The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-11

CITY OF WASHINGTON.
TUESDAY NIGHT, NOVEMBER II, 1884
THE FoRI'Y-NINTH PARALLEL.


THE FoRTY-NINTH PARALLEL.
We have already stated our conviction tina, the
American lille to Oregon is sound and perfect up to
$40 4O. We have denied the existence of any
break in that title at the 49,h degree We have said
further, that in so far the negotiations on this
subject between the United States and England
have been made known, there IL, TO the best Of our
recollection, no aguDen, ,rhaiepsr which carries
title up to 400 and there stops. We made all these
statements with due elaboration. We adhere to
them, Gin spite Of all the vague and loose allegations
on the matter, which are running the rounds of the
wing press,) and we are prepared to sustain them,
as stated, by full and conclusive proof.
This being the state of our title Oregon it seems
proper TO explain, briefly, how it has happened in
past times, that, as mailer Of compromise, we have
offered and urged upon the acceptance Of Great Brit
ain the 49th parallel, line Of limits between her
self and us, from the Rocky mountains to the Paci-
6c We pressed this offer upon England persever-
ingly from lsl4-l5 to 1929. During all
that time, our offer Of this compromise was steadily
repealed In some Of our unsuccessful attempts at
Oregon Legislation, under the stipulation of joint
cupancy (as it is called) o { 1918. we have also
named, the north limit of our territorial jursdic-
ton, the same 4sth degree.
1t is question Of no small interest just now, how
oil this has come to pass' In what manner, and
for what cause, has it so happened that our gov
eminent, through quarter OF century, claiming
and holding good title up to $40 40, has yet been
willing to compromise its difference ,cih England by
the line Of 400. II is, we admit, perfectly fair
question for those to ask, who doubt that our title
is clear up to $40 40 how is it that the line of 400
has been our line Of negotiation, and even of at
tempted legislation, so long, if our title does not
terminate at that nei
This question we now propose to answer.
BY the treaty Of peace with Great Britain Of 1888,
the northern boundary line between the United States
and British America settled, from the source Of
the river st. Crox, on the northeast to the Lake Of
the Woods on the northwest-ths lake being about
$50 miles northwest Of Lake Superior, and then
supposed be but short distance east of the head.
waters of the Mississippi. This liue--from the ST.
Crox to the Lake of the Woods-still stands as our
boundary, it has been changed near its COM
mencement in the northeast, and between Lake Su-
peror and the Lake the Woods by the recent Ash
burton treaty. Having drawn this boundary as far
west as the Lake of the Woods, the same treaty of
1888 stipulated that the boundary line should ex-
tend due ,cea from the Lake Of the Woods, till it
should strike the Mississippi, down the middle of
which river ii was then to continue.
But il was soon made known, that line drawn
due wea from the Lake of the Woods could not
strike the Mississippi. A new line west from that
lake was then to be sought and settled. A commits
sion to adjust this and other disputed points Of the
treaty Of 1883, having been stipulated for in subse-
quent treaty with England of 1894, negotiations
upon the subject were had in the yeers tollo,cing
1s03-he date be u observed, Of our Louisiana pur-
chase. In these ntgotiaions subsequent to 1909 the
49h parallel Of latitude first named as boundary
line beitoeen the United States and the British posses
sions The plenipotentiaries and governments were
just about agreeing on the line Of the A9th deg
as line of demarcation from the Lake Of the Woods
TO the Rocky mountains trih The express proriso that the
agreement should in Way touch the case Of territory
claimed by either party WEST OF those mountains,
| when the affair of the Chesapeake occurred, and
the negotiations were broken off by the troubles
which resulted in the war of 1879. The treaty of
peace came in 1914, and brought with it new boun-
dairy negotiation. This negotiation, renewed on
the old basis Of the line of 40 deg, resulted, in 1918,
| in the establishment of that line from the Lake Of
the Woods to the Rocky mountains as our boun-
dairy, and Cat the time, and by the next article
of the conventon in the stipulation Of joint occupant
cy, (west Of the Rocky mountans,) which, by re-
newal in 1897, still exists.
Such being the history of the line of 49o, so far
as our diplomacy and our rights are concerned,
the question now arises, Hone came that line 10 be
adopted as the basis of our negotiation on this side Of
the Rocky mountains
| The answer is strange one The line Of 400,
,chieh has played such part in the boundary negotia
lions beiceen the United States and England, ,cas first
thought Of and afterwards negotiated upon, and as there
is lille reason TO Doubt finally agreed upon far as
the Rocky nouniains-solely IN consequence Of most
singular mistake on The part Of both governments.
We have seen that this line never came into dis
cussion between the United States and England,
till after we had purchased Louisiana. After that
purchase, it became necessary for us, Of course,
ascertain the northern boundary line Of our pur
chase. To find that boundary, which, aficr the ori-
ginal grant Of Louisiana to Crozat by Louis XIV,
the Illinois, las it was called,) then belonging to
France under the general name Of New France--io
settle, we say, the northern boundary ofLousiona,
which had thus been carried farto the northward ii
became necessary to refer to the treaty Of Utrecht,
concluded between Great Britain and France in l7l3.
This treaty of Utrecht contains the following stip-
ulation:.
II agreed both sides to determine within year. by
commissioners TO be forthwith named by each party the
limits which to be fixed between the said Bay Of Hudson
and the places appertaning to the French. The
shall also have orders describe
settle In like the boundaries between the other
British and French colonies in those parts.
p Jsnkinsons Treaties.
This treaty was, ~ general Terms, confirmed in
the treaty of the 10Th of February, 1863, between
Great Britain, France, and Spain. Under this trea-
ty Of Utrecht, commissioners were appointed, ns
stpuated and, by one fhe strongest biunden wAich
nsuof1fion hoe made r,odero f;,ars