The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1839-03-05

And although her rights extend far beyond u, she
n beyona ss . Of Il Ba
does claim 70 be protected In acting up 10 the terms
OF H. She acted up TO the terms OF ii-her present
position marches up only 10 the terms 81 it-and
while not seeking to 60 beyond, she will not.she
! cannot, without infamy upon her name, fall back
from her position thus taken or retract step In
support OF Il which she has thus made Is unjust
afer what has ranspred, to submit TO any such re-
quest, from whatever quarter emanating.
And vet, sir what Is the proposition OF the Execu-
tivel What Is The arrangement attempted 20 DC
made for war in the protocol Of the Nalionai Exc
i cutive with the present British Minister Read ":
| | ask the committee 10 pause upon II. confess
can regard Il only as palpable departure from me
terms heretofore agreed on between the Two uosean-
| menls, as have already shown them TO have been,
| and a surrender of the rights OF Maine 10 The new
| and unwarrantable encroachmenis OF the British
Government. II provides as follows:
"Her Majesy's officer will not seek to expel, by
military force the armed party which has been sent
BY Maine into the district bordering on The Aroos-
TOOK river: but the Government Of Maine ,ciH, 10
iantarily without needless delay Wthdfaio BEYOND
THE BOUNDS OF THE DISPUTED TERRITORY any afmea
farce aop piLhiH them and if future necessity should
arise for dispensing notorious trespassers OF
| ing public property from depreciation oy armed
| force"
What shall be DONE sir Shall Maine, in that
case as she has done now WELD her jurisdiction UNI
trammeled and according to her own sense OF right
or expediency the Aroosiook couniryi NO, SIT
far from 10. The Presidents new arrangement ior
1 Maine IS that under recurrence of depredations
like those which Maine has undertaken TO stop and
punish
.HThe operation shall be conducted BY CONCERT,
Jointly or separately according TO agreements bt,ceen
The Governments Of Milne and New Bruns,eiek'
Yes, sir; whether the operation be conducted
jointly separately must belt shall be only con,
Quoted as the result OF concert between the Two local
! Governments Of Maine and New Brunswick, and
according to terms which the latter will first assent
to And this dirided Is all that in future
Is TO be left 10 Maine the Aroostook country,
which, according to the understanding heretofore
/ entered into, and now 10 be abrogated, was until
/ no,c, yielded TO her e1elusire jurisdiction!
i The Aroosook country now the immediate theatre
of British aggression, is portion OF the disputed
territory that has, at all mes heretofore, been within
| the exclusive jurisdiction Of Massachusetts and
Maine. In claiming exclusive jurisdiction over il
now, as Maine does, and trust she win persist in
doing at all hazards, she is not extending the
else of jurisdiction within the disputed territory be-
yond the limits within which il has hitherto usually
been exercised by" her authorities; but the British
Province is doing this in direct violation of the
listing agreement between the two Governments OF
the United States and Great Britain. Under such
circumstances Is II just towards Maine TO force her
to fall back from her position, founded in right and
in express stipulation too, and 10 receive into her
acknowledged possessions and territory a concurrent
jurisdiction on Tie part tke British Prorfnee Sir,
let who will go for il, go against il.
Mr.. Chairman: Maine is either right, or she is
wrong in her position. II she Is right, she pro-
pery asks and expects TO be sustained by her sister
States and'lhe Government If she is wrong, their
say Is to her, and leave her to her fate She claims
to have exclusive jurisdiction OF SO much Of the dis
puted territory is known by the name of the
Aroostook countryside same that is now threatened
with invasionnot only by treaty stipulation but by
long continued possession, and by your late agree
ment of 1882 and 49, also with the British Govern
ment. And if she be right in this will you compel
her TO retreat ANONYMOUSLY before the threats of
Sir John Harvey or to fall back and receive into
that territory concurrent jurisdiction on the part Of
the British Provncel II ii be clear, that she asks
now more than she has always possessed, exclu-
sively, will you force her 10 submit 10 partnership
possession of it with Great Britain And if she
will not submit to this humiliation will pou refuse
all support TO her?
Sir such a policy adopted towards Maine, would
change not only her rights but her unitom relations
towards both this Government and the British Go
vernment. And will you thus treat her citizens,
when they have in confident reliance upon your
authority, with chivalrous spirit and patriotism
which trust will ever characterize them left their
homes, their families, bidding defiance 10 the frosts
and SHOWS of their climate and taken the field in de-
fence of their wonted and heretofore acknowledged
possessions Will you abandon them, when they
have sworn in the face Of the world upon the affairs
of the God who made them not to retreal-no to re-
tract inch of their rghfu position surrender
one inch Of their righiful possessions Will this
Congress- with their own records before them, thus
consent virtually TO take sides WITH or connlenance
the pretensionS of the enemies OF Maine, and the
| enemies Of our common country.
| Too much Of the argument already made upon
this floor has aimed at only resistance OF the claim
of the British Government to exclusive jurisdiction
the Aroosook country. know 1t is exclusveIu-
Tisdicon that Sir John Harvey is putting forth But
sir this course ofargumen winks out OF sight the true
| claim and position Of Maine, which forbids even
/ the admission of concurrent jurisdiction with the
British Province over this portion OF the disputed
territory 1t is an exclusive, and not divided ju-
risdiction that Maine claims, and SO the House and
country should understand it II she backs out
| from this claim, or submits to receive the con-
current iursdci ion of Great Britain within that por-
tion of the disputed territory known as the ARGOS
took country She yields to dshonor, and will be I'M
worthy of your supportt Sir, do not will not be-
eye that she will do this that she is capable of
it; for by every document that has emanated from
her Governors and Legislatures for theas ten years,
and most of all by her present Governor and pre-
sent Legislature, she stands pledged to herself to her
country, and to the world 10 risk all that she has,
| sacrifice all that she is, or hopes TO be hereafter,
! rather than do this deed of diShonor.
! | am not mistaken in thus presenting to the Com
milee the claim and position to which Maine finds
| herself TINS strongly pledged. And 10 prove this in
conteSaby will refer TO the recent experiments of
Sir JOHN HARVEY on the one side, and Of the pre-
sent Executive of Maine the other, of their re-
spective positions
In a letter of Sir JOHN HARVEY to Gov FAIRFIELD,
dated Februry IL, 1889, the former says:
"SlR / have just heard with the utmos: surprise
IeSict, Wllnout any
nation whatever to this Government, armed force
from the State Of Maine has entered the territory, the
claim 10 phieh IS dispute bcrirt Great Brifan and
The United States and hch has been agreed bct,cirt
the hco General Governments shall remain in The er-
cnsire possession and jurisdiction Of England until
\ thar clam be determined.
II has been my duty, on more than one occasion,
to apprze the Executive Government Of Maine that my
instructions do not permit suffer any interference
,ch thar possession and Jurisdiction until The question
Of right shall hare been finally decided in discussion
betipirt The t,co General Governments"
Such is the position Of the British Governor. Ii
goes for an exclusive jurisdiction over the Aroes-
I took country, which "w not suffer any inerfe-
or,iih ihnt Il. -.