The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1840-12-31

other tributary Of the 81. Johns, which takes its
course nonheriy and enters that river much
higher up than the Aroostook The Allaguash
| issues from several lakes which again cross this
line or range Of highlands We have now traced
! this range of mountains, as laid down on the
commissioners map, through nearly all It's course
| from the bay OF Chaleurs to the new northwest
angle of Nova Scotia, and FROM thence 10 the
point where the head waters of the 81. Johns
| and the Penobscot found on one side and
the Chaudiere on the other, (Which IS undis-
puted ground,) distance of about $40 miles,
and as far as il is found along the waters OF the
| Iobque-the Aroostook and the Alaguash,
winch IS the greater part OF the distance, the
range OF highlands, as il is represented, does not
even constitute the exterior limit OF any valley
but hes wholly within the valley Of the 81 Johns
The sources OF streams are, by the laws OF ma
| ture the highest parts of them, and constitute
the outer limit of the valleys in which they run
| A part of the head waters Of the fobique Aroos-
took, and Allaguash, lay south of this range and
| run through IT, which proves eonclusively, that
| nearly the whole range, i. there be any thing
that deserves that appellation, lies in the valley
| OF the ST. Johns, and being cut up and divided
| by these waters and pierced by the St Johns
itself at level of only 200 feet above the tide
what claim il have TO be described as the
| highlands of the treaty because of its unbroken
character2 No one can read the treaty and en-
IL
Even If 1t were a continuous, unbroken chain,
how can il be reconced with the treaty when
the treaty says il must be turning its waters
INTO the 81. Lawrence, and must be found by
running line directly north from the monu.
inert, meaning most obviously the elevation
which separates the valley of the St Lawrence
| from the adjoining valleys lying southery of iti
/ The commissioners seem 10 be aware OF the
objection TO placing the northwest angle of No
va Scotia at point so much at variance with
the treaty, and proceed to establish necessity
for il, by contending that, if the angle be placed
where we asser. il should be- no highlands
be found extending from thence TO the northwest
head OF Connecticut river, and for that reason il
would be impossible TO execute the treaty in the
way we insist is right. If this be so, it merits
serious consideration though the objection is
quite as fatal TO the line they point out, aside
| from the other objections Oft. But the ques-
ton is whether the reasoning and proof on this
| point is either conclusive satisfactory. We
think it utterly fails TO sustain the conclusion.
/ The river st. Lawrence drains or takes of the
waters of the valley Of the st. Lawrence, and
all the Territory through which that river ex
tends, and thus drains, is within the limits Of
that valley, and there is of necessity an exterior
| limit which bounds it, which must be found
along these high grounds in which the streams
that flow into il rise. Beyond this limit we all
know the waters flow in another direction, and
1
dividing limit. This law of nature is unchange
able, and nothing can be more certain than tina,
there is an elevation which turns the waters
down in one direction towards the ST. Law
renee, and in the other towards the Atlantic
ocean, and this elevation is continuous at
height sufficient for this purpose. No one ven
lures to contradict this nor is there any map,
even that of the commissioners, which does not
so represent the face of the country.
ho txx,l,a fha
first to find themselves at loss to trace distinct
highlands in ranging lorheasterly along the
route Of the treaty is al the head OF the Chaudere
river. Opposite to the sources OF this river they
admit the most western or southwestern sources
of the ST. Johns are found, and their map repre-
sents these as sprnging from the elevation and
running one way for long distance along this
ridge perhaps one hundred and fifty miles,
while the Chaudiere, Etchemin, and several
other rivers, flow in the opposite direction to the
ST. Lawrence On the one flank is the valley
of the st. Johns, on the other the st. Lawrence,
and the waters Of every storm that spreads over
that region are divided by this crest between
those rivers, We need no other proof of this
than the Interchangeable laws of nature, as the
two valleys cannot exist without such separa-
ton of their waters, and the map and reasoning
of the commissioners admit il in the fullest ex-
tent.
But the Commissioners deny that this divid-
ing elevation is the highland OF the treaty, be-
cause they aver il consists OF peaks with broad
gaps intervening, and because some of ii is
swampy and the rivers which have their sources
there, and run down the opposite shores oreriap
each other
The language of the treaty is peculiar Ii
desgnates the route where the line is TO be run,
not as mountains, or hills, or a connected chain
of either, but as the highlands achich diride the
,irers. Nothing is required but land high
| enough to perform this offce-when therefore
they admit that the streams do rise and flow each
way, they yield the whole argument-for the
land, if tabular or swampy, answers as well to
the treaty as if il were in ridges or succession
of mountain peaks, as il is high enough to do
what the treaty requires, divide the waters.
1t is also continuous and unbroken for this
purpose, as it every where, from the northwest
angle of Nova Scotia al the river Metis, which
flows into the st. Lawrence, and thence to the
Chaudiere and thence TO the northwesternmost
head of the Connecticut, separates the sources
of the streams, and is itself the parent Of them
all, containing in itself the sources that feed
them. Ii matters not II some parts are more
elevated than others, and give TO il a broken APP
pearance, as all parts are high enough.
Nor does il merit the least consideration that
the rivers oreridp each other, by which we I'M
dersand, for example, that the source of rver
flowing down the south slope is farther north
IMAM tne source Oh Il TlVeT moving uoWH tne
north slope. The treaty does not require
straight line, but provides that 1t shall be run
where the land divides the water. Ifthese rivers
do thus overlap still there is dividing line of
the waters between and around the sources of
each-an elevation passing between and around
the head Of each which divides and turns the
water each way, and the line Of the treaty is to
follow this elevations, be its direction what il
may. Ii is enough that this crest is made the
line and that those who made il knew the line
must be crooked, unless, contrary 10 the laws of