The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-25
A DEMOCRAT.
For the Union.

n DIlNAoSRhA'
For the Union.
WASHINGTON, Nov. "a, lS45.
In the report of lecture delivered by the Hon.
Caleb Gushing, at Boston, the 18th instant, pub
shed in the Union Of the Gath, find the following
paragraph
''These offers Of the United States based upon
the superstition that the parallel Of 49o had been es-
tablished by the treaty Of Utrecht, by France and
England, as the northern limit of Louisiana; upon
which supposition, in the year 1918, the line be-
tween Louisiana and the Hudson's Bay Company
on this side of the Rocky mountains, was fixed by
the British and American governments. When
came to investigate the subject eight or nine years
ago, in Congress, discovered, to my surprise, that
no evidence existed, in any work Of history, or any
diplomatic paper, that the line had ever been fixed
in the supposed, under the treaty Of Utrecht
Following up this doubt, addressed to the keeper
of the archives Of France Through the French min
ster) note ofinquiry on the subjects and his reply
certifying to me that no decision of this line is to be
discovered in the French archives, confirmed me in
the conviction that the current idea concerning it
was erroneous, and that of course the United States
were under no obligation to stop at 49o as the north
ern limit Of Louisiana"
As Mr.. Gushing, in this report of his lecture, is
made to claim for himself, distinctly, the merit Of
discovering by his own Investigations, 'hat no evil
dence existed in any history, or any diplomatic pa
per-" that the forty-ninth parallel Of latitude had
been fixed the northern limit of Louisiana in the
manner supposed under the treaty Of Utrecht, am
under the necessity of believing that either his
ing has been misrepresented in the report, or his
memory has proved defective. That he did not dis
cover this by his own investigations, eight or nine
years ago, at any other time: and that he did
ceive the first ntmation and the entire proof the
erroneousness Of the supposition, from me, / here
DECLARE and shall proceed to demonstrate.
That Mr.. Gushing did not, in any degree, suspect
the accuracy Of the supposition in question, either
on the 4th of January, 1889, when he presented to
the House of Representatives his report the Ore
gon Territory; year later when he published
in the North American Review for january lS40
his article on the travels of Parker and Town
send beyond the Rocky mountains, is abundant
ly proved by each Of those papers, in which he
distinctly and undoubtngly adduces the adoption of
the 49th parallel for the boundary under the-treaty
of Utrecht, as an important fact In the Review
the authorship of which here assign TO. Mr. Ctls-
ing on the best possible authority--his words are,
(page 76) "By the treaty Of Utrecht, concluded on
the 18th of April, 1913, 'Hudson's bay, together
with all lands, &c, which belong hercunto, was re-
stored to Great Britain; and by commissioners up
pointed under that treaty, the fortyninth parallel of
latitude was agreed upon as the limits Of the British
and French possessions in the northwest" Nearly
the same words used in the Report, of which the
Review is, indeed, little else than repetition.
Thus, down to the beginning Of 1910, Mr.. Cush-
ing entertained no doubt whatever, of the entire
ICCtIIcSs VI sulpVSiIonf uutc VI MS III
vestgations and discoveries must, therefore, be at
least reduced from eight nine years ago five sir
years ago On the 18th of January, ls40, publish
ed in the Washington Globe IA Summary offacis re-
spsciing the northeast coast Of .9nerica" This paper
was sketch of the principal points in Memoir on
the Northeast Coast, on which had been employed
for three years. by the direction of the Secretary Of
State, Mr.. Forsyth; and it contained the following
words, with reference TO the adoption of the 49th
parallel as the boundary between the territories of
the United States and Great Britain by the conven-
ton OF 1878 "This parallel was chosen chiefly in
consequence oa s,pposon, entirtycifhoui foundation,
that the said line had been settled by commissioners
appointed in TIA agrceaby TO the tenth article of
the treaty of Utrecht, as the no,heru boundary of
the French possessions in America, west Of Lake
Superior"
This was the earliest public denial of the truth Of
the supposition in question, which had remained
uncontradcled and undoubted from the time of its
PRONUNCIATION by our government during the nego-
liaiions with Great Britain in 1904 On day or
two after the publication of the summary, met Mr..
Cushing who, having been told that had written it,
Immediately expressed his surprise at the statement
respecting the 49th parallel, and asked my reasons
for ii; which | gave him. The Memoir on the
Northwest Coast was in few days after commune
Gated to the Senate, and published by its order; it
contains the complete development Of the question,
with all the proofs, in the preparation OF which !
had spent many weeks, in examining hundreds OF
| volumes and maps, to assure myself that no eyi-
dence existed of the supposed settlement of limits;
and il was not until after these publications Of mine,
| that Mr.. Gushing obtained from the keeper of the
archives of France the certificate that no traces of
such transaction existed there OF the letter
tanning this certificate Mr.. Gushing gave me a copy,
which now have, though it is mslad; and its date
will confirm what have said: it was q simple state
mcnt that no truce of such an agreement had been
found in the recorder Of the value (which, as evil
dence each may form his judgment, according to the
degree of confidence placed in the industry or the
historical knowledge of those by whom the research
may have been conducted, whilst the authorities
cited by me are open TO all.
IT. therefore, Mr.. Gushing should have forgotten his
conversation with me on this subject after the
publication of the summary above mentioned, he will
be able see beyond doubt the state Of his opinions
ON the 4h Of January, 1899, by reference to his
report in Congress-; while his review Of Parker and
Townsend, published on the LIST Of January, 1910
] will show that he then fully sustained the "curren
deap that the 49th parallel Of latitude was agreed
upon as tho limit of the British and French posses
| sions on the northwest coast by commissioner
appointed under the treaty Of Utrecht. II he cav
/ produce any public assertion contradctlng this
/ current idean either by himself, or any one else
prior to that contained in the summary published
by me in the Globe Of January Is, 1910, shall b
ready to giveupall my claims to the discovery Of h
important error.
j deeply regret the necessity Of making thispub
lication but, without such protest, should no
only be regarded as facility admitting The priority
Mr. Cushing's claim to the discovery, but nigh
also possibly subject mYsclfto The change oetakingth
benefit of his investigations without acknowledg
| 1880 pnpCpr cpurNIInxJ