Litchfield enquirer. [volume] (Litchfield, Conn.) 1829-current, 1842-09-15

Lake Superior, the line was definitvely
! agreed upon by the Commissioners of fhc
two Governments, under the 9th article of
the Treaty of Client. But between this last
mentioned point and the Lake OF the Woods,
the Commissioners acting under the 7th ar
tcle of that treaty found several matters Of
disagree ment, and therefore made no Joint
report to their respective Governments
The first of these was Sugar Island, or st.
Georges Island, lying in st. Mary's river,
or the water communication between Lakes
Huron and superior. BY the present treaty
this Island is embraced in the territories of
the United States. Both from soil and posi-
ton, it is regarded rs Of much value.
Another matter of difference was the man.
nor Of extending the line from the point al
which the commissioners arrived, north Of
Isle Royale, in Lake Superior, to the Lake
of the Woods. The British commissioner
insisted on proceeding to the Fond du Lac.
at the southwest angle of the Lake, and
thence by the River ST. Louis to the Rainy
Lake. The American commissioner sup
posed the true course to be to proceed by
way of Dog River. Attempts were made to
compromise this difference, but without
success. The details of these proceedings
are found at length in the printed, separate
reports of the Commissioners.
From the imperfect knowledge Of this re-
mote country, at the date Of the treaty of
peace, some of the descriptions in that trea-
ty do not harmonic with it's natural features
as now ascertained. "Long Lake" is no.
where to be found under that name. There
is reason for supposing, however, that the
sheet intended by that name, is the estuary
at the mouth of Pigeon River. The present
treaty adopts, therefore, that estuary and
River, and afterwards pursues the usual
route, across the height of land by various
portagcs and small lakes, till the line reach
es Rainy Lake; from which the commits
sioners agreed on the extension of it to its
| termination, in the northwest angle of the
Lake of the Woods. The region of country
on the near shore of the Lake, between
Pigeon River on the north, and Fond du Lac
and the River St. Louis on the south and
west, considered valuable as mineral re-
gion, is thus included within the United
States. 1t embraces territory of four mil
lions of acres, northward of the claim set
up by the British Commissioners under the
treaty of Client. From the height of land,
at the head of Pigeon River, westerly to the
Rainy Lake, the country is understood to be
of little value, being described by survey
ors and marked on the map as region of
rock and water.
From the northwest angle Of the Lake of
the Woods, which is found to be in latitude
treaties require the line to be run due south
to its intersection with the 35th parallel, and
thence along that parallel to the Rocky
Mountains.
After sundry informa! communications
with the British minister upon the subject
of the claims of the two countries to terri
tory west of the Rocky Mountains, so little
probability was found to exist of coming TO
any agreement on that subject at present,
that it was not thought expedient to make
it one of the subjects of formal negotiation,
to be entered upon between this Govern
ment and the British minister, as part of
his duties under his special mission.
BY the treaty of 1888, the line of division
along the rivers and lakes, from the place
where the 45th parallel of north latitude
strikes the st. Lawrence, to the outlet OF
Lake Superior, is invariably to be drawn
through the middle of such waters, and not
through the middle of their main channels.
Such a lire, if exte nded according to the
literal terms Of the treaty, would it is obvi-
Gus, occasionally intersect islands. The
manner in which the commissioners of the
two Governments dealt with this difficult
subject, may be seen in their report. But
where the line, thus following the middle of
the river or water course, did not meet with
islands, yet it was liable sometimes to leave
the only practicable navigoble channel al
together on one side. The treaty made no
provision for the common use of the waters
by the citzcnsand subjects of both countries.
1t has happened, therefore, in few instan-
ces, that the use of the river, in particular /
places, would be greatly diminished, TO one |
party or the other, if in fact, there was not q |
choice in the use of channels and passages |,
Thus at the Long Sault, in the st. Lawrence,
dangerous passage, practicable only for |
hoats the only safe run is between the Long
Sault Islands and Barnhardl's Island, all of
which belong to the United States, on one
side. and the American shore on the other. |
On the other hand, by tar the best passage
for vessels of any depth of water, from Lake
Erie into the Detroit River is between Bots
Blanc, u British Island and the Canadian
shore. So again there are several channels
or passges, of different degrees of facility and
usefulness. between the several Islands in the
River st. Clair, at or near its entry into the
lake of that name. In these three cases, the
treaty provides that all the several channels
and passages shall be free and open to the use
of the citizens and subjects of both parties.
The treaty obligations subsisting between
the two countries for the suppression of the
African slave trade,and the complaints made
to this Government within the last three or
four years, many ofthem but too we'll found
ed, of the visitation, seizure and detention of
American vessels on that coast. by British
cruzcrs could not but form delicatc and
highly important part of the negotiations
which have now been held.
The early and prominent part which the
Government of the United States has taken