, 1859-08-12
lfIIs NdrIINesl Boundary QueslLOn.


bosiag Islands by the twO great powers
tie United States and Great Britain, ar,
nritefs Of deep and abiding interest, no
only to Washington Territory, but TO th'
nation at large What must be the 6na
result, the future alone can determine. Bul
Il becomes our people. 10 investigating this
matter. to look upon this question gravely
ahd seriously, for out Of il may grow events
OF vast magnitude, A difference between
twog great nations entailing the possibility
ofan appeal TO arms at this junciure ia
the worlds history. is a subject requiring
calm deIiberstion, dispasslonnte patriotism,
a'desire on the part Of every American to
Sc his GOvernment with all the righ upon
her side. Let Us. then. be prudent and
Natchfal Of our acts let US do nothing
With hot and inpeiuous haste let every
American settler upon those Islands, with
ealmness, dignity and pROprieIy Of conduct,
iacts as though convinced Of the right Of
Jheir presence. We feel assured they will
b guilty Of no act Of outrage or wrong
which may embrOil them with the British
slbjsets now iemponrily stopping there.
Let them remember that every violation
d right gives strength to their opponents;
add let them remember that the time is not
yet come fer decisive action, for between
The two Governments, tho high contracting
parties, negotiations are now pending
which we sincerely trust will ultimately &c.
eomplish Peaceable solution Of the ques-
tlons--aRd we are confident that thsrs IS bal
sus Ray in which that question can bs set.
tledAand that must be that the Canal dc
han is the channel through the middle Of
which runs the boundary, aud thereby
Great Britain must surrender 10 Us the
possession Of that Archipelago. d go ii-a
But while we commend this moderate
course 70 eur people. let It not be under
Sieod that We yield AZ inch to what we
desmths intFnsion Of tic British occupants
iof San ,JgAa. 0it right TO that and the
neighboriug Islands. 'uuder the treaty, we
assert 70 y, as clear as the sun at noon
day. We see no shadow Of claim Of Great
Britaih for these Islands, aud VIC denounce
asan intrusion the late acts Of the British
residents, md particularly the British au.
thoriiiss Of VapcOuver's Island and the
British naval officers. ,fi ilo /. a1aw b.
-Tbsoh history Of the Oregon controversy
need not be revived. The undue mugnan-
unity Of oar Government in yielding, for
the sake ot peace. our title to the territory
A0rthof 4sS--rthes esurFendsrio of Vanconyer's
Island and Queer ChOrlottS's Island, which
nSt6rhlly would have come to us by the
law Of nations under The recognized doc
trine that Islands are APpurtenaBt to Q
eoatinent, 2 should at least have been re
speeied by Great Britain, without setting
up the ridiculous claim in regard to the
construction aud meaning Of the words o.
tho treaty of Isl6, defining our northwest
boundary. The language Of that treaty
leaves noroom for Inisconsiruction or doubt
The line Of boundary shall be eonfinueG
iDesi,eard along he Corty-ninfh parallel d
aorth latitHde TO Me middle of tie oIanne
SAieh separates he continent from Kaho0u
rer's IslaHd, and hence SOutheriy through III
sidds Of said channel and of Iuoas Strdit
70 ths Pacific Oceanp That section Of tht
treSty, instead of running the 49th paraI
lei due west to the Pacific Ocean, had nc
other intent or meaning than to give L
Great Britain oil Of Vancouver's Island ant
the small Islands lying Immediately ada
cent thereto, appurtenances, Il we may Us,
the expression, Of said YancouTer's Island
and which laid west Of said middle channel
Aud here, without referring to the map oil
geography Of the Gulf Of Georgia, we might
rest our case but that comes to our sup.
port, and a reference to that establishes
beyond the possibility Of doubt the pre-
pOsterOus and egrcgious folly Of tue claim
trumped up by Great Britain. Adopt the
Straits Of Rosario as the boundary, the
line is lepgthened.-it becomes crescentic
and ruhs in every dreciion-in fact more
saSteriy than sOutherly-whilst sOutherly
line carries rs naturally through the Cana
ds HarO, and leaves to the east the Archi
pelago. which, BY fair construction of the
treaty, is indisputably ours. But take an
other view Of the case, and admit that the
term 1" channel is word which can here
be a subject Of difference and dOubt, the
treaty saying "hs channel" and there be
ing two channels, then the question is sOlV
ed even more clearly in our favor-not
only from its direciHssS Of course, but by the
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