Port Tobacco times, and Charles County advertiser. (Port Tobacco, Md.) 1845-1898, 1852-09-01
THE LoBOSIsLANDs.

The National InelHge,,cer publishes the letter of
Mr. Webster, dated the 2lst, in reply to the Charge
d'Affairs Of Peru, respecting the sovereignty of
the, Lobos Islands and denying the claim set
up by Peru. MIR. Webster denies any intention
in his previous letter tofacilitate the operations
of spectators he denies, also, that any action
OF our government with respect to these islands
was predicated on the relative strength or weak
ness of the two countries nor any exclusive right
TO the Lobos Islands set up by the United States
On account of Captain Morrell S supposed discove-
ry of them.
1t is asserted that no book generally known and
circulated in this country mentioned the fact of
the existence of guano on these islands until Capt
Morrell's narrative was published in 1882.
Mr.. Webster then proceeds to discuss the gener-
al question of the right of Peru to the sovereignty
over the Lobos Islands based on early discovery
and possession for many years, which is fully and
ably treated, and will undoubtedly settle the
question of sovereignty. Mr. w. concludes as
follows
The Lobos, or Seal Islands, as their name i'm
ports lie in the open Pacific ocean, the nearest of
them 90 or 80 miles from the coast of Peru. They
are, as Mr.. Osma admits, mere barren rocks in
the sea, uninhabted and unnhabitable Fisheries,
and the pursuit of amphibious animals, especially
Sio sCdiS udfC ioHS Oetu CdTFleu OH around Lnelr
shores and even on those shores themselves, since
it is we'll known that seals are usually taken and
killed upon the land. In these pursuits, and in
this of the islands, citizens of the United States
were engaged for half century before any actual
interruption took place by the Peruvian Govern
ment or any body else their visits to them having
commenced at least as early as 1893. All this is
we'll known to the commercial world. Now, it is
quite certain that, if Peru held and possessed full
SOVarepnty fheco iS lands fhic fcbipu he
shore, and this pursuit and killing of ampbibious
animals upon the land, was as much an invasion of
that sovereignty as in the taking of guano from
them now.
As to the claim of Peru to those islands, found
ed on the law of proximity, the question will ap-
pear to be free of doubt. The wel-setted rule of
modern public law on this point is, tnat the right
OF Jurisdiction of any nation whose territories may
border on the sea, extends to the distance of a
cannon shot or three marine miles from the shore,
this beng the supposed limit to which defence
of the coast from the land, ITSELF can be extended
The whole discussion, therefore, must turn upon
this, viz: the Lobos Islands, lying in the open
ocean, SO far from any continental possessions of
Peru as not to belong 10 that country by the law
Opportunity or adjacent position, has the govern
ment of that country exercised such unequiyocal
acts of absolute sovereignty and ownership over
them as to give to her right to their exclusive
possession, against the United States and their
citizens, by the law of indsputable possession =
And the undersigned repeats that this is not ques-
ton between Peru and other governments, who
may have more or less distinctly admitted her right
but it is question between Peru and the United
States, who have SO long exercised that right and
demonstrated against its interruption.
The Government of the United States, however,
Is prepared to give due consideration to all facts
tending to show possession or occupancy of the
Lobos Islands by Peru, and is not inclined to stop
or preclude discussion until the whole matter shall
be thoroughly investigated. If there ere any facts
or arguments which have not been brought to its
consideration, they shall receive the most respect
full and friendly attention Ifit shall turn out that.
as has been intimated above, those islands are un-
inhabited and uninhabitable, and therefore incapa-
BILE of being legally possessed or held by any one
nation, they and their contents must be considered
as the common property of all. Or if, unprotected
by the presence of Peruvian authorities and with
out actual POSSESSION. their hos Deen by Peru
abandoned or conceded, without limitation of time,
to citizens of the United States for long period
or yielded in consequence Of the remonstrance of
this Government or its agents, then no exclusive
ownership can be pretended as against the United
States at least.
Under all the circumstances, the President
thinks it most advisable that full instructions on
this subject should be dispatched to the Charge
d'Affaires of the United States at Lima, and that
proper orders should be given to the naval forces
of the United States in that quarter to prevent a
collision until further examination of the case
No countenance will be given TO the authors of
such enterprises. claiming to be citizens of the
United States, who..may undertake TO defend them
selves or their vessels by force, in prosecution of
any commercial enterprises to these islands Such
acts would be acts of private war, and their au-
thors would thereby justly forfeit the protection
of their own Government.