Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1846-06-10

"The line of 40 deg. just well established and
well respected aud we'd from the Of the
Woods the Rocky mountains before that
after it. Nay, more, the understood line between
those mountains and the and would Itself have settled
the Oregon question. aud settled it wisely benefciay
is had only been permitted TO remain unmutila,ed"
Then, sir, these Gtty-fou, -forties not the only
persons WHO have dscreditcd the existence of this line
east of the Rocky mountains Ii has been aulhorita-
lively and practically disclaimed, and dsavowed and
discrcded both by the British and American govern
mcnis. The by which this was doneh calls an act
of " supercrogation" | call 1t act of wisdom
founded the conviction Of both OF the parties that
line Of demarcaon between their respective
res was necessary, and never had been established
The honorable senator censures Mr.. Monroe for this
arrangement But Mr.. Jefferson is equally censura-
bic, far respects is rork Of approximation for
he made precisely the offer TO England in 1901
Ie indeed, struck out provision that the arrange
ment should extend west of the Rocky mountains
but he did this In order not to excite the jealousy of
Spain.
The honorable gentleman, in the precious discus
sion of this matter, did not present tins subject in the
same point Of view. After noting the rjets for the
establishment of 40 deg, he says: Here is concur
renee In the proceedings of comm>saries under the
treaty of Utrecht" ''Here is submission on the
part of the British" &c. What was then concur
renee and Submission becomes Suprerogotion.
But, sir, Mr. Jtliersons fame may be redeemed and
for common sense supported by reference to very
obvious consideration; and that is to doubt respect
ing the existence of this line of 40 deg-a doubt
which, in all probability, ultimately strengthened into
conviction. The very view which the honorable SEN
atOr now presents presented BY myself In for
mer discussion in order TO prove that all the
men alluded to must have believed or suspected this
celebrated line nonentity. This work, then,
which occupied the attention of the TWO governments
at various intervals, for years was not work of
supererogation but OF prudence. said: But if by
concurrence is meant that this line actually
tabished by the treaty of Utrecht, and thus binding
on the parties, no other convention was necessary
Both nations upon this assumption mistook their own
rights and their duties. The boundary had been es-
ta5llshed century before and they were carving on
a useless and barren negotiation, which was thus
bllndly and unnecessarily ripened into treaty in
1SlS''
The senator introduces a memorial from Lord Sell
kirk In which there is an allusion although not a
very clear one, to the treaty of Utrecht but as it
says expressly that the slpuations of the treaty of
Utrecht to the limits of the Hudson Bay territories
do not bear at all upon the question:" and as this
memorial is characterized by the American ministers
as idie paper, shall not stop to examine it, cspe-
cially know of nothing in the position or char
acter OF Lord Sekrk which would give to his opinion
any peculiar weight in the ad ustment of this ques-
ton. HE establishment OF great national bounda-
ry requires better evidence than the surmse of even
scotch nobeman, possessed of of information
not open to all of US. We want facts and not opn-
ions, and facts automatically proved.
pass by, also, the memorial of Messrs Monroe
and PInckncy TO the Spanish minister because they
repeat the same facts in almost the same language
which were communicated by Mr.. Madison to Mr.
Monroe, and which have been traced back to Doug
las These gather no strength from repetition and
must be Judged by the original authority, and not BY
the number of transcribers
The honorable senator has made a remark i'm the
justice of which fully concur. He says:
That when struggling in Just cause he gen.
orally gets help and often from aud unknown
eTS."
He says that timely assistance has come to him
IN this natter. and among these unforeseen contrbu-
tations, he has introduced letter from Mr. Ptkin
Mr.. Webster, In which the writer sneers at nv cred
ullty. or ptes it, know which, because / have
placed anysey upon the statements Of M Greenhoc.
Shall not turn out of my path redeem myself from
tins charge of credullty, what would be still less
desirable TO escape the pity of Mr.. Pitkin have
more important objects in view That gentleman re-
ters to conversation which took place at the dinner
table of Mr. Jefferson in 1906, III which that eminent
advanced the opinion that by the treaty of Utrecht
the parallel of ~ deg established as boundary
between the French and English possessions. The
opinion of Mr.. Jefferson gains no weight by this rep
etition Of it. We had it before in much more au-
thentic form,-in the letter of instruction from Mr.
Madison, Secretary of State, to Mr. Monroe. repeat
sir, we must pass by all these opinions, formed CEN
fury after the event to which they refer, and 60 the
original authorities, which open to u.s. as they
were to our predecessors, and with the additional ben
eft OF a severe and long continued investigation.
Mr.. PItkln transmits also extract from the work
of Colonel Hutchins which was presented by Colonel
Pickering to Mr.. Jefferson and the senator from Mis-
souri, seems to give Importance to this additional tes-
umony. 1t Is still the same questionable question
OF repetition must make my Acknowledgements, as
well the senator from Missouri, to friendly con-
trlbutors: and only one gentleman whom will name
and be Is not only personal friend, but man Of
reading and Judgment, (Mr. Buell. of Detroit)-has
investigated the subject with research and care, and
has furnished me with the result of his abors. | owe
to him extract from Salmon's modern history, pub
lished in 17i6, which Will refer to- shall place
juxtapoSion the extract from Hutchns, furnished by
Mr. Pltkin, by which it will be sufficiently evident
that these authorities essentially the same the
latter being derived in all probability, from the form
From Salmon. From Hutchias
" And cOmmiSsaries did af And commssaIies after
forwards settle the limits by wards both sides
an imaginary line drawn tanned the limits by mag
from promontory situated inaIy line running from
on the Atlantic ocean, IN 5S CAPE promontoy New
degrees 80 minutes, and Britain on the Atlantic
ming from thence southwest ocean, in 80 degrees so min
TO the Lake Mcosnk or utes north latitude then
Mstazan and from thence southwest to Lake Mis-
southwest indefinitely TO the casing, Mstasn; from
latitude of 49, all the thence further southwest d.
tries to the north being the latitude of 40
signed 10 Great Britain, and gees. All the lands TO the
all on the SOUTH between north of the imaginary line
that line and the ST. being assigned
Lawrence, or Canada, TO tain, and all southwark of
Fiance' that line, as far the rv-
er 81 Lawrence, to the
French"
These extracts sir, similar in their statements,
and almost the same in their language. The one
parent, and the other offspring. There arc but
two MISREPRESENTATION made by Hutchns from
his own views, or from information obtained else
where. One is the substitution of latitude 30 deg 30
min, and the other is in changing southwest ind finite