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

frontier OF the United States down the Missis-
slpp 10 Florida, and thence across, easterly TO
the Atlantic ocean, the description Of the boun-
daries proceeds as follows: "East by a line 10
De drdlcn along the middle of the river ST. Croix
from lis mouth in the bay Of Fundy TO its
sources and from its source directly north no
THE AFORESAID HIGHLANDS, which dipidc the
rivers that fall into the Atlantic ocean from those
winch fall into the ST. Lawrence
The treaty is thus explicit and thus drawn to
| prevent all future disputes which might arise
Some differences OF opinion had existed between
The French and the English as well as the Co
lonles, about the exact boundaries. The design
plainly was 10 remove all doubt in future. Now
let US see II we can find this line by the de-
scrption. Ii so, nothing remains To be done
but 10 mark il, and the intentions of the parties
TO the treaty will be accomplished.
There is a river called the ST. Lawrence
which fiows from the great chain OF lakes, and
running northeastery, enters the Atlantic ocean
through the Gulf Of ST. Lawrence. This river,
like all Others takes off the waters of its val
leys, and they drain into il through its trbuta-
RES on each side, and those on the south side
are referred TO IN the treaty as rivers which
empty themselves into the St. Lawrence This
valley must have an outer skirt or crest where
these streams commence, and descend till their
waters mingle with the great river. All this is
jects enumerated agree with the treaty, and this
crest, as we shall show, is the highland Of the
treaty.
There is also a river ST. Croix whose mouth
is IN the Bay of Fundy, and line has been
drawn along the middle of it to It's source, where
monument has by solemn agreement been
erected upon the place designated as the source.
From this monument the treaty says the line
shall be run directly north to the highlands which
10 thntf fall 49, n.
from those that fall into the ST. Lawrence That
such line extended from the monument will
lntersect the ST Lawrence, admits of no doubt,
and II IS equally certain, that in passing that dis
lance, Il must be carried over the southron 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 refutaton,
that several rivers rise on the southern side of
this separating elevation, and descending thence
are lost in the Atlantic ocean. They succeed
each other from the Connecticut river north
easterly along the elevation, as follows: The
Andrcscoggin, the kenncbeck the penobscot,
the St John and the Restigouch The distance
is perhaps three hundred miles along this cleva-
ton, having the waters of the st. Lawrence de-
scendlng from the northery slope, and those of
the above rivers from the southerly.
Thus we have all the marks OF identity emu
meratcd in the treaty.
First. The St Lawrence river and the rivers
emptying themselves intoit. g.,
Second. The St Croix river with its mouth
and source established by agreement
Third. An elevation dividing the streams fall
ing into the St Lawrence from those falling in
10 the Atlantic ocean.
The northwest angle of Nova Scotia is the
point where the boundaries commence, and il is
easily found ii this data be correct. An that re-
mains to be done TO fix the point is to draw line
directly north from the monument to the eleva-
ton or southern skirt of the valley of the ST.
Lawrence which sends its watsrs down into the
sea- on the one 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 il. If, therefore, the treaty be
observed and we limit ourselves to the objects
there specified nothing remains TO be done but
TO run this line directly north TO this elevation,
and then up the elevation 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 di-
vldes 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 run
directly north till it comes TO the highlands
which divide these waters, and no other-we
cannot therefore stop short of lands which send
down their waters into the St Lawrence, nor
can 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 as described in the treaty If they do the
line can most certainly be run.
Aware of this, the commissioners in their ex-
parte report have assumed that the highlands do
not W Sou assumed bpcausa iS
from their account of their doings that they de-
voted little attention to the actual Boundary of
the treaty, but exhausted their time and ingenu-
ty in deyising some substitute for it, The line
to which we claim from the monument to the
northwest angle of Nova Scotia, and thence to
the northwcstmost head of Connecticut river
may be about three to four hundred miles in
length and as far as we can Judge from the re-
port and the map, the commissioners crossed it
in some few places in their surveys, and that is
all they saw or pretend TO have seen of it. All
else they know is gathered from evidence which
has been long before the public, and is in fact
their argument, havin. no conneXIon with their
exploration. This line is left as much out of
sightas the character of the inquiry will posi-
bly aow-while much labor is spent to recon
Gle the provisions of the treaty with one that
has been hitherto wholly unknown, Their task
is full of difficulty for they must first prove that
the line to which we clam cannot DE run out
under the provisions of the treaty and, next,
that the one which they recommend, can.-To
understand their views, we will follow them on
the material matters in the order in which they
have reported upon them.
They contend. first that the colonial line Of
Nova Scotia, under the grant of that territory,
inclusive of New Brunswick, to Sir William
Alexander, in 1921, by the Crown of Great
Britain. is identical with the treaty line of 1888
and then proceed to prove that this line, start
ing from the head of the westernnost branch Of
the Saint Croix river, instead OF running north
TO the st. Lawrence, runs about northwest TO
the head waters of the Chaudere, tributary Of
the st. Lawrence, near Quebec Having es-