Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-03-31


the Government of the United States reply TO their
last proposal upon the subject of the boundary negoa
ton
The undersigned avails himself Of this occasion to
renew to the Secretary of State of the United States
the assurance of his distinguished consideration.
II. S. FOX.
Hon. JOHN FoRsYrm, &c.
Mr.. Forsyth to Mr.. For.
DEPARTMENT STATE,
Washington March %, 1910.
The undersigned, Secretary of State of the u. s.,
acknowledges TO have received Mr.. Foxs comnunica-
ton of the 18th inst, reference TO the boundary
gotation and the affairs of the disputed territory The
information given in the closing part of IT, that
ply to the last proposition of the IT, S. upon the sub
iect of the boundary may be expected IN short time,
highly gratifying the President, who has, however,
given directions to the undersigned in making this
acknowledgement, to accompany with the expression OF
his profound regret that Mr. Foxs note is in no other
respect satisfactory.
After the arrangements which, IN the beginning OF
last year, entered into the part OF the two Co.
vernmens with regard 10 the occupation of the disputed
territory the President had INDUCED the hope that the
of irritation which had grown ont OF this branch
of the subject could have been removed Relying on
the disposition of Maine TO cooperate with the Federal
Government in all that could lead to pacific ad just
mcnt of the principal question, the President felt conf
dent that his determination to maintain order and peace
the border would be fully carried out. lie looked
upon all apprehensions of designs by the people of
Maine to take possession Of the territory, without
adequate foundation; deemng II improbable that on
the eve of an amicabe adjustment of the question, any
portion of the American people would, without cause
and without object, leopard the success Of the ncgo
alton and endanger the peace of the country. trou
blesome irritating, and comparatively unmportant, be-
subordinate, subject being thus disposed OF, the
President hoped that the parties would be left free at
once 10 discuss and finally adjust the principal question
In III La baah Aap ntpI thp
ings of her Majestys Government at home, have
boon attended with unlooked-ior delays, its attention
has been diverted from the great subject in contro
versy by repeated complaints, imputing to portion
of the people of the United States designs to violate
the engagements of their Government; designs which
have never been entertained and which Mr. Fox
knows would receive countenance from this Go
vernment
II is to be regretted that at this late hour, much
msapprehension still exists the side of the British
Government, to the object and obvious meaning OF
the existing arrangements respecting the disputed ter
rtory. The i'll success which appears to have attend
ed the efforts made BY the undersigned to convey,
through Mr. Fox to her Maestys Government, more
impressions respecting them, calls for recurr-
encc the subject, and brief review OF the cores
pondence which has grown out of it, may tend TO re-
move the erroneous views which prevail, TO the
manner in which the terms of the arrangements refer
red to have been observed.
As Mr. Fox had no authority to make any agreement
respecting the exercise of jurisdiction over the disputed
terrtory that between him and the undersigned Of the
9th Of February 1880, had for its object prov-
sional arrangement for the restoration and preservation
of peace in the Territory To accomplish this object,
provided that her Macstys officers should not seek
to expel by military force, the armed party which had
been sent by Maine into the district bordering on the
Resook river; and that, the other hand, the Co
vcrnment Of Maine would voluntarily, and without
needless delay withdraw beyond the bounds of the dis
Then in fhou
Besides this the arrangement had other obects-the
dispersion Of notorious trespassers, and the protection
of public property from depreciation In future
necessity should arise from this, the operation was to
be conducted by concert, jointly separately, accord
ing to agreement between the Government OF Name
and New Brunswick.
In this last mentioned respect the agreement looked
to some further arrangement between Maine and New
Brunswick. Through the agency OF Gen Scott, one
was agreed to- the 23d and 18th of March following,
by which Sir John Harvey bound himself not TO seek,
without renewed instructions to that effect from his
Government to take military possession of the Terrific.
ry repel from it by military force the armed civil
posse or the troops Of Maine On the part of Maine,
was agreed by her Governor, that attempt should
be made without renewed Instructions from the Legs-
lature TO disturb by the province Of New Bruins
wick in the possession Of the Madawaska settlements,
Or interrupt the usual communications between that
and the upper provinces. As TO possession and uris-
dicton, they to remain unchanged, each party
holding, in fact possession of part OF the disputed Ter
rory but each denying the right of the other TO do
With shat understanding Maine was, without unne-
cessary DELAY to withdraw her military orce leaving
ony under land agent email civil posse, armed or
unarmed protect The timber recently cut and topre-
vent further depredatlons.
In the complaints of infractons Of the agreements
of the State Of Maine, addressed to the undersigned,
Mr. Fox has assumed two positions, which are not au-
thorized by the terms of those agreements 1s, ad-
pht nf IN ma n
the disputed territory for the purposes stated IN
the agreement he does with the restriction that the
action of the posse to be confined within certain
limits and I'd, by making the advance OF the Name
posse into the valley Oft the Upper ST. John the ground
of his complaint of encroachment upon the Madawas-
ka settlement he assumes to extend the limits OF that
settlement beyond those occupied at the date OF the
agreement.
The United States cannot acquiesce in either OF these
positions.
subscribed to by Governor Fairfield and Sir John Har-
vey defining any limits in the disputed territory with
in which the operations of the civil posse of Maine were
to be crcumscrbed The task Of preserving the timber
recently cut and Of preventing further depredations
ach the disputed terrt0ry assigned to the State OF
Maine after her military force should have been with
drawn from it; and it TO be accomplished by clvll
posse, armed unarmed which to continue IN the
territory, and to operate in every part oft where us
agency might be required to protect the timber already
cut and prevent further depredations without any IL
imitation whatever, any restrictions except SUCH us
might be construed into an attempt to disturb by arms
the Province of New Brunswick in her possession OF the
Madawaska settlement, interrupt the usual commu-
nicaton between the provinces. 1t is thus in the e1-
ercse of legitimate right and in the Conscientious
discharge of obligation imposed upon her by So
lemn compact that the State of Maine has done those
which have given rise to complaints for which no
adequate is perceived. The undersigned feels
confident that when those acts shall have been consl-
dered by her Majesty's Government at home, as e.
planned in his note TO Mr. Fox, of the 2ith of Decem-
Dor last and in connection with the foregoing remarks
they will no longer be viewed calculated to excite
the apprehensons Of her Majestys Government that