Wheeling daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1852-1859, 1859-09-02

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'MAsoS AND DIxos,s LINE" has become
phrase of almost constant occurrence in every
discussion of questions qfslqyeEY and Of the re-
spectiye rights of 'the North" on the one hand,
and 1tbe South on the other. Yet, cbmpara-
lively few ofthoso who so fippantly makeiusez
of the significant words, have. any just UNDER
standing of what "Mason and Dixons linep ac.s
tually means. They use it as a convenient
expression, to distinguish the boundaries of free
and slave territories, without considering
whether it be a regularly marked geographical
'line," 3xed and designated by monuments,
courses and distances, or merely. an imaginary
term of distinction between the slave4holding
and Notwithstanding States of this Union-
Wepropose to show, by brief historical
view, that is simply a geographical boundary
line, originally marked out Kithout any refer
encc to the peculiar institution of the South
In June 1882, King Charles L granted to-
Cecilus Calvert, Lord Baltimore, all=that tract
of land lying between certain bound on the
South unto that pnrtsof Delaware Bay, on the
North, sclich zieth umdey the Jortiett degree Of
North latitude, " thence Gin right line, By tho
degree aforesaid, to the true meridian of the
first fountain Of the river Potomac, &c''
On the 4thof March, 1851, thereafter, Charles
subject, William Penn, Esquire" call that
tract or part of land in America, with the islands
therein contained, as the same is bounded on
the east by Delaware river. from twelve miles
northward of New! Castle, unto ths northern
boundary, extending eastward five degrees in
longitude, and to be bounded on the South .by
a circle drawn at twelve miles distance from
New Castle, northward and eastward ,unto The
beginning Of the. fortieth degree Of northern
latitude, and then by a straight line eoestaoard
to the limits of the longitude above mentioned"
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 Mary.
land and Pennsylvania. But, by an examination
of the map, VIC will discover that the two grants
are Observation-Disclosures apparent confusion
existing in regard to the division line between
the two. For whilst the twelve mile circle
drawn from New Castle was to.extend sunto
the beginning of the .J0rtieth Degree Of northern
latitude" tits found impossible for it to reach
thatline at all, it being more than that far dis.
tant And, again: was claimed by the advo.
Gates of Penn, that2as his northern. boundary
which was designated rs "unto the three and
fortieth degree Of north latitude" only carried
him to the line 40 so his southern boundary
"unto the beginning Of tho fortisth degree"
should carry him down to where the territorial
span embraced in the fortieth degree begun
TO Wit, to the line so O..
But it was alike impossible to make the
twelve mile circle reach this line, being South
of New Castle some 6fty miles. Here, then, was
fruitful grounds for one Of those most perplex-
ing and troublesome controversies that can
arise between adjacent land-holding neighbors
"a controversy about boundaries According
" it ens1ed, and in this confusion we have the
trivial origin Of the renowned Mason & Dixons
line"
What was the cause Of the confusion in the
description of these contiguous boundaries? It
lilies in the fact that, at the time these two
grants were made, Q692 and 1851 the line
40e2crossed the Delaware nearly at-a little
below-tOhcre .Ne.o Castle is, as the maps then
in existence had it fixed. 1t is said that the
map on the authority Of which the boundaries
ofthe grants were made, was one. published by:
the celebrated Captain Smith, and that errone.
Ously fixed the line where we have stated.
As may we'll have been expected, great ami
mOsities and strife sprung up between the
colonists of the contending proprietors. This
continued for many. years without .anything like
an efectnal settlement Of the yexed question.
Robbery and arson, and even murder, were
frequent occurrences. all along the disputed Dor.
der. At last, in May, 1882, impelled more by
necessity than anything else, Richard Penn and
Charles Calvert Successors of William Penn
and Lord Baltimore, who, in the mean time, had
died. senteFed into a. written agreement for the
settlement Of their disputes. The stipulations
of the agreement were a circular line was to
be.run l9 miles distant from New Castle; then
go down to Cape Henlopen, and fromaits ocean
point run a line due west to Chesapeake Bay;
tind the middle point of this line, and run anoth5
er line thence ;nprthwardi 80 as to be a tangent
to the twelve mile circle on1its# western verge;
from the tangent point run n line tlne roF,h