Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-06-11


after H. Nay, more, il the understood line between
those mountains and the sea- and would itself have settled
the Oregon question and settled 1t wisely aud henshcay
is had only been permitted 10 remain unmutilaed-" a
Then, sir, these ftyfoutortiss are not the only
persons who have dscreded the exstence of this line
east the Rocky mountains. II has been authorita
lively alphabetically dIscaimed, and disavowed, and
discredited, both by the British and American govern
mens. The act by which this was done he calls an act
of "supererogation." | call il act of WISDOM
founded The conviction of both of the parties that
line of demarcation between their respective terrific
rles was necessary, and never had been established.
The honorable senator censures MIR. Monroe for this
arrangement. But Mr.. Jefferson is equally censura-
bic, far respects this ork of SupererogdiOn for
he made precisely the offer England in 1907
He, indeed struck out provision that the arrange
ment should not extend west Of the Rocky mountains
but he did this IN order not to excite the Jealousy of
Spain.
The honorable gentleman, in the previous discus
sion of this matter did not present this subject in the
same point of view. After noting the Prcsts for the
establishment of 49 deg he says: "Here is concur
renee in the proceedings of commssares under the
treaty of Utrecht" g Here is submission on the
part of the British &c. What was then concur
renee and submission becomes Supererogation. |
But, sir, Mr. Jeferson's fame may be redeemed, and
the credit Of the American and British governments
for common sense supported, by reference TO very
obvious consideration and that is doubt respect
ing the existence of this line of 40 deg.-a doubt
which, in oil probability ultimately strengthened into
conviction The very view which the honorable SEN
ator now presents presented by myself i'll for
mer discussion, in order to prove that all the states
men alluded to must have believed suspected this
celebrated line nonentity. This work. then,
which occupied the attention Of the two governments
at various intervals, for ten years. work of
supererogaton, but of prudence. | said: "But if by
concurrence is meant that this line was actually es-
tablished by the treaty of Utrecht, and thus binding
on the parties, no other convention necessary.
Both nations, upon this assumption misoo their own
rights and their duties The boundary had been es-
tabished century before, and they were carrying on
useless and barren negotiation, which was thus
blindly and unnecessarily ripened into treaty in
l8ls''
The senator introduces memorial from Lord Sell
kirk, In which there is an alluson, although not
very clear one, to the treaty of Utrecht but as it
says expressly that "the stpuatons 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 idle paper, shall not stop to examine it, espe-
cialy as | know of nothing in the position or char
acter of Lord Selkirk which would give to his opinion
any peculiar weight in the adjustment of this CUES
tion The establishment of great national bounda-
ry requires better evidence than the surmse of even
scotch nobleman possessed of of information
not open to all of US. We want facts, and not opin-
ions and facts automatically proved
i pass by, also, the memorial of Messrs. Monroe
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 strength from repetition, and
must be judged by the original authority, and by
tie number of transcribers.
The honorable senator has made a remark In the
justice of which fully He says:
"That when man is struggling in Just cause he gen.
orally gets help and often from and unknown
, ters.''
He says "that timely assistance has come to hin
In this matter" and among these unforeseen contribu
tations, he has introduced letter from Mr. Ptkn t
Mr. Webster in which the writer sneers at my cred
ulity, pities it, know not which, because have
placed myself upon the statements Of Mr.. Greenhoc
shall not turn out of my path to redeem myself from
this charge of credulity, what would be still less
desirable to escape the pity of Mr.. Pltkln. have
more important objects in view. That gentleman
fers conversation which took place the dinner
table of MIR. Jefferson in 1906, in which that eminent
man advanced the opinion that by the treaty of Utrecht
The parallel of 40 deg established a boundary
between the French and English possessions. The
opinion of Mr.. Jefferson gains weight by this rep
etition of it. We had it before in a much au
thentc form,-in the letter of instruction from Mr.
Madison Secretary of State, to Mr. Monroe. lrepeat
sir, must pass by all these opinions, formed
ury after the event to which they refer, and go The
original authorities which are open to u.s. as they
were to our predecessors and with the additional ben
eft of severe and long continued investigation.
MIR. Pitkin transmits also extract from the worl
of Colonel Hutchins, which presented by Colone
Pickering to Mr. Jefferson, and the senator from Mis-
souri, to give importance to this additional es
: timony. 1t is still the questionable question
! of repetition. | must make my Acknowledgements as
e well the from Missouri, to friendly con-
tributors; and only one gentleman whom will name
and he is notonly personal friend, but man OF
, reading and judgment, Mr.. Buel, of Detroit has
investigated the subject with research and care, and
has furnished with the result of his abors. owe
him extract from Salmons modern history, pub
Iished in TAG, which will refer to- shall place in
iuxtaposon the extract from Hutchns, furnished by
Mr. Pitkin by which it will be sufficiently evident
that these authorities are essentially the same the
latter being derived in all probability from the form
err:
From Salmon From Hutchins.
"And commissaTes did af- "And commissaes after
forwards settle the limits by wards both Sides
an imaginary line drawn tanned the limits by i'm az
from promontory situated mary line running from
on the Atlantic ocean, in So cape promontoTy, New
degrees 80 minutes, and Britain, the Atlantic
ming from thence southwest ocean, in 90 degrees 80 min
to the Lake Mscosink or utes north latitude, then
Mitstazan, and from thence southwest to the Lake Mis-
southwest indefinitely the CASING Msassin; from
latitude of 49, all the coun- thence further southwest d.
tries the north being rect to the latitude of 40 de-
signed to Great Britain and grees.
, all on the south, between north of the imaginary line
that line and the river ST. being assigned to Great Brit
Lawrence, or Canada, tain, and all southwark OF
FIance.'' that line, as far the riv-
er ST. Lawrence, to the
French"
These extracts sir similar in their ements
and almost the same in their language. The one
was parent, and the other offspring. There are but
two made by Hutchins from
Ibis own views or from information obtained else
where One is the substitution of latitude 80 deg. 80
min and the other is in changing southwest indefinite
IN to southwest direct. This unfortunate line has SC
many Protean shapes, that it eudes all attempts &c