British government lint as the to inak(" u careful exploration of the territory in cpiestion, and whose 1 IS far more cjipnhility for doinji; it cannot h«^ (juestloned hi/ the Unitvd Stains — hat the geo- j,,. lia\iiiical surveyor for the State of Mew York, Mr. md It may be i\'jitherstonehauitii(hi (if the liislori/ of the rase, tnid an e.raiiii.imtinH made ivitfi dilim-nn' and vnertjii, of .ised to dri\'(' lliv ii/n/siral i/foiinijdiif (f t/ie trrritnri/ in tlisimtr, ill idl t/ir fhiinis ' ■ fntiiil /o inrcsli- JJritain (-an iintion, it is my coiiviction that tin.' luiliirc to Itriii^^ this gnivi' lUiittci' to ii tiiial laine oreDOS- ''''^"'^' ''^ ^" ''^' ^'"^''•ely attrilmtcd to (U't'cctivc inl'orniation, and a fatal cnihaiTiiss- iiicnt of(;asion('(l by tlii" rcqiiireiniMits of the second article of the Treaty of (ihent. The ciinliiiiil rules, gentlemen, for the pavsiiit of truth in mutters of scionee, and in mutters eonneeted with the ])r(igressive improvement of mankind, is to fit) from md Uistances ///,; /uitiwn to the unlmown. Hut this rule in the second article of the Treaty of the ('(nnmo!! t angle of Nova Scotia, a point whicIi never had any existence, and whieh never was established or set ajiart by any suivey, cither of a direct or indirect kind. Its position depends n|)on tlic previous ascertainment of two lines^ and the points of coincidence between them wcaild, when establislic''., be the point where the nia'th-west angle would be, and th.it where the treaty drccts the boan- d;ny to be.Mn. Hut since lU'itlier of those two lines have yet been ascertained, and the jioint of de|)iirture of only one of them agreed upon, it is evident that the north-wot angle of Nova ."^ciJtia. which is to be an clfect or result proceeding t'roni causes, the inlierent power of which we are yet ignora'it •)!', is at this nioHU'iit a nonentity, and must remain so, until the precise direction of the two ime.s before spoken of, is mutually agreed upon and established. This is a suiH- cicnt reason why attempts to bring the disimti' to a hai)i)y termination hitherto li:ive failed, the words of the treaty directing us to begin at the end, instead of the beginning, and to pursue the iinpiiries from the unknown to the known, (ieiitlemen, I do not wish to conceal from you who are so macii interested in the niatK'r, that tlie investigations in whicli I have been of late engaged, have pro- duced results, whieh ought to inlluenee govermneiits that desire no territorial acipii>itions at the expense of justice, and the reference due to treaties, as I am pfi.-uadeil is the case with the two governments now negotiating on this import- ant subiect. The defective information, it is hojied and believed, can be sn])plied. I ■^ay this nuicli, })ecaase rumour is being busy about the declared intentions of I he State ol Maine to proceed in taking possession of the whole tcrritorv in me pre]K)s- Fundy is, for antic Ocean : f itself, tu'hi appellative el letion to the that tlie line namely, that he source ot iilands whicli 5t. Lawrence. )rth-westerii- ity with the rim the line "d — tiio.se on need at Mars e 100 miles he line is to at that angfli iters tiowiii" 'n\'fl the liiii 320 BRITISH NOUTH AMEIUCAN UOI XD VKY, dispute, without awaitiug the peaceful proceeding's now in piugress betwixt the federal government iind tliat of Her Majesty. I do not believe in these rumours. The State of Maine sets too high a value upon the peace now happily subsisting between the two coiunries, and will, 1 have no duidu, await the constitutional action of tlieir national go\ernnuMit. " Altliou<;^h tiie state of Maiiu' has made the most olii'iisive and arro- gant assumptions in regard to tiiis territory, and expressed itself so ileterminedly witii reference t(» the line, yet Mr. Jefferson, in IHOo, when spenivins; of tliis very boinidary, achnitted, tluit " the British territories and oiu's in tliose parts were too imperfeetly described to be susceptible of exeeulion." Considerin;/. tlien, the admitted inability to discover a line in strict aceovdance ^ith the requisition of tlie treaty — niso the admission of the st;ite of Massachusetts that (Jreat Britain had maintained exclusive jui'isdiction u\er the territory, of vvlueli Sir John Harvey insisted on Iiaving control — !et reference be made to the follow- ing resolves concerning t!ie norlii-eastern territory of the United States, claimed by Great Britain: — *' Whereas, a large tract of the N()rth-!;ast( rn 'I'crritory of the I'nited .Stfitcs, belonging in connrion to the -ri'tes jf Maine and Massacliusetts, and lying within the limits of the former -^tate, has. for many years past, in conse(|iience of a claim of Great Britain, been surrendered to tlie exclusive custody of the British govern- ment; and wiu co'.nmonv.calt!;, to male personal examination into the state of our public lamis, that Ln-eat inconveniences and irross abuses liave resulted from so valuajde a ])ortion of our domain being left in tlu' keeping of agents over whom we have no Ci^Urol ; " Therefore. Resolved, by tlie Senate and Hdusc of Rcprcsentntives. in geiu'n;! court assembled, That in the opinion of this legislature, it is due to the rights and interests of Massachusetts, that measures should be t.daii by vlie executive of the United States to secure a sjiccly settlement of this long jtrotracted c:>ntrover>;y, so that tlle^e states may he reinst.'ted ii! tiie er.joynu'nt of that pruncrty which was so long in their undis))uted possession, and wldcli is so indisputably theirs. " Resolved, That in ca-e there be a |)rospect of further unav(,idable delay in tlii' settlement of this controversy, it is essential to tin' ei:ds of justice, tliat measures shoidd be tiiken by the executive of the Tnited States, to obtain a representation of the interests and rights of Maine and Massachusetts, in tlie agency and guardian- shij) of the territory in question. " Rcsidved, 'i'liat his lixc(dlency the (iovernor is hereby r"(|ni'sted to transmit a copy of these resolutions to tiie executive of the I'nited .". to our senators and representatives in coML'ress. and to tlie govenior of tiu' state (d' Maine. " In Senate, .X'aicli l>t. \H:Vi. " Passed — Sent «iowii for concurreiu-e. " lloii.\( I. M.WN. I'ri'sident." And, fiivthcr. tliat the pertiiiaeions iiuiintenanee of tiie partitti \ iew -> of J^Iair.e are nuist re|ni!:naiit and irfeeoiiriletible. and al tily MihsistiiiK (■oiistitiitioiial (' find arro- ed itsdf .so II. ill 1 80;^, the Briti.sli ribed to be innbilitv to tlie treiity — Hi'itain had ell Sir John thi' follow - nted States, 'iiited Strttcs, 1 lying within nee of a claim British povcni- •')Iiit(>fl by tilt" to I lie stiite of ii'siiltcrl fi'orn Its over whom "es, in trcncn;! the ritchts ami 'fiitivc of the (':)ntrover'iv, "I'tTty which ihly theirs, e delay ill tlic !iat ineaMire^. i'i)reseiitatioii iiifl iniardiaii- d to transmit oiir senators iiiiie. 'resident." irtial views a! \ariaiicc witii the words or provisions oi' tlie treaty, viz. *• iilnral e(|iaty aial reciprocity, so tiiat imrtial advantages (those seeds of tliscord ) beiiij^- exchided, sudi a liotieficial and satisfactorv intercourse^ inav hv estab- lisiied, as to promote to l)oth the blessings of perpetual peace and liannonv,'' it was thought desirable to take such steps, and ado[)t such measures, as a})[)eared best calculated to etlect a settleiuent of the boundary, on jiriiiciples oi" "liberal ecpiity and reeii»rocity," witli a view to terminate this ]()ng-i)rotracted dispute; and in compliance with the i>r(ivi>,ions made bv tlie fifth article oi' tlie treaty of (ilient of the 14th of l)eceml)er, 181-1: ; and to tlie tir.st article of the convemioii con- ciiided between the respecti\e govenanents of t!i(! I'uiti'd Stales and (Jreat Britain, at London, on the '29i\i of September, Ls27, tlie whole matter was left to the King of the Netherlands to decide. His decision gave five-sixths of the territory to tlic I Hired States; but nevertheless it gave an excellent, well-defined, and ea;-:ly ascerrained boundarv — it preserved tlie link between the Hritish provinces — kept the eommuni- oation open to the sea — and excluded the Americans from their tot* grent proxiniily to t!ie St. Lawrence, for the free na\ igation of which (another "source of discord") they would soon contend. It is imjios- silile to read the eloquent a:i(l convincing exposition of Mr. Ircjuhart, and not feel comlnced that the most criminal abandomiK nt of national duty and honour attaches itself to t!ie minister that did not insist on t!ie establishment of the award made by the arbitrator appointe(l by the res])ective parties interested in the atlair. 'Ihe surrender of the territory demanded by Maine would be to girdle the ('ana.das. and by carrying tlie boundaiy nearly to the banks ol' the St. Lawrence, and 120 miU's aloi'a; and parallel with it. and at the average distance oiiiv twenty miles from it. form a perfect wedg'e beiwceii the British ]iro- \!!ices ill North America, and thus interpose a complete barrier ior man\ months in the vear to their coinitiunication wiili the ocean; how fu' this is in accordance with " liljcral e(piity and reei})rocity " may be Judged, '['his injustic{» and pertinacity, so conspicuous on the j)art of the American authorities in this matter, stands in strong and striking jiixta-positiiiii to the magnanimous conduct of the Hritish governinent on a similar, and. if possible, move important occasion. — the lM)niidarv to Uie Kennebec river, (the nearest and most natural ontlet of the ('anadas, ) which was claimed by and yi( Med to the riench previous to til'' con(|nest of Quebec, and wlii.'h ncM'r slionid have licen sin'rendered to the I lilted States. 'fhe British government will be fairly tested by the re iilt of this boundary di'-pule ; " it cannot snr Ml', thai anv adininistralU'ii, of ,'522 BUITISII NOHTII AMKKICAN UOLNDAUlf. whatever pjirty, can be so blind to the dignity of the crown, tlie honour ot" the nation, the integrity of the empire, or so reckless of the feelings and interests of a large portion of their fellow-subjects, as to give up a large tract of country, which is only a fragment of what is justly ours, but of which we have been deprived by ignorance and falsehood. The Empress Catherine of Russia said of England, that she invarialily lost by the pen wliat she had gained by the sword. In all our terri- torial negociations with the I'nited States, we have had on our side proiound ignorance of the country, great conceit in our dipK)matic talents, an utter contempt for uncultivated lands, woods, lakes, and rivers, and a vain-glorious affectation of generosity in giving up what Ave chose to consider worthless. To these singular qualifications for negodiation, we have had opposed, on the side of the Americans, local knowledge, and a deep conviction of the value and imi)ortance of the territory in (juestion : to this were added, shrewdness to i)erceive and make available the weakness and ignorance of our negociators, and an unscrupulous readiness to make any statement that would facilitate the attainment of their object, however inconsistent with truth and honour." The correctness of these remarks fidly appears in the history of all our American negociations. ^o compunction is felt by our adversaries in taking advantage of our local ignorance, or depreciating the country in dispute, however inijiortant it may really be, in order to insure its attainment. Sometimes an alieeted indifference is assumed, and it is pretesided tliat one line of boundary is little [)referable to another; and, fastening on tlu> weakness, conceit, and vanity of the British negociators, every thing is obtained on their own terms. A strip of land, more or less, they will ui'ge, with consunnnate hyiiocrisy, is nothing to so great and generous a nation as that of England, but may be of Siniie value to one of the states, and by rounding the territory render peace more; durable by removing every i)ossible cause of futuri' dispute. The British nation nmst not allow this important matter any longer to be trifled with, or neglected ; — by 7nan}f it is now bcliercd, that Sir Francis Head saved a colony it was desi(jncd that he should si'RUKNDEU I A crinnnal inattention to the settlement of this bouncUirv Involves the safety of our transatlantic possessions. Never was there a time so auspicious for its final adjustment as the |)resent. Well and elotpiently has Mr. rrcjuhart said, '' It is a vain and useless concession to make, that England nmst perish because America is unjust : Eng- land, the mother of nations, the parent of freedom, and tlu' wielder of the trident, has Iier destinies within her own breast." The slavery in the south -tlie bloodliound war in FIori(hi — the (inancial difficulties of the proc dutv Mi ABOUIGINES OF NEW HOLLAND. o23 '«, the iionoiir i' the feelinjifs as to give up t'Imt is justly ukI falseJiood. ilie iu variably iill our terri- on our side ir dij)Ioiuutic s, lakes, and ^'iiig up what lifications for ericaus, local •tance of the perceive and itors, and an facilitate the md honour." ry of all our Iversaries in e country in insure its ed, and it is to another ; the Hritish A strip of ypocrisy, is id, but ujay le territory c of future matter any w belie red, 1 he should is boundary r was there Well and eoneession just : Eng- ' wieldcr of ' slavery in tficulties of the fedenil government — the crippled condition of Maine itself, all proclaim too loudly the jjolicy of America in avoiding war; and the duty of England, availing herself of the ojjportunity of profiting by this combination of circumstances, to have the boundaries of her North American empire at length settled and defined. ftm-:^i--