Daily Iowa State Democrat. [volume] (Davenport, Iowa) 1856-1859, 1859-10-02

tent Or oeaDicg shsn 10 give to Great
Britain oil Of Vapeouver's Isisud and tbs
small islands lying Immediately sdjsc.n
thereto. appurtsasaces. IL Ne may uss the
expression, a said vaDcouvers Islaod. and
which laid west Of said middle chssnsi -
And here, without r~f.rriag to the NAP VI
geography Of the Golf VI Gsor,ia. We might
rect our case but that comes ~ our cup.
port. and . refereoc. TO that sstablishes
beyond the possibility Of . doubt the pre-
posterous and egrsgious folly Of the claim
srumpso up By Great Britain. Ad ,pt the
StrsiLs OF nossrio - the boundary. the line
10 Heightened it becomes crescentie. and
rune in every direction-in fact mere east
erly than southerly-whilst soathssly line
carries us naturally through the Canal de
Haro. and leave 10 the east the Archipela-
60. which by . fair construction Of the
treaty il indisputsbly ours.
But take another view Of the case. and
admit that the term channel" 10 . word
which can here be . subject Of difference
and doubt-the treaty saying "ths chanHel"
and there being two channels. then the
question 10 solved even more clearly in our
favor--nOt only from its directness Of course.
but By the amount Of water II the terms,
the cbsnnel" mean the main channel. then
the Canal de Hsro-lying next adjacent to
| Vancouvers Is and, almost Q direc south
Inn from the point constituting the vest
termination oftke forty ninth parallel. used
"a north boundary. having much the lar
g"st body Of water. - settled by oil the
photographic parties Who have examined it
-is the channel through which the bound
airy line, by the terms Of the treaty. must
run and the American side Of the question
is the only tensble one consistent with good
sense. right reason snd Q fair construction Of
language
Over this land We have heretofore exsr-
ci-ed territorial jurisdiction. While this
~intev ot 1852 So, the Legislature created the
..nty Of L.iand. clearly defining i.s ~sstern
boundary IL be the Canal de Horo That act.
then . mstter for the approval Of the %.
tonsl Congress. is still in force. for Congress
never disapproved 1t. and heses il 10 notice
OF our occupancy to the whole world. IN
1854. tie Legislative As'mGly Of the Terri.
tory Of Washington. tn creating the county
Of Whofc'm. redsserted tie xame position"
and established tie ,ora boundary Of that
county IN tie middle of the Canal de Uaro
and till no~ the islands ~ dispute haze bee"
part Of our Ierri!ory. included scithia that
county and never has this act been dissp-
proved by Congress. which has the authcr
ity to disapprOve Of our territorial legisls
tom For by any officer Of our government.
But another fact. still more important. has
been the creation Of the office Of Inspector Of
Customs tor that island. and hisoDfc.al action
there since tie establishment Of Port To'sn
end as the pors Of entry for this collection
district.
Within the past few weeks. our military
have occupied it. and by order Of General
Harvey military post has been esta blished
there. Our assertion Of title and supremacy
has been continuous from the ratification of
the treaty till nov. The islands have been
included within our nationsl and territorial
Dc main. by . series Of acts sho owing the ex
ercise Of sovereignty over the land and un-
~ recently without any pretsncs OF adverse
claim.
W. firmly believe that no representative
OF British authority should be permitted for
n nome Mt upon that soil il his presence
there was to indicate British dominion
We believe tina. the floating Of British col
ors as token Of British occupancy over the
Island Of san Juan. offensive, invasive ana
entirely uniustifsble. But while maintain.
Ing these views. ~ the matter 10 in the
hands Of q Commissioner hsre-ss both
sides will soon be heard by the two govern.
ments--let US await their action 10 the
premises. and let not our people, by any
acts. either with British resident. or with
those usurping authority there. entangls
and render the question more con plicated.
c. nsis,e emily with nat onsl honor. there
can be but one decision Of this arrogant pre-.
teDce Of q eat Britain. and We are confident
that our government will never pescesbly
yield an inch Of soil to this shallow, abs urd
and reposterous claim Of . Power, who for
hundreds Of years has pursued the policy Of
claiming strong and important military and
naval stations. grid & the earth with her
strongholds, as witness Gibraltar, Malta.
Singapore. the Falkland Isles. the Bahamas.
and NOR lately the Island Of Perrin, 10 the
"ersian Gulf, and nov the Island Of San
Juan. which the London Times calls the
Constrsdt Of the North Pacific. With weak
and second rate powers. these jewels Of their
clowns have been ravished by diplomacy or
force 1t remains to be seen if the govern
ment Of these United States are Of the same
complexior. or il we are the Legitimate sons
Of the men Of 10 and II" who knew their
rie hts. a.d knowing dared maintain them"
THE ORIGIN or 7. PRESENT DISCUSSION.
The an Francisco Home Journal publish.
es the following story Of the commencement
of the difficulty. Glowing that it originated
about the hogs OF an English Squire.
though it has since grown to somewhat for
miIab'e dimensions:
The Island Of San Juan. or Bellevue 10
considered to be disputed point bet ween
American and English territory. 1t is be
tween fifteen ard eighteen miles long. by
seven at the widest part. 1t is populated
chiefly by few American squstters. an
English Squire. ian employee Of the Hudson
Bay Company and a number Of unruly
hogs some Of whom belong to the Squire.
The quarrel is all about these hogs Said
hogs persisted in breaking through the
hedges and digging up aud eating the pota-
toes Of . Mr. Cutter. an American settler
He gave them, that Is their masters, . fair
warning and then shot one Ct them. which
turned out to be boar belonging to the
Squire Mr. Cutter was sorry, or offered to
pay. but the Squire had sworn vengeance.
He attempted to have Cutter arrested and
brought to Victoria. there 10 be tried and
transported. Now there happened to BE-
some United States troops. under General
Harvey. at hand. and when British war
steamer arrived from Victoria t. carry of
Mr. Cutter. General Harvey refused to Dc.
liver him up. 1t was then that the question
arose as to whose Jurisdiction the Island Of
San Juan belongs"
he Philadelphia Democsacy Indosss The
Prss1dene.
The Democracy Of Philadelphia are
hard at work, determined to succeed 10