New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1870-02-22
~ THE CoNsEQU EYCEs or COLD PORK.

70 THE CONSEQ UENCES or COLD PORK.
About eleven years since, legitimate an
swer to the popular conundrum, "What makes
"more noise than q pig under gate p would
have been, that international pig in San Juan
Island And strange to say, it was dead be-
fore it began to make noise. This was the
way of it An exasperated Yankee settler
shot the trespassing pig of a Scotchman, and
the Scottish ShylOck, unwilling to accept
double the value of the animal in return,
must needs have his pound of flesh; and, get
ting officer and warrant from VancOuvers
Island, would have impounded said Yankee IN
some VancOuverian British Bastlle, had not
the latter threatened the same process with
the officer which had previously proved so
effectual with the pig.
The Yankee denied British jurisdiction over
that island, and proposed resistance ~ Ell
arms. He was not arrested; and the I'M
pulsive Harvey sent over company OF troops
to protect the interests of American citizens
on the island The authorities of Vancouver
protested, and two or three British ships of
war anchored off San Juan, but did not ven
ture to fire upon the American troops en-
camped within short range of them. A little
international breeze at once blew up between
this country and Great Britain, which babe
fair to brew into n storm, until the pacific and
paternal old Gen. Scott was sent over to settle
matters. He did it with patched-up plan for
the joint military occupation of the island,
which, for want of a better has suffced up to
this time.
The question of the right of possession to
San Juan is not a complicated one. The ply
steal situation is this: The British island of
Vancouver, curving along the coast line from
the northwest as it were huge marine mon
ster, seems to have bitten and swallowed a
large mOuthful of land out of the northwest
corner of the United States territory. The
island of San Juan, and several others occupy
ing the straits between. appear like crumbs
dropped from the mouth of Vancouver when
the bite was stolen. The 10Th parallel of lati-
tude cuts off quite slice of Vancouver, and
the British Government, in agreeing upon that
boundary line, made an express stipulation that
gave them the whole of it, to which our Gov
eminent assented.
But Britain has a way of taking an ell when
she is given an inch and, though for time
satisfied with Vancouver finally set up
a claim for San Juan. The injustice
of the claim is clear enough when we consider
the principle on which the Canadian water
boundary line is settled elsewhere, always fol-
lowing, in the case of disputed islands in rivers
and straits, the deepest channel, principle
which gives us, for instance, Belle Island, OPP
posite Detroit. Now, the Straits De Haro are
the deepest channel between Vancouver and
the United States, and San Juan. in cOnse-
L., Ill 70 no oh of
Rosario Straits, which the great Britannia Peck
sniff concluded to claim as the water boundary,
and which cuts off San Juan from us, has an
average depth of fifty fathOms less than De
IIaro. Previous to 1850, we held San Juan in
peace. Between that time and 1859, Great
Britain cultivated a hankering after the tidy
little island, till, in consequence of cold pork,
in the latter year the dispute took open FORM
and was only pacifed with patchwork.
Within few days. an injunction-nOt of Bar
nard, but of secrecy-was dissolved, and the
proceedings of the Senate in Executive session
last April upon the proposed treaty with Great
Britain for the settlement of the water-bOund-
airy line in Puget Sound were made public.
1t appears to have been proposed that the
distinguished President of the Swiss Confed-
Grafton, whose name most unfortunately es-
capes us, should arbitrate between the two coun-
tries as to this water boundary. Vigorous and
exhaustive speeches were made, opposing any
such settlement, and the distinguished Presi-
dent has not yet been requested to arbitrate.
The question now is, Shall the patchwork pol
icy cOntnue2 or shall we demand our rights
and prosecute the demands
|
The exposure of abuses in the sale of cadet