Alexandria gazette. [volume] (Alexandria, D.C.) 1834-1974, 1859-09-07
Mason and DiYou's Line.

the one hand, and 1.-THE South" Oh the other.
Yet, comparatively few of those who so mp
PANTY make Use Of the significant words,
have any just understanding Of what Ma
son and Dixon's Line actually means
They use it as convenient expression. to
distinguish the boundaries of free and slave
territories, without considering whether II
be a regularly marked geographical cline,
fixed and designated by monuments, courses
and distances, or merely an imaginary term
of distinction between the slave-holding and
non-slaye-holding States of this Union. We
propose to show, by brief historical review
that it is simply geographical boundary
line, originally marked out without any re-
ference to the peculiar institution OF the
South.
In June, 1852, King Charles |. granted
to Ceciius Calvert, Lord Baltimore, all that
tract Of land lying between certain bound
on the South unto that part OF Delaware
Bay, on the North which iieM ander me
tortieth degree Of North latitude," thence
"in right line by tie dcgrec aforesaid, t.
the true meridian of the first fountain of the
river Potomac, &c"
On the 18th of March, 1851. thereafter,
Charles ii. granted unto our trusty ana
well beloved subject, William Penn, rs
gure," "all that tract or part of land IN
America, with the islands therein contained,
rs the same is bounded on the east by Della
ware river, from twelve miles northward OF
New Castle, unto the Northern boundary,
extending eastward five degrees in longitude,
and to be bounded on the South by circle
drawn at twelve miles distance from New
Castle, northward and eastward unto tie be-
ginning Of Tire fofieM de9ree u northern tdt.,
tude, and then by Il S'yd;yht line west~dId to
the limits of the longitude above men
toned"
Here, then, we have, side by side, the two
grants to Lord Baltimore and William Penn,
of what were afterwards to be the States Of
MARYLAND and Pennsylvania. But, by an
examination of the map, we will discover
that the two grants are inconslstcnt-a most
apparent confusion existing in regard TO the
division line between the two. For whilst
the twelve mile circle drawn from New Gas
tie was to extend unto the beginning OF the
torieh dcgrce Of northern latitude" 1t Is
found impossible for it 10 reach that line at
all, it being more than that far distant
And again it was claimed by the advocates
of Penn, that as his northern boundary,
which was designated as unto the three
and forticth degree of north latitude" only
carried him to the line To, 80 his southern
boundary ''unto the beyinning of the tortleth
degree" should carry him down to where
the territorial span embraced in the iortietil
degree begun-to wit, to the line 3O'.
But it was alike impossible TO make the
twelve mile circle reach this line, being
South of New Castle some fifty miles
Here, then, was fruitful grounds for one OF
those most perpcxing and troublesome con-
troversies that can arise between adjacent
land-holding neighbors-a controversy about
boundaries. Accordingly it ensued, and IN
this confusion we have the trivial origin OF
the renowned mason Il DixOn's line.
What was the cause of the confusion IN
the description Of these contiguous bounda-
ries? 1t all lies in the fact that, at the time
these two grants were made, 1862 and
lGSN the line 100 crossed the Delaware
nearly at--a little bclow-'rhsre Ner Caste
is, as the maps then in existence had it fixed.
1t is said that the map on the authority OF
which the boundaries of the grants were
made, was one published by the celebrated
Captain Smith and that enormously fixed
the line where we have stated.
As may we'll have been expected, great
animosities and strife sprung up between
the colonists Of the contending proprietors.
| This continued for many years without any
thing like IN c;iactual settlement OF the
vexcd question. Robbery and arson, and
even murder, were frequent occurrences all
along the disputed border. At last, III May
1882, impellcd more by necessity than any
thing else, Richard Penn and Charles Cal,
vert successors of William Penn and Lord
Baltimore, who, in the meantime, had dled, }
entered into II written agreement Tor the set
Element Of their disputes. The stipulatIonS
OF the agreement were circular line was
to be run L. miles distant from New Castle;
then 90 down to Cape lIcnOpen, and from
its ocean point run a line due west to Ches-
apeake Bay: find the middle point OF this
| line. and run another line thence n0rthward,
so as to be tangent to the twelve mile CIR
Gle on its western verge: from the tangent
point run line due north until 1t comes ~
a point fifteen miles south Of the latitude OF
the southern part of the city OF Philadel-
phia: thence by due line west to the west
ern boundary Of Pennsylvania.
Commissioners from both territories were
Jointly to run and mark the lines, and 1t
was agreed that failure in punctuai at
tendance, by either party. should forfeit the
agreement. They met and entered upon
their work, but one day the Penn party, ar
irving a little behind time. the Marylanders
declared the agreement ut an end.
The Penns then applied to the English
Chancerv for relief. One suit after another
followed without much apparent advance
ment toward Il settlement. when, at last
litigation was cut short by compromise
entered into by the parties, dated July 4th'
l76O. This put an end to the harrassing
and troublesome fcuds and animosltles ana
settled forever the claims of the dlsputants'
1t was. in fact, nothing more than ratihca,
ton or reafiirmance of the agreement ol
1882. n SYNOPSIS Of which we gave above
The agreement provided for q joint commIs-
sion to ascertain, run out and marx the
lines. La November Of the same year
(l7GO) the commissioners, seven from each
Proprietarv--met at New Castle and enter
ed upon operations. Three years were spent
by the commissioners to very little purpose,
when the proprietors, becoming impatient
at the want of progress of the commission,
ers for we suspect they were not masters oil
the science of mensuration or surveying, as
it is at the present day had them removed
and the two men, Mason and Dixon, whose
names have become famous, appointed in
their stead. In November 1868, they began
operations. But we leave the history OF the
4 ~ Il