The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-11-20

Rocky Mountains as our boundary, and Cat the
same time, by the next article of the conven,on)
IN the stipulation OF Joint occupancy, (west of
the Rocky mounians.) which, by renewal in
1927, still exists.
Such being the history Of The line of 40 deg,
so far as our diplomacy and our rights are con
cerned, the question now arises Hoo came that
line to be adopted as the basis of our negotiation
on his side of the Rocky Mountains?
The answer is strange one. The line of 40
deg. ,chirh has played such a part in The bonn
Diary negotiations befreen the United States
and England, tras first thought of. and after
yards negotiated upon, and, as there is lille
reason 10 donbt, finally agreed upon as far as
The Rocky .Hountains-soIety in consequence of
most singular mistake, on The part IF both
governments.
We have seen that this line never came into
discussion between the United States and Emo
land, till after we had purchased Louisiana. AZ
ter that purchase, 1t became necessary for lis, of
course, 10 ascertain the northern boundary line of
our purchase. TO find that boundary, which,
after the original grant of Louisiana To Croza, nv
Lonis XIV, had been carried far to the north into
the region OF the Illinois Gas it was called y then
belonging to France under the general name of
New France-to settle, we say, the northern
boundary of Louisiana, which had thus been car
red far Ia the nnrlhward, il became necessary To
refer Ia the treaty of Utrecht, concluded between
! Great Britain and France in l7l3 This treaty
OF Utrecht contains the following stipulation:
8 1t is agreed on both sides to determine with.
In year, by commissioners, To be forthwith
named by each party, the limits which are To he
liked between the said Bay of Hudson and the
places apperlaining To the French The
same commissioners shall also have orders To des
cribe and settle, in like manner. the boundaries
between the other British aud French colonies i'm
those parts.-2 .Jen6inSOn'S Treaties"
This treaty was, IN general Terms confirmed
IN the treaty of the 10Th of February, 1868. be
tween Great Britain, France. and Spain. Under
this treaty of Utrecht. commissioners were an
pointed as stipulated and by one of the stranges
hlnnders which negotiation has made in modern
times, subsequent diplomacy seems to have taken
for granted, that they performed the duty for
which they We're appointed, and did run line of
boundary between the French and English pos
sessions and that the line so run by them was
the line of the parallel of 40 degrees Ii is per
| ecily astonishing To see how this nnfounded opin-
ION ran through protocol after protocol, and nego-
tIaton after negotiation, and treaty after treaty
TILL finally ii became the basis of special nslruc
lion from our government to Messrs Gallalin and
Rush In 1918, and through them, the basis of
our boundary line, as it was by them then settled
along the 49lh parallel from the Lake of the
| WINDS westward TO the Rocky mountains
The fact is now well established, that under
the treaty of Utrecht, no line whatever was either
adopted or proposed by the Commissioners or by
their governments. as the boundary of the French
possessions on the North, of the British possess
| sIOns the South.
In fact no such boundary line was ever run at
all Often as this line was cited and referred to
as the basis of subsequent negotiation, il never
had any existence whatever till Messrs Rush
and Gaatin drew it in 1918. Till then, boun.
dairy line running along The 10Th parallel was
just as imaginary IN diplomacy, as the parallel
itself is imaginary the surface of the earth
We believe that all persons conversant with
this subject are nO,o agreed on this point But,
OF course, we do not make these statements with.
| oni being prepared To present The proofs of what
we assert. These proofs, amounting to cum
piete demonstration, we will present in detail
whenever they may be wanted To- sustain our DO
silIon 1t Is enough now to state, on the high au-
ihonty OF Mr.. Greenhow in his most accurate and
eXhautves work upon Oregon that the archives
of the Department Of Foreign Affairs in France
have been searched for any evidence of the adop-
ton OF any such boundary line under the treaty
| of Utrecht, and that trace of such evidence
has been fonnd To this we may add, that the
various English and French publications, written
| since Mr.. GreenhOw's work, and in reply to il,
| and some OF them written under the eve of the
British government produce evidence from the
British archives of any such line "a conclusive
proof that No such evidence is to be found there
And. lastly, we may say that the only author " no
makes mention of the appointment of any such
commissioners under the treaty of Utrecht, states
that their negotiations ceased prenaturrly in 1922
they having been appointed in l7I9. 1t NAV
be proper 10 add, that Mr.. Monroe, when our min
isIer at the Court Of ST. James, in 1894 seems to
have been the first American statesman who
brought into our negotiations with England this
imaginary boundary line of the 49lh degree, sup
| posed by him to have been run under the treaty
OF Utrecht. There seems to be no doubt that Mr.
Monroe was msled by an old map in his posses
sion, To which reference is made in his cor;espon-
deuce. Meantime, if any Of our readers or oppo-
nPnls entertain any doubt the whole view we
have gwen Of this Utrecht line we refer them to
| Mr.. Greenhow's learned and able noIk. and The
large list Of contemporary authorities cited by him
| on this point.
| We have gone thus infinitely into the history
of this line of the 49'h parallel, with the view Of
! showing how entirely imaginary, how acholiv
! useless. is this idea that it has any connection
whatever with orr title to the soil of Oregon.
vi course, 1t Is unnecessary for us to say that this
line is IN no way related in the slightest degree.
to the history OF discovery, or Of expiration or of
settlement or ct occupation, in the soil OF Oregon
! No dlscorefer, or explorer, or inhabiiont eUer
/ @Hfed from It, or stopped at IL, or settled upon