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

prersnted Is hereby agreed and dectared that IN,
following are and shall be The boundartes VIZ from
the NORTHWEST ANGLE Of Nova Scotia to wit THAT
\ ANGLE which is found by line drawn directly noyh
from he source fthe ST. Croix river TO he Highland
along the said Highlands which dirtde the rivers that
empty themselves into the river ST. Lawrence from
those which fall into the Atlantic ocean 10 the north
westernmost head Of Connecticut river &c After
passing along the northern and western frontier Of the
United States, down the Mississippi 10 Florida, and
thence across easterly 10 the Atlantic ocean the de
scrption Of the boundaries proceeds as follows east
by line 70 DC draVn along the middle Of the rver St
Crox from its mouth in the bay Of Fundy It's source
and from its directly north TO THE AFORESAID
HIGHLANDS which diride the rivers that fall into the
Atlantic from those which fall into the St Law
| renee"
The treaty is thus explicit and thus drawn, to pre-
vent all future DISPUTES which might arise Some
differences Of opinion had existed between the French
and the English well the Colonies about the
exact boundaries, The design plainly was 10 remove
all doubt in future. Now let US see if we can find
this line by the description. Ii so, nothing remains 10
be done but to mark it, and the intentions OF the par.
ties to the treaty will be accomplished.
There is a river called the ST Lawrence which
flows from the great chain Of lakes and running north
easterly enters the Atlantic through the Gull
Of St, Lawrence. This river like all others takes
of the waters of its valley, and they drain into il
through its tributaries each side and those on the
south side referred TO in the treaty rivers which
empty themselves into the St Lawrence This valley
must have skirt where these streams
commence, and descend till their waters minge with
the great river All this is too plain to admit of any
question and the objects enumerated agree with the
treaty, and this crest, shall show is the high
land of the treaty.
| There is also river St Croix whose mouth il in
| the Bay Of Fundy, and line has been drawn along
the middle Of it to its source, where a monument has
BY solemn agreement been erected upon ;he place de-
| sgnate1 as the From this monument the
treaty says the line shall be directly north to the
highlands which divide the rivers that fall into the At.
lantc ocean from those that fall into the ST. Lawrence
| That such line extended from the monument will
intersect the ST. Lawrence, admits Of no doubt and
il is equally certain that in passing that distance i,
be carried the southern limit or crest of the
valley of the st. Lawrence from which the streams
descend to that river.
1t is fact also equally incapable of reiutaton that
several rivers rise the southern side of this sepaa
ting elevation and descending thence are lost in the
Atlantic They succeed each other from the
Connecticut river northeasery along the elevation as
follows The Andrescoggin the Kennebeck the
Penobscot, the ST. John and the Restgouch The
distance is perhaps three hundred miles along this ele-
walton, having the waters of the St Lawrence de.
scending from the norherly slope and those of the
above rivers from the southery.
Thus We have all the marks of identity enumerated
in the treaty
First The St La Srence river and the rivers empty
ing themselves into it.
Second. The ST. Croix river with its mouth and
source established BY agreement
Third. An elevation dividing the streams falling
into the St Lawrence from those falling into the At
lantc ocean
The northwest angle of Nova Scotia is the point
where the boundaries commence and is easily found
if this date be All that remains to be done to
fix the point is to draw line directly north from the
monument to the elevation or southern skirt of the
valley of the ST. Lawrence which sends its waters
down into the sea, the hand, and into the ST
Lawrence on the other and at the terminus of such
line is the northwest angle of Nova Scotia for there
the treaty places it, If, therefore the treaty be OBJ
served and limit ourselves to the objects there spe
CITED nothing remains to be done but to run this line
directly north to this elevation and then UP the ecva
ton TILL we come to the highest point which divides the
waters This done, the treaty is executed for line
drawn from this point along the elevation where it
divides the waters to the northwesternmost head Of
Connecticut river, makes the northwest angle of Nova
Scotia, and completes the line from the Bay of Fundy
to the head of Connecticut river No other route but
this can be taken in compliance with the treaty for the
line must directly north till it comes to the high.
lands which divide these waters, and no other--we
cannot therefore stop short of lands which send down
their waters into the ST. Lawrence, we search
for them in any other direction except directly north
from the monument 1t thus plainly appears that no
matter Is open for discussion except the fact whether
the objects exist described in the treaty If they
do tie line can most certainly be run
Aware OF this, the commissioners in their exparie
report have assumed that the highlands do exist
we say assumed, because il is evident from their
count of their dongs that they devoted little attention
10 the actual Boundary of the treaty, but exhausted
their time and ingenuity in devising substitute
for it. The line to which claim from the monu-
ment to the northwest angle of Nova Scotia and
thence to the northwcsternmos head of Connecticut
river, may be about three to four hundred miles in
length, and as far Judge from the report and
the map, the commissioners crossed ii in some few
places in their surveys and that is all they saw or pre-
tend TO have oft All else they know is gather
ed from evidence which has been long before the pub
lie, and is in fact their argument, having connection
with their exploration This line is left much out
of sight the character of the inquiry will possibly
aow-whilc much labor il spent To reconcile the pro-
visions of the treaty with that has been hitherto