The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-10-16

examination into all the facts, and monument erect
ed BY mutual agreement and the act ratified by both
governments II quite too late to spring opinion
upon mere casual hasty exploration that il is erect
ed the wrong river and that the line ought to be
northwest, because the colonial line SO ran, when
the treaty requires that it shall be directly north
But this is not all; for these commissioners be-
leved TO be the first persons who in lapse Of over
two centuries have given this construction to the
charter of 1921, contended that this line should be
so run. But as II can be no way important to follow
out this labored argument for the colonial charter can
not be substituted for the treaty, shall dismiss it
with this observation, that it appears to be introduced
or one of two purposes-to invite England TO violate
her pledged faith create confusion in the ques
ton at issue. We would also add, that we do not
see how such line could, in any particular, agree
with the treaty.
The next attempt is to establish line which con-
forms is alleged, in all respects to the treaty; and
so the argument to prove that the line Of the char
Ter the true line deserves little consideration This
new line brings the northwest angle of Nova Scotia
nearly if not quite, hundred miles south of the
point where we contend the treaty places it-cuis of
one-third of Maine throws the St. Johns river
wholly into the Province of New Brunswick, which is
part ofthe original Province OF Nova Scotia.
The reader must have some acquaintance with the
geography the country understand this new pre-
tension.
The bay of Chaeurs bounds New Brunswick on
the north dividing far il stretches interior from
the sea, which may be one hundred miles from the
District ofGospee in Lower Canada, which lays north
of it, Gospee is peninsula, lying between the bay
al Chaleurs and the river st. Lawrence, and is of
considerable width, say fifty sixty miles. The ri
yer Res,iquoche which has its sources in the south
en slope Of the elevation highlands between it and
the ST. Lawrence, runs in eastery direction nearly
parallel to the dividing highlands and enters the head
ofthe bay Of Chaleurs The ST. Johns river rises in
the same elevation on ghands, but far to the south
west Of the head waters of the Resqouche, and also
takes its course neatly parallel to the elevation, in
norheastery direction, till it approaches the head wa
tiers of the Resqouche when il is turned to the left
takes course southcrly for long distance, then
southeaserly and enters the bay of Fundy, which is
the southern boundary of New Brunswick. The
most of the head waters of the ST. Johns are
opposite to the head waters of the Chaudiere river
lawrence some miles above Quebec. The line which
the commissioners draw into controversy extends from
the of the ST. Johns and the Chaudiere north
eastery to the northwest angle of Nova Scotia dis
of perhaps two hundred miles, and thence south
towards the monument, about one hundred miles to
the point where they propose to place this angle near
the junction of the Aroostook and st. Johns. With
this description, which will be readily comprehended
with the aid Of map we proceed to give some ac-
count of the line of highlands discovered by the
commissioners, and shall represent it find it on
their map which is made to present their views of the
face of the country. 1t commences, not on the east
line of the United States or at the newly proposed
northwest angle of Nova Scotia but the south side
Of the bay of Chaleurs in the province of New Bruins
wick about one hundred and twenty miles easterly of
the St Johns river at its junction with the Aroostook
river and Is traced souhwestcrly till it the St
Johns, near where the river Tosique enters it from
the east and then falls upon the waters Of the Aroos
took coming in from the west and here they make the
northwest angle of Nova Scotia some fifty or sixty
lilies north of the monument, at the head of the ST.
Croix. The line is thence traced southwestery TO
the highlands which separate the sources of the st.
westernmost head of Connecticut river The distance
from the ST. Johns southwesterly the sources ofthe
Chaudiere, may be one hundred and twenty miles
This is described as an unbroken chain of highlands
corresponding to the requirements of the treaty. We
will now test the truth of this conclusion by facts
drawn chiefly from the report and the map of the com
missioners.
The proposition that line drawn directly north
nom he monument shall stop at or near the Aroos-
took river, far from where it enters the ST. Johns,
and tbor one hundred miles south of the northwest
angle Of Nova Scotia to which claim, and which is
situated uppn high lands which send their waters
DOWN into the St Lawrence.
The first inquiry is, if they place the northwest
angie of Nova Scotia Gas they must if be at the ter
minus of line drawn directly north from the monu-
ment according 70 the requirement of the treaty. at
the Aroostook VIII it be upon highlands which turn
their waters into the st. Lawrence And the answer
is, that it will not, but in the valley of the St Johns
westerly of but that river itself line from that
point to the Chaudiere, will leave much the larger
portion of the valley of the st. Johns well as the
AVER itself between such line and the highlands which
az drained on the north side into the St Lawrence.
lhe St Johns, as has been Observed first east
ety. then turning nearly at right angles souther
y receiving the Aroostook from the west. The
Aroosook therefore lays south and west of the st,
Johns and is wholly within the valley of that stream,
The highlands of the commissioners represented
ranging along the Aroostook southwesterly and as
oeng crossed by it and its branches in several places,
while the range is nearly one hundred miles southerly
L. a.. ~ Tho
lawrence and in its whole extent from the mouth OF
The Aroostook to the head waters of the Chaudure
about one hundred and twenty miles the St Johns
ndIts tributaries between it and such highlands.
lhe northwest angle of Nova Scotia if placed at this