Lincoln telegraph., 1839-03-21

the Secretary OF State, and leave the future
protection ofthe timber to tho concurrent
action and agreement of the Government OF
Maine and New Brunswick Under q
full sense of the responsibility resting upon
me, have no hesitation IN saying that we
ought not / admit that the General Gov
crnment has noby responded TO our call,
and with Il promptness and efficiency be-
yond all praise. has made preparations 10
discharge its constitutional obligations to
this Staie. Much is due from US on this
/ account 10 the Union. But the daty OF
Maine to herself remains unchanged.
The property, for the protection OF which
We sent our armed posse under the Land
Agent and Sheriff, remains still exposed
aud the threat of expulsion from the terri
tory, and Of invasion, which we sent our
military force TO repel, still remains pend
ing over US, while British troops, i: is un-
derstood, are daily concentrating near the
line, witlthc apparent purpose of carrying
the avowed design Of the 1t. Governor Of
New Brunswick into effect.
But looking itt!e more minutely at the
terms ofthis agreement the objections to
it are obvious. Iu the first place, it would
make our movement upon the question OF
the boundary a retrograde movement. In
stead of having made any advance towards
the acquisition OF our rights, or the terInl-
nation of The question in despute, our po-
siiion would no: really be SO favorable as it
was before the occurrence of those events
which have induced this 'smenorandum. -
Then we had eaci,.sire jurisdiction over
this portion of the territory-under the
agreement, we should only have eoncar-
rent jurisdiction with tae Province Of New
Brunswick-ior we could not expel single
trespasser without in the first place agree
ing with the Provincial Government as to
the manner of doing it. Its language is
thus-.'And if future necessity should arise
for dispensing notorious trespassers, or pro-
tecting public property from depreciation,
| by armed force, the operation shall be con-
Quoted By concert, jointly or separately,
according to agreement between the Gov
ernments of Maine and New Brunswick
Again, this agreement is inadmissibe,
because of the inequality of its terms By
/ it, Maine is absolutely to Withdraw her
forces. But are the forces of the British
! Government also to be withdrawn? Not at
all. That Government is simplyt to refrain
! from attempting to do,what il never had the
right or power doing that Of expelling us
from the territory. 1t is understood that re-
| giment of British troops lately arrived from
Quebec, is now at Madawaska, and there
they may remain for ought to the contrary
in the terms ofthe agrecment--erect fortfi-
cations 10 their hearts content--and exercise
any power they please, short of attempting
to expel us from the territory.
Another objection tot this agreement arises
from its equivoca phraseoIogy upon one
point, which might prove 10 be hereafter
the source of much misunderstanding and
difficulty. One of them is in regard TO
whether the armed posse under the Land
Agent and Sheriff is included in the EARNED
/ force'' required by the memorandum to be
Withdrawn from the territory. If the
agreement should be construed against US
in this respect we could not hereafter expel
a single trespassar unless the 1T. Governor
Of New Brunswick should kindly agree
with US npon somo mode 10 which il might
he elected To such an agreement trust
Maine will never assent. She has been
sufficiently tramelled heretofore in the ex-
ercise of her rights and will not now voluu-
tarily forge new shackles for herself
What then shall be done? The people
ofthis State surely are not desirous ofbuFry-
ing the two nations into war. Such an
event is anxiously to be avoided lift can be,
without dishouor We owe too much to
1.-THE Union, to ourselves, and above all 10
the spirit and principles of christianity, to
bring about a conflict of arms with a nation
having with US a common origin, speaking
common language, and bound to us by
so many ties of common interest, without
the most inexorahle necessity. Under
these circumstances would recommend,
| that when we are fully satisfied, either by
the declarations ofthc Lit. Governor OF the
Province of New Brunswick, or otherwise,
that he has abandoned all IDA Of occupy
ing the disputed territory with military
force, and OF attempting an expulsion Of
our party, that then, the governor be au-
,horized to withdraw our military force,
leaving the Land Agent with sufficient
posse, armed or unarlued, as the case
may require, sufficient to carry into effect
4 your original design, that Of driving out or
arresting the trespassers and preserving.
and protecting the timber from their dep
relations.
From such an act of jurisdiciion-an
attempt SO right and propsr in itself as this,
and SO imperatively called for by the cir
cumstances of The case,s we shond not be
driven BY any power on earth We ought
aot however, wantonly to do more than is