The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-01-04

not stand in a far condition than ever IN refer
ence to our clami Would it not, indeed, be almost
certain that we should The whole of the basin OF
the St John and Great Britain gain all for which she
ever commended strengthened she would be by the
disclosures made during this discus ion!' He was
The following extract from the speech of Mr.
RIvEs the chairman of the Committee on Foreign Re
ations, will show what the disclosures were:
II appears to the committee, therefore, in looking
back to the public and solemn acts of the Govern
ment, and of its successive administrations that the
time has passed, if it existed when could be
justified in making the precise line Of boundary
claimed by the subject OF sine qua non of nego-
tiation, or of the uiiinO raiio--of assertion BY
force. Did second arbitration, then, afford the
prospect OF more satisfactory result This expe-
dent seemed TO be equally rejected by all parties
by the United States, BY Great Britain, and by the
State Of Maine. IL such alternative should be
contemplated by any one as preferable to the
rangement which had been made, II is tit to bear in
mind the risk and uncertainty, well as the ney
bic delay and expense, incident to that mode of de-
cson. We have already seen, in the instance of the
arbitration by the King Of the Netherlands, how
much weight tribunal of that sort is inclined to
give to the argument of convenience, and supposed
intention the part of the negoators of the treaty
of 1888, against the literal and positive terms
poyed by the instrument in its description of limits
Is there danger, in the event of another arbtra
ton, that farther research into the public archives
of Europe might bring TO light some embarrassing
(even though apocryphal) document, to throw new
AIDE of plausible doubt the clearness of our title
ID he view of a sovereign arbter? Such docu-
m.nt has already been communicated to the commit
tee and feel 1t (said MIR. r. TO be my duty TO lay
it before the Senate that they may fully appreciate
bearings and determine for themselves the weight
and importance which belong to it, 1t is due TO The
| learned and distinguished gentleman Mr. Jared
Sparks, OF Boston) by whom the documen. referred
TO was discovered in the archives of France while
pursuing his Luxurious and intelligent con
| vii of OyXu hat
account Of it should be given in his own words az
contained in communication addressed by him 10
the Department Of State proceed, therefore, 10
| read from that communication
"Whe pursuing my researches among the yolu-
minous papers relating to the Anne rican Revolution
IN the .irohreS des AGd Etrangots in Paris found
in one of the bound volumes an original letter from
DR.. Frank in to Count de Nergennes Of which the
following is an exact transcript
PAssY, December G. 1882
" Sir have { honor OF returning herewith the
map your EXcellency sent yesterday | have
marked with strong red line according to your de-
sire, the limits OF the United STATES settled in the
prelimnaries between the British and American pie
/ nipo,entiaries.
| With great respect, am, &c,
:" b. FRANKLIN"
" This letter written six days after the pre-
liminaries were signed and if could procure the
identical map mentioned by Franklin, il would seem
/
liked by the commissioners 10 the language of the
treaty on the subject of the boundaries. You may
well suppose that lost no time in making inquiry
for tie map not doubling that it would confirm ali
my previous opinlous res Getting The validity of our
claim. In the geographical department of the Ar
chives are sixty thousand maps and charts but so
well arranged with alogues and in !exes that any
one Of them may be easily found. A fter little re-
search in the American division with the aid of the
keeper, | came upon map Of North America, by
DAnyille, dated l736, in size about eighteen inches
square, on which drawn a strong red line through.
out the entire boundary of the United Sta es an
swering precisely TO Franklin's description The
line is bold and distinct in every part made with red
ink, and apparently drawn with bair-pencil, or
pen with blunt point. There is no other coorng
on any part Of the map.
Imagine my surprise on discovering that this line
runs wholly south Of the St. John aud between the
head waters Of that river and those Of the Penobscot
| and hennebec. In short, II - exactly the line now
commended for by Great Britain, except that il CON
cedes m,rc than is claimed. The north ne after
departing from the source Of the St Crox instead of
proceeding to Mars lill stops far short of that point
and turns off 10 the west so as 10 leave on the Ri,
tsh side all the streams which flow into the ST John
between the source of the ST. Croix and Mars Hill
II is evident that the line, from the ST. Crox to the
Canadian highland Is intended TO exclude all the tca-
tiers ruOning into the ST John.
"There is no positive proof that Tins map is aciu.
ally the one marked by Franklin yet upon any other
! supposition, it would be difficult TO explain the cir
cumstances Of il agreeing perfectly with his de-
scription, aud of It's being preserved in the place
where il would naturally be deposited by Count de
Vcrgenpes ! also found another map in tie Archives
on which the same boundary traced in dotted
red line with pen, apparently colored from the
other.
/ 81 enclose herewith map Of Maine, on which
have drawn strong black line, corresponding with
the red one above mentioned"
! am far from ntimatng (said Mr. Rives) that the
documents discovered by Mr.. Sparks curious and
well worthy Of consideration as they undoubtedly
are are oi weight sufficient e shake the title Of the
! United atcs, founded on the positive language Of
the treaty Of peace. But they could not fall in The
event Of another reference to give increased conf
dcnce and emphasis TO the pretensons Of Great Bri-
tain and to exert a espondng influence upon the
nexion, to turn TO what Lord Ashburton has said in
one Of his communications to MIR Webster, when
explaining his views Of the position Of the highlands
described in the treaty
any inspection of the maps, and my examination
OF the documents" says his Lordship, dead me TO o
very strong conviction that the highlands contempa-
ted by the negotiators Of the treaty were the only
highlands then known to them--ai The head Of The Pc.
nobsoof, ktnnebec aud the rivers pta Of The 81 Croir
and that they did not precisely know how the north
/ ine ON the st. Croix would strike them ard IL it
not my wish to shorten this discussion believe
very good argument might be drawn from the words
Of the treaty in proof Of this In the negotiations
/ with Mr.. Livingston, and Afterwards with Mr. Nc