Rutland herald. [volume] (Rutland, Vt.) 1823-1847, 1840-03-31
From the Ceedonian
THE BOUNDARY QUESTION, &c.

THE BOUNDARY QUESTION, &c
! The settlement, of this question cannot bu-
| be regarded as more distant than it was one
year ago II has been permitted to pass along
with little If any sincere effort to secnte its
speedy adjustment. Had Lord Melbourne oc.
| cupied the Presidential chair instead Of Van
! Buren,, the results of the past year in relation
! TO this subject. could have been hardly less
! favorable to Great Britain than they now are.
! Had the President not ordered Maine to back
out from the position she assumed last year,
and had only encouraged her 20 drive the Brit
| ish out of the territory and to line the limits
with Notifications, had this been done, Eng
land no doubt would ere this, have fully aban-
doned her false grounded claim. But now she
has taken courage at our cowardice and laughs
at the imbecile and pusillanlmous conduct of
those at the head Of our Government.
We need the man at the head Of our affairs
who Col. Johnson declares never lost bat
tle'-the man that humbed the proud Proctor,
and drove the British from the North Western
frontier. England would behold him as an
old acquaintance before whose prowess her
best soldiers found il convenient TO retreat
Our Correspondent Jefferson in the following
remarks takes the right view of the subject.
Mr. Editor 1T is with no little concern
that have read Of late from week to week
the accounts relative to the North Eastern
Boundary Question, inasmuch as the chances
for an amcabe adjustment of the dispute seem
less and less favorable. When the Temporal
~ arrangement was entered into wear AGO
between the Secretary Of State at WASHINGTON
and the British minister, mr.. Fox, it was the
general expectation of the whole country that
ii would he followed by some prompt action
on the part OF the President to enforce prop
er settlement Such was the tenor of mr.. Van
Buren's communication, through mr. Forsyth,
to the Gov. OF Maine, and such the communi-
cation to Congress But year has passed,
and what steps have been taken by our Gov
eminent either to procure the peaceable adj
justmcnt of the dispute. or to prepare for the
Of Our rights, should Great Brit
ain resort to force.
1t seems hardly probable now, that Great
Britain will acknowledge our claim She has
improved the season OF our delay for construc-
ling extensive Notifications not only against
the disputed territory, but at various points on
the Canadian frontier, evidently with the in
tention of enforcing her claim At the point OF
the bayonei while our Government have no,
appropriated any thing for corresponding for
tifica tons.
NO doubt we possess the ability by land to
repei anv aggressive movement onthe of Eng !
land, and Ultimately TO drive them from their
Ill gotten possessions on our borders. but il |
must be at an expense of blood and treasure
wholly unnecessary and which might be saw
ed by timely preparation. The well tried
proverb in peace prepare for war seem who'll |
ly neglected by our Government. their whole
energies seeming 10 be engrossed in ouarrels
upon the currency and the domestic iustitu
lions OF the States.
have spoken of our ability to meet the |
British by land. ] might speak with equal
coincidence OF our Naval proves if circum- |
stances were equal.-The splendid Naval |
victories achieved by our countrymen during
The last war, leave no room to doubt that with |
proper preparation we could meet them sue.
-essfully on the ocean. But while England
mas been constantly augmen'ing her navy.
what has been done by the American overn.
nent since Gen Jackson's first electiont The
pennsylvania "a then partially built, has teen
completed, and some Of our old friga,es have
been repaired and recently small steam frip-
ate has been built at philadelphia, and this
ellis the story OF our naval preparations. Our
larbors are IN a miserable stale of defence.
md most Of them may easily be entered by
he steam vessels Of England.
II seems hardly pardonable that our Gov
eminent should have so entirely overlooked
he necessity OF constructing steam vessels of
war. Great Britain has al the present time
q steam frigaies ready for active service.
Ana without more or less OF the same craft.
"hat can prevent those vessels in case ola
war, from picking up our merchant men a,
pleasure and even cutting them out Of our
nafbors' IN sight of our heavy armed vesselsi
" ere The skill and courage Of our gallant tars
md mariners ten fold as great as in the ST
var, II would be madness to hope for success
Ieainsi such engines until We were equally
" similarly equipped, Our case would M,
Inaptly compare with a brave band of warri-
RS, armed with bows and arrows. and con,rn-
hog with regular corps equipped with fire
rms
But why delay 10 prepare for the probable
mergehcv that awaits usi No time should
e iost-We have the skill, and we possess
ne means, and the nations energies should be
nj IN requisllion for placing the country in an
attitude 10 cope with the all grasp
ng bower Of England.
why does not the Government awake 10
re necessity Of such preparations Does
~ Van Buren, and his Cabinet fear that il
al provoke Grea, Britain TO a declaration OF
'at Has the British Government any fears
'helr part Does not all history show thai
'ariiks preparations, and especially measures
- ehect1al defence. tend most certainly 10
neck The aggressive propensity ola helbper. 4
o. Power' But we shall probably look in {
am - the present administration for the i'm.
'nani measures called for and their wsnion
'sie1 Wan result 10 disgrace Of the nation. q
JEFFERSON.