Saint Mary's beacon. [volume] (Leonard Town, Md.) 1867-1983, 1878-04-05
Constitutional History.

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George Ticknor Curtis lectured or
the above subject in New York OF. Tues.
day last. The lecture was q review oI
The events preceding the ratification oI
the first English treaty with this coun-
Try. The boundaries Of the United
States as iixed by this treaty, the speak
eE wenI on TO say, were, on the west,
the Mississippi and Missouri rivers; on
the south, the thirty-first parallel of lat
itode. which is about the northern
boundary OF Florida, thus cutting The
United States from the Gull Of Mexico
The Northern boundary was fixed as il
now stands. '@'''f'
Mr.. Curtis said that his lecture rela.
ted to very curious piece 6f history
the negotiation Of the treaty Of peace
which recognized the independence oI
the United States at Inc close OF The
Revolutionary war. He first alluded &c
what he called the disastrous adrninistra-
ton Of Lord North a. the Prime Minister
Of England, on whom the conduct ol
the American war had devolved. That
Minister, Mr.. Curtis said, had carried
on the war In Submission 10 the will oi
the King and 10 the temper Of the ma
tiop, but always against. bis own iudg-
mene kord sR<seEsngham succseded
hilas taking ofice on nrondiiions dictated
By himself, among which were peace
with the Americans, the acknowledge
ment OF their independence not to be a
bar to the attainment OF that Object
The hopes, however. which were enter
tanned by the friends of the American
cause in consequence Of bis accession,
were not fulfilled because the King,
who hated the wings and who bad
been forced by circumstances to place
the Marquis OF Rockingham at the head
Of the new Cabinet, sntroduced into that
Cabinet the means oi dissension in the
person oiLord Shelburne. and the point
which the KING was most indisPosed to
yield was that Of the Independence OF
America. w - sH-f r8Fx
The new administration, however,
was short lived. Lord Rockingham dy-
ing after holding oiEce butthree months.
HIS party vas never large enc, but it
inclnded amoag its members Edmund
Burke aud Charles James Fox, men,
Mr.. Curtis said, Of wise and compre-
hehsiye thought. In the settlement Of
the American question there arose diff
fcnities between the two Secretaries.
Fox We Il the head ol the Foreign De-
partment, and IL the American colonies
were 60 be treated With - indrpeAdent
states he had charge OF the negotiations,
but il their Independence was not to
be first acknowledged and they were to
be treated with IS fevolted colonies 0f
Great BFit1in whose indeRendence was
one Of the points 20 Be embraced iH the
treaty, then the business belonged TO
Shelburne. s. s.ss.s4 :
bAiier Lord Rockingham death Lord
SheIburae became tie Premier. The
leclurer then referred in detail to the
events which followed the accession OF
this Minister, and the constant refusal
OF Mr.. Adams and the ether American
Com missioners 60 treaf with the agents
ofGreat Britain unless the Independence
cd the Unitea States was first acknowf-
edged. In the negotiations which en-
sued the American Commissioners had
some advantages. They had long heen
represented al the court OF France, and
had oil the benefit of this alliance, aud
they also had the indifect advantage ol
the participation OF Spain 10 the general
war against Engisnd. From Holland