The Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1837-1845, 1842-08-18
THE TREATY..

1t is understood that the Treaty, involving
humber of the points of difference between
ou country and England, will be the subject of
day. We hope (and who does not?) that the
deliberations of the Senate will confirm the
general impression of the People, that final
ard honorable settlement of the questions in
dispute may be moa1 consummated. But mas
much as the Globe, paper supposed by some
to have an influence with portion of the De-
mocratic party, has spoken against the terms OF
the Treaty, we think it just and proper to re-
publish an article on the subject from the
Charleston Mercury, also Democratic journal.
DISPUTED TERRITORY OF MAINE
Much has been said of the disputed territory, in
reference to military operations, and the facilities it
offered for invasion between the United States and
Canada. Such question is not very easy OF dis
dssion with the aid only of such maps as we have
rpw. The recent surveys may afford materials Tor
amiltary chart but they at present beyond our
leach. The Globe argues that by the proposed ar
nngement the United States lose important advan-
tlges both for defence and for invasion. The N. Y.
frpress replies as follows:
"The Washington Globe affects an alarm on ac-
count of an alleged surrender by MIR. Webster and
valuable military line. 1t tells us in substance we
can never reach Quebec by an army now, for we
have given up the way there
awe have before map Of Maine with the agreed
upon Boundary Line traced upon it. The very
sight of this map is an ocular demonstration of the
falsy of the Globes assertion The British, in order
to reach Quebec have got to pass North beyond the
47th degree of latitude in right line, and then north
west towards Quebec. The road they have by the
Madawaska is of no possible use to them against U.S.
-, fO fhnIr md
lower provinces. 1t is road should never think
of reaching Quebec by, and which it would be i'm
possible for in time of war to obsruc without an
outlay of men and means altogether disproportoned
to the object.
"The military route for us to attack Quebec is hro
Maine via the Kennehec--the route taken in the Re
evolutionary war by Arnold and others. No route
north of this, would an American General dream OF
taking. There other routes westward, but that
is the extreme eastern or northern route. Inc
military possession of that territory therefore OF
no use to us. If we could defend it in time OF war,
we could take it. AS for fortifyng in wilderness
in the Attn and 4Sth degree of north latitude, quite
uninhabited, and probably quite uninhabitabe from
the sterility of the SOIL it is all an absurdy."
1t is probably pretty rough place to hight IN at any
rateand it presents obstacles 10 settlement that VIII
probably for long time forbid its being the theatre
Of the operations of large armies The invasion OF
Arnold undertaken for the very reason that II
was beyond all caculaton-t was Complete sur
piseand vet utterly failed 1t IL not hkeiy 10 be
renewed. Maine does not appear to offer the proper
base for the operations of invading army 1t lies
between two British Provinces and on the East per-
fectly penetrabe by any sort of force moving from
the British posts in New Brunswick. The resources
of the United States would be disadvantageously en-
poyed at such distance from the populous parts of
the county,
But, granting that an invasion of Canada should be
made in this dIrecon-what difference will the pro-
posed new distribution of the territory make? 1t
would take 100 600 men to hold that whole range OF
hills against an attack of 10000, far as the mere
passage Of them is concerned. The invading army
can choose the point of attackand it is not likely to
be the one where the strongest resistance will be offer
ed Any force that turn the position OF the de-
Tending army can compel them to abandon their adj
vantages Such would be the effect OF an invasion
by the Kennebec, on any line of defenccs further TO
the northward-they must be abandoned, and the
troops fall back to Quebec 1t would he diff
cult to point out a single instance v here an able gene
raj has been baffled by such obstacle. Napoleon
fought his way the Alps, beating superior army
in possession. The march of the same commander
upon Madrid the invasion of Andalusia by Soult, and
the passage of the Pyrenees by Wellington, are in
stances equally in point. The defence OF Lisbon by
Wellingtons famous lines of Torres Vedras, is quo
ted on the other side hut with doubtful pertnence.
The space defended was small peninsula,
the lines were but few miles from Lisbon, the En-
glish had undisputed command of the sea- the nhabi
tans of the country their side, and Yelling
tons force though inferior, not small in compare
son with the French-t was large enough to take
complete military possession of the whole line of de-
fences Yet it is shrewdly remarked by Col Napier
that the best if the only why he maintain
ed his position, was that he not attacked The
"Lines" proved capital scarecrow and that is about