The Mountaineer. [volume] (Great Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1859-1861, 1860-01-28
90

80 ~ otcNIIIu tn1l ctr ulilcnItiea with
nuiw.E uSliy, hsi been SnaIv .'Iis.ssd h !
1Aennor nlI1s honofnbls and satisfaciory to both
pette. Ftom ceuses, however which the
IElillh ooVefnmont had not anticipated, they
have not YET compIeled treaty arrangements with
the kepobllcs q Honduras and Nicaragus. IN
Rufeuanca 81 the understanding between The two
erVrrnment1. 4 i, nevertheless, cophdenuy
srp>eted lhnt this good work will ere long BE-
rHE sAE 1uAn prETicULrY.
wine indolalna Tho hope that no other sub
ieot remained which could disturb the good un.
dsFrtandine between the two countries, the
duselIon Arising ont az the adverse claims Of the
nsvtI.s 10 he Island u San Jaan, ander the
Orsron treaty o. the 18th o. Jane, 1896. sudden
" a6Snmeda threatening prominence. In order
10 preesnt unfOFtunats collisions on that remote
frontier, the late Secretary Of State, ON the 18th
IniY, 1853, addrsssed II ots % Nj. Crsmpton,
then British Minister at Washington, communi-
eaiise e him copy q the instructions which
he Mr. Marcy had given, on the 14th July, To
Gov. Stevens ~ Washington Territory, having
special tefMence 70 an'sappFthsnded conflict be-
tween our citizens and the British subjects on
tho Island u San Juan To prevent this, the
Covetnaf was instructed sthat the officers Of the
TeFElloty should ABSTAIN from III acts on the
disputed grounds which are calculated 70 pro-
NlN8 III. LUuMItttl " LuE ~ u Cnu W uVlip
oatimrlying the concession to the authorities
70 Great Britain Of an exclusive right over The
premises. The title ought % Be settled before
either party should attempt 70 exclude the other
~ force, oF exercise complete and exclusive
sovereign rights within the fairly disputed
limits
n acknowledging the receipt ON the next day
~ NJ. Marcyss note, the British Minister ex-
prDsaed his entire concurrence Sin the proprlety
&c tlIe course recommended to the Governor Of
washington Territory BY your Nj. Marcy'sl
lnstrnctiQns % that officer, and stating that he
had sslost no time In transmitting a copy 81 that
document % The Governor General o. British
North AmeFica, and had s.earnestiy recon.
mended % his Excelency 10 take such measures
ontke part Or the British local authorities and
ths inhsbitanfs of thenelgh Of the line
q question, the exercise or the same spfFit 81
q f0rbenfance which y inc0lcated By YOU (Mr.
Marcy on the authorities and citizens Of the
United States. :i4 Il
Thus matters remained upon .Ie faith Of this
arrangement nhtilIhe 9lh Of July last, when Gen.
HnEnsy paid visit to The ISLAND He found mn
on 4 twenty i've American residents with their
families, and also an establishment Of the Hud-
SONS Bay Company for the purpose Of raising
sheep. A short time before bic arrival, one 81
theee resldsnts had shot an animal belonging 70
he company, while trespassine upon his premi-
So fer whieh, heweyers he offered 70 pay twice
~ vAluey bet that was refused. Soon after
ethe chief factor o. the Company a Victoria,
~. Dallss, son-in-iaw Of Gov, Douglas, came 10
The island In the British sloop-of-war Satellite
and threatened 10 take this American tNr.
Gutlef) By force 10 Victoria, TO answer Tor the
teepass 10 had committed. The American
eelzed bic rifle. and told Nj. Dalles that II any
such aissmPt was made be would kill him ontlie
spot. The affair then ended. =
Undef these circumstances, the American SET
tiers presented petition to the Gem raj .throuRh
the United States Inspector Of Customs, Mi.
3 Hnbbs, 70 place 4 force upon the island 10 pro-
tect them from lhs indiana Is well 10 The iop-
. ptessive interference 81 the authorities Of The
Hsdsee,s Bay Company a Victoria with their
rights - American cltlzsns."s The General i'm.
nedlalely responded 20 this petition. and ordered
Capt. George =. Pickett. 9th infantry, ga
astabllsh his company on Beleyues or San Juan
island, pr some suitable position near the har.
hor It the s0uth-eastern extremIty.n Thi
oder was promptly, obeyed, aud a military poe
ives established AZ the place designated. I'll,
AoFee was afterwaTd increased, so that by thl
last feinrn the whole number Of troops then OF
The island amounted IN the aggregate 70 60
men.
Willis do not deem It proper on the prcsen
8 Aceasion TO 20 further into the subject, and dis
cles the weight which ought 10 be attached /
the statements Of the British Colonial authoiI
ties, eonlesting the accuracy OF the information
On which The gallant General acted, Il was du
20 him that Ishould thus present his own rea
sons Tor issuing the order 10 Capt. Pickett
From these Il IS quite clear his object was b
pfeyeni the British authorities on Vancouver,
lalnnd from exercising jurisdiction over Amefl
can residents on tho Island OF San Juan, a. vel
q to protect them against the incarsions Of III
Much excitement prevailed Tor some tim
throughout that region, and serious danger
collision betWaen the parties was unprecedented
The British had q large naval force In the yicin
ity; and Il ID but an act Of simple justice to til
+ Admiral ON that station to state that be wisel
and dlscEesily sorbore 70 commit any hostile &c
hut determined 10 refer the whole afisir to Il
Government and await their instructions.
This aspect Of the matter. Ia my opinion, Il
I nanded serious attention. ID would have bee
great calamity for both nations had they be,
preeipltated into acts OF hostility, not on Il
question Of title 70 the island, but merely CO
ceFning what should be ite condition during Il
intervening period while the two Goyernmen
might be employed 10 settling the question
which Of them il belongs For this reason Lie
tenant General Scott was dispatched ON the II
of September last to Washington Territory,
take immediate contmand Of the United Stat
forces on the Pacific coast should he deem Il
necessary. The main object Of bis mission W
20 carry out the spirit OF the precautionary
f4uIpmant DctNuuu tu1 lhto5 ceCfetofy OF Ola
and the British Minister, and thus 70 preserve d
peace and prevent collision between the Britt
and American authoritiee, pending The negos
ations betWeen the two Governments. EntertAi
ding no douht Of the validity OF our lille, ne
scarcely add that, 10 any event, American oil
Gems were TO BE- placed on a footing AZ least
favorable % that Of British snbjscls, il bei
nadsrstood that Captain Pickett,s company shot
remain on the island. II IL proper TO obser
that, considering the distance from the scene
action, and in ignorance Of what might ha
tyanspired on the spot before the Generals /
rival, Il was necessary 10 leave much 20 his dI
Ptosen that this discretion could not have be,
entrusted to more competent hands GsneT
scott has recently returned from his missio
having successfully accomplished its objects, Il
ihers y no longer any Eaod reason to spprehei
collision belwesn the forces Of the two cou
t.ls. during the Pendency Of the exis ing neg