Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-03-01
reply to this communication,
have the honor to be
Your EScelcncy's
Most obedient, humble
sert, ]. HARVEY.
To which Gov. Fairfield makes the fol.
lovinp renlv.

To which Gov. fairfield makes the fol-
lowing reply;
Executive DEPARTMENT
Augusta, Feb. 10.
His Erceiiency Sir John Harvey,
III. Governor Of Neo Brunsuick:
Sir:--I have the honor TO acknowledge
the receipt of your exce,lency's letter of
the 18th inst. by express, and avail myself
of.he return Of your Messenger, r. English,
Esq. to make a reply.
You say III have just heard, with the
utmost surprise and regret, that, without
the courtesy Of any previous inima,lon
whatever to this Government, an armed
force from the State Of Name has cntcrcd
the territory, the claim to which is in dis
pu,c, &c.
In reply I cannot but regret TINT your
Excelleucy should have thought the use Of
such language suitable to be employed upon
this occasion. If | am amcnable to
charge of want of "courtcsy" in any thing
| have heretofore done. will cndcavor to
manifest enough of that accomplishment
in this reply, not TO handy cplthels with
one, of whom | had formed so high an
opinion os Of your Excc.ency--nnd will
only say further. that, whlIc | have the
honor to bold the place ] now occupy,
trust a sense of duty to my State and her
interests will always predominnte over q
mere bind regard to the artificial rules Of
etiquette. ] think, however, that your
Excel lencv would not have used hat term,
If you had considered for a moment that
the proceedings of our Land Agent were
in execution of a Resolve Of the Legisla-
turc of this State, adopted in secret session,
and that, no notice of their proceedings
could have been given without an unquall-
fed breach of faith and duty.
In speaking of the disputed territory
your Excellcncy says "thc claim to which
is in dispute belwixt Great Britain and the
United States, and which il has been agreed
betwiXt the two General Governments.
shall remain in the exclusive possession
and jurisdiction of England until that
claim shall be determined"
Now sir, canno, hesitate 10 sny that, in
roy opinion. your Excelcncy Is laboring
under an entire misapprchensou in regard
to the facts. No such agreement, | am
persuaded, has ever been made between
the two governments. | have looked in
vain for it among the numerous documents
which have grown cut of this question,
AND have never heard Of any recognition of
it. verbal or Otherwise, on the part of the
officers Of the GcOeral Government. II
however, such an agreement exists, your
Exccency can undoubtedly point it out. -
At oil events, such an agreement can never
be recognized by this State. A decent
self respect will ever forbid il, if there were
no other considerations in the way.
Your Exccllcncy cntreats me immedi-
atcy to recall the force now upon the ter
ritory. and adds-''it is proper that should
acquaot your Exccllsncy that have dl
rcc,ed strong military force of her
Mojestys Troops to be IN readiness 10 sup
por, her Majesty's authority, and protect
her Mnjesty's subj ac's in 'bc disputed ter
ritory,i the event ofthl5 request not being
Immediately complied with"
In reply | have TO say, that the territory
bordering upon the Aroos'ook River has
always been, as regard tho facts, in the
possession and under the jurisdiction of
Massachusetts and Maine--,hat more than
thirty years ago Massachusetts surveyed
and granted large tracts Of it, which have
ever since been, IN some way possessed by
the grantees and those claiming under
ttcm--lhat the rest Of was surveyed by,
and some Of it divided between Massachu
sets aud Maine, soon after the latter be-
came an Independent S'a'e-,hn, both
States have been in the habit of granting
permits to cut timber there without being
moles,cd from any qnarler-that many
} persons have purchased these lands OF
Maine and entered into thoi, actual occu
pntion-and that in various other WAYS,
Name has exercised n jurisdiction which
may fairly be regarded as exclusive, over
this territory. Under these circumstances.
information was received that body of
armed men had gone into this territory,
and were cutting vast quantities OF the
TIMBER, defying the power of this State to
prevent them. On these facts being com
muncaed to the Legislature, tho two
branches Immediately directed the Land
Agent to take with him sufficient force
to arrest these dcprcdalors, and to break
up their enterprise
The party of The Land Agent is now on
the territory engaged 10 executing the trust
with which it was charged, ard with my
, consent will never leave it whl'c the protec
ton Of the property Of the State from plun
dercrs renders it necessary for them to
remain. If your Excciency chooses tc
send an armed force to attempt their eX'
pulslon, can only say that this State vii
cndeavor to meet such an attempt as it vii
, deserve.
have no threats to make or boasrings
, TO indulge. If Maine does her duty, as
, trust in God she will, nothing that | could
in Il a. I o nj
duy, and 'nmely submits 10 be expelled
Y from her territory, by force that she
could successfully resist, nothing that can
, say wonlu tend to diminish the measure Of
r her ignominy and disgrace,
have the honor,