The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-06

llL II hlA ~ ~ In 4O4V
the marching Of an army, that in an open country,
road y IN the power OF the strongest during war;
II The United States should go TO war with England,
would they not take possession Of that road IL they
thought Il worth whiiel Would they be restrained
rom taking Possession Of by the treaty Of WASH
ington' No. The road would then belong to the
United States if they could hold il. There was not
the slightest reason, then, for supPosing that the
communication was of the slightest importance in
military point Of view unless that the movement Of
armaments and men, in time ofpeace, would be cali
ed military operation. But in time Of war IL would
belong TO the strongest, Ii was no pass-no defle-
II presented no point of defenceand never would be
OF the least value as military communication. Now
the road designated on the map TO which he had
referred was mistake. Il was mere imaginary
llne--there was never road there in the woodland
never could be. As to the other point-the defen-
ees OF these heights-he could explain TO the Senate
IN very few words how that matter exactly stood.
IL they looked at the map they would see.that this
ridge OF highlands did approach near the st. Law
rence-not overlooking Quebec--not so far as that,
twenty, or thirty or forty miles from Quebec. But,
OF course, II approached the st. Lawrence much
nearer than the Atlantic ocean, and II was true, he
knew the fact, not only stated In the debates in
Parliament, but otherwise-that the highest mil
itary authority in England, perhaps the highest
living military authority, attached great importance
to these highlands-why' He Mr. w. y supposed, in
the hrst place. that distinguished that high author
~ was by services in India and Europe through long
life, had been led TO apply European ideas Of eonye-
nlence and military defence to places in Amer
lea TO which they were wholly inspplicable.
Such highlands as these have not been found
within the fields Of European or Indian war
fare. But the main reason was a different
one 10 1889, the British government authorized
an sr parts exploration and survey by Captain
Nudge, an engineer in the British service, and
Mr.. Feathersonaugh. They were there two or
three months, and two or three months only; and
very extraordinary report theirs turned out to be-
He had no doubt that Mr.. Nudge was a respectable
person from HE standing in his profession as to Mr.
Featherstonaugh, whom they had known in the
United States service, he did regard his opinion
as worth straw. Blu. they made that report, and
that report contained this singular abatement which
caused the military inquiry on the part Of England
or the results of that Inquiry IL stated that there
was hiatus in these highlands-thai the region to
the northeast Of where the old Kennehec road pass
ed over was for thirty forty miles almost dead
leyel-that the elevation was not over fifty feet at
any point. They reported but one triyonome,rica
measurement which gave upwards OF twelve hun
dred feet. Now what was the fact Why, according
TO the survey Of able and distinguished American
engineers, that line represented in the report alluded
to, AS a gap, as a hiatus, almost a dead level
found TO be continued series of precipitous
ridges and lofty emnenoes, varying in height from
the report Of Nudge and Featherstonaugh reached
England, they were making out Lord Ashburton's
instructions, and Il from this utterly erroneous
survey that importance came to be attached 10 that
line But any man OF common sense, whether
possessed Of military skill or not would see that
In point Of fact not the slightest importance in mil
tary point Of view really attached to the lire They
had had the report Of their own surveyors. The
true military road TO Canada was that one by the
way Of the Kennebec--thst was Arnold track; and
below that, or east of II, there no passage and
there never was passage leading to Quebec. The
first road east Of that the road he had spoken Of
by the way Of Madswaska, which hit the 81. Law
renee one hundred and seventeen miles below Que
bee. Well, the United States engineers went there
as far back as 80, and the report Of Gen. Wool was
before him. Gen. Wool said il was altogether idle
that was the amount Of his report-to think of
forifyiDg anything east Of the old road to Quebec
because u was a mountainous rdge-a mere wilder
ness on which nobody ever thought of passing from
Canada or into Canada. Now let him say that this
military road by which armies have marched and re-
marched from New England into Canada is on the
line Of the Kennebcc TO Quebec and was now Just
as 1t was found by the treaty. There it was. But
he ust 20 slte farther. Il had been already said
that the treaty was OF convention-of agree
ment-of equiyalents-that il was expected that
each party would give something, and that each
party would receive something; and he was
very willing to meet any man, military or not, in
TeRdTQ 10 tlis QucstOD, as 10 wnetner inc united
States had derived less advantages in a military
soint Of view from this treaty than Great Britain
And il was on that point he wished 10 address
few words particularly to the honorable member
from New York, Mr., Dn.l He MR. Drxl had
said that this was treaty supposng stipulation
for the interchange OF advantages and he is of opn
ion that England supposed that she had attained
some military advantages by obtaining part Of the
territory, and to sustain himself he has read from
the debates in the British Parliament. He (Mr
W. did not think So He did not believe that the
advantages in that respect worth rush, or that
the United States had lost any. But if it were so,
would 1t not have been fair and candid for the hon.
orable gentleman to have said whether equivalent
advantages had not been gained by the United States
in another part of the treaty? If il were apparent
to the gentleman that the United States had made
concession which England regarded as of impor-
lance to her IN regard to this military road-this
supposed military road--he (Mr. W. submitted to
him whether it would not have been canded and
proper for him to have stated at the same time
whether he did not think that the regainng ofthe
point at the outlet of Lake Champlain, did not
baance--did no; overbalance forty times told in a
military point DIN Of view sny.hing England had
(Mr w. contended for. He did not complain of
any want Of candor, But he did not suppose that
any man, in the State Of Nsw York, could speak of
this treaty as upon the whole military advantages
to Great Britain-that any man could be found so
speaking, was, lnueeu, 10 MIN matter OF utter as
constituent The predecessor of the honorable
member from New York saw the value of the treaty
to his State 1t did not escape the sagacity of Silas
Wright; he was willing enough for the ratification
Of the treaty, and well he might be; for how did
New York stand affected by it, They knew that
Rouse's Point had always been regarded as the key
to Lake Champlain, the pass, the defle, the de-
fence between New York and Canada. Well, they
had always supposed that that fortress lay south of
45o, that it belonged to the United States They
had purchased the land They had fortified the
place. And when, in 1917 and 1918, it was found out
Of the agreement of astronomical gentlemen on both
sides, that the line of $50 run correctly through
Rouse's Point on the British side everybody knew
that the discovery created considerable discussion
and excitement, and nobody better than the honora-
BILE member from South Carolina, then connected
with the administration in the War Department.
Rouse's Point was found to be no longer the proper
ty ofthe United States and when engineers were af-
forwards sent there to find point for other forfi6ca
tons, they made report that there were only two
points, and both further south on which Notifications
could When the treaty. was under nepotia-