The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1853-03-12

nounced to our readers few months ago, from
our correspondent in the city of Chihuahua,
Mexico, the discovery by the q. s. Commission
er, of an important map of the State of Chihua-
hua, made in the year 1884, showing its boun-
daries, which were subsequently adopted by it
in its constitution. We now lay before our
readers an calculation of the important question
involved in that portion Of the boundary line
between the United States and Mexico. which
has attracted, and still attracts, so much atten-
ton, and upon which the map alluded to throws
abundant light.
The commissioners, in settling the boundaries
between the two countries. were confined to q
particular map of Mexico-that of Disturnell,
Of lS47. The treaty says the line shall follow
the Rio Grande from its mouth until it strikes
the southern boundary Of New Mexico. Now.
on examining this map the boundary referred
to is plainly laid down. and the question arises,
how is it to be found? Must its position be
measured from any particular town, river,
mountain. or other natural boundary, or must
it's latitude be ascertained and determined ac-
cordingly? Nearly every State in the Union
has, for one or more of its boundaries line run
ming east and west, or north and south. laid
down and defined by their latitude or longitude.
No one would define them by their distance
from any particular town or city. In the same
manner the commissioners agreed to fix the
point where the southern boundary of New
Mexico strikes the Rio Grande, as laid down on
Disturrall'c man AZ % dorraoc opd % ,o;nr+as
On examining the ground, the town of Ell Paso
was found to be wrongly placed, and instead
of being at 80 degrees Is minutes north latitude
it was at 80 degrees As minutes, showing an
error in its position of about 80 minutes of lati-
tude. making there an apparent loss of about
thirty miles of barren territory to the United
States. Without reference to the position of
Ell Paso, Mr.. Bartlett agreed upon the boun-
dairy line as it is on the map, at 32 degrees %
minutes
1t is known that Mr.. Gray, the United States
Surveyor, objected to Mr. Bartlett's line on the
ground that the parallels Of latitude were
wrong and not the position of the town Ell
Paso, and that the boundary must be but eight
miles from that place. When, therefore. Ell Paso
is correctly placed on the map, at 80 degrees
Is minutes, and the southern boundary of New
Mexico eight miles above it, the line will be
about seven miles below the thirty second par
allel while the treaty map lays it down at 80
degrees % minutes. The United States Com
missioner insists that if the map is adhered to
according to the treaty, his point is correct;
but, If the map is taken for one admeasurement
and the United States Commissioner goes to the
ground for another, and fixes the point in ques-
ton eight miles above the true position of Ell
and the treaty.
But. in addition to the error of thirty miles in
The position of Ell Paso, it was found on
that the Rio Grande was still
more out of place, being laid down on
he map more than two degrees too far
o the east. The result of this was that.
" placing it in its true position, the
southern boundary of New Mexico would be
contracted to less than one degree, instead of
laving an extent of three degrees, which the
realty map gives it. This double error very
naturally placed the commissioners in serious
lien una; but it was finally settled by fixing the
initial point where the southern boundary of
yew Mexico strikes the Rio Grande at 80 de-
,rees u s,inutes. and prolonging it west three
.egrees, t~s n which were in portion of the
State of Sonora, gaining thereby larss sec +,
ion of territory, embracing about 6,Ooo square
niles. This is brief statement Of ~. ...e question
The Commissioner has, since his return fur |
lished the Department of the Interior with ad-
litional arguments, in the way ofmaps and docu-
nents, sustaining his decision. The map of
chihuahua made in 1884 by engineers appoint
ID by the government is the result of an accu-
rate survey. Had this map been named by the
treaty, or had Disturnell's been equally correct.
there would have been no difficulty. Soon after
the publication of the map, the Mexican en-
gineers published statistical account of the
State, wherein are named the various places
over which it exercised Jurisdiction; and when
It's constitution was reformed, in 1917, the boun-
laries of the State, as laid down in the map and
described in the statistical account referred to,
we're made to form part Of the constitution.
The following are the words Of the article al
.uded to, which we translate from the SPANISH
Article 1.-The territory Of Chihuahua is that which
lies and is now acknowledged to be between the Pr
rales of rs degrees SO minutes 96 seconds, and 81
degrees 81 minutes 43 seconds, north latitude; and
between the merdans Of degree, 80 minutes l6
seconds, and degrees IL minutes 50 seconds, west
longitude, from the city of Mexico, according to the
map of the aforesaid State made by Mes3rs. Staples
and Condo in the year 1884.
In this article the northern boundary of the
State of Chihuahua is claimed as far as 81 de-
grees 81 minutes AZ seconds. which line forms
the southern boundary of New Mexico. Now, if
the United States Commissioner fixed the initial
point at 80 degrees ~ minutes north latitude, as
it was laid down on the treaty map. he gained
for the United states IS minutes of latitude; and
in prolonging the line west from the Rio Grande
three degrees, he made up the loss which would
otherwise have ensued to the United States had
the actual longitude Of the western limit Of the