Wheeling times and advertiser. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1839-1849, 1843-04-24

attached 10 the remarks OF the dlStIn-
gulshcd author Of the report just laid be.
fore tie Society.
lie won d then advert to two or three
general IDEAS necessary to DO kept m
view when considering the great ques-
tons connected with the important
question OF boundary, upon its merits
In tic first place, he would say the trea.
ty otI7S3 granted nothing whatever 10
the United States. Ii granted nat gov
eminent no poIicial rights whatever.
and not an inch OF territory. These
were declared when her independence,
was declared; these were established
when her existence as a tree nation was
established these stood upon the decla-
ration OF ~lIIO-they stand theIeupon
now-and thereupon they will cvei
stand. lGreat applause. The rights
Of territory possessed by The American
colonies were iaSed upon their charters
reaching back to the Stuarts. The trea-
Iy OF peace recognized those rights in
their iull. force, in It's acknowledgement
OF our national independence, and the
territory belonging 10 England before
that, by her right IN her colonies, be
came the territory Of those colonies as
free and independent states. Up 10 that
time this question of boundary had peer
a question between England and Mussa-
chusctts-the great contest settled, II be-
came a question between England aud
the United States Of America.
Now, asked MIR Webster, what, in
point or fact, was the exact boundary be.
tween Nova Scotia at that time, and
A14--..lr-.tt-D l. ..l,.. H.
question Alright, it was necessary To- go
back and review some yet earlier occur
FENCES on this continent. In the year
1885 there was a conflict between Eng
land aud France on one side, and Spain
on the other, and at the termination OF
that contest, aud as one Of lis terms.
tlorIda was ceded on the one hand. and
Canada on the other; and then it was
that the boundaries between these pro.
vinccs were fixed and defined 5y treaty.
The Claim Of Massachusetts, as against
France, had been over the highlands To
the St. Lawrence as her bouniery. But
by the treaty oiParis the boundary was
described as proceeding due north from
the head Of 81 Croix 10 the celebrated
range of highlands. This cut off Mas.
sachusetts from much Of her claim, as
she had prior to that time insisted on it,.
and she actually complained Of the terms
Of that arrangement on that account
She complained that too much ofthe soil
claimed by her had been taken into Can.
ada, and had been yielded by Treaty..
But to S~agadahoe in the provinces Of
Maine the British title, at that limr. haa
Hevcr been extinct, aud tnis dispute was
eventually settled by Great Brrarn's
! Vie ding her claim to that, on condition
that Massachusetts would yield her con
sent To the treaty arrangement OF the
northeastern boundary line Lefore de.
scribed.
Thus, in 1888, when peace was rati
lied, the precise question was, what was
the boundary, as then understood and re
ceived, between Nova Scotia ton the
part Of Great Brittany and Massachu
sets, Ton that of the United States y
What was in, i'll fact, the existing line
between the two countries? To ascer-
tain this beyond cavil was the object OF
he commissioners of that treaty.
All the French maps of the time re
present the line as claimed Those
which present ii otherwise are Of recent
date. And hence il is very apparent
what in fact was the opinion Of the
French government, regarding its boun-
dary between Canada and the British
provinces. The time claimed by the
United States, is precisely hat laid down
on these maps as the rue boundary and
the newly found map, hearing the auto
graph yeri cation ofMr Jay himself dis
closes the same line, calls it MIR. o..
wald's line, 'and thus conc. u~siyely proves
that, as the United States have ever
claimed, so, up to the peace Of 1888, had
England yer allowed that the treaty Of
that year was drawn with that map be.
fore the Commissioners, and that there
was then no contradiction Of the posi-
uon that it was the true line.
All these questions Ito the exact state
mon' Of which on our part, the circum
stances Of our position already alluded
TO, lnterPosed an obstacle,l Mr. Webster
then went 10 say were no longer Of
practical importance, the whole matter
having been settled; but historically o n
sl9ered, they were otherwise. lie then
proceeded to remark upon tbs conflict
Of the maps adduced on one side, and on
the other Of this controversy as being
very remarkable. The balance, after
complaining them all with care and at.
t%entiOn, was greatly in favor Of the Uni.
ted States claim. That claim, clear as
It was, was not originally opposed by
the British Government on the ground
Of error in drawing The boundary line,
but upon that Of the extreme advantage
such a time afforded the United STATES