The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1897-01-25

more of the boundary question until Ia.
when the British Government sent Lord AZ
burton to this country on q special mission !.
bring about q settlement of II. Mr.. w,h.,.s
was then Secretary Of State under Tyler. And !.
wrote 10 the Governors Of Maine and Mas.
chusetts (which had Joined In the pro,.,, =,
Msine) notifying them Of the coming Of LORI
Ashburton. and saying:
The President proposes. then, that the oo,srnm.,.
OF Maine and Massachusetts, should severally Annals.
A Commissioner or Commissioners, empovsrsd =.
confer with the authorities of this Government, u,es
q conventional line. or line by agreement with a..
terms. conditions, considerations. ana equivalent,
with an undertaking that no such line win :.
agreed upon without the consent OF said connts
sioners.
In ,--,rdanoe with this suggestion, the L.vi..
,stures OF these States were convened and Com.
missioners appointed with authority TO act 10,
the States. and with their consent the boundsr,
line was fixed and the Ashburton treaty WA.
negotiated.
Thus Secretary Livingston and Secretary Ma.
Lane recognized. and Daniel Webster e.,.h
lished. the principle that no treaty affecting N.
territory of . state can DO made without IN.
consent Of that State.
The treaty now before the Senate ignore, IN.
rights OF tho States entirely. Daniel webst,,
would make no treaty until he had obtsip,d
the consent Of the States concerned. Mr.. Oln.v
proposes . treaty that shall bind the forty. Az.
States Of the Union for i've years. without con.
sulting any Of them. And Preside nt CLEVELAND
10 80 profoundly impressed by the proml,. a,
transcsndent good that It Affords" tina, he do.s
not heaitato TO its transmission with
an expression Of his earnest hope that Il ma,
commend itself to tho favorable consideration
Of the Senate" It remains TO be seen whs, IA.
$500 Ill 49,
to commit the territorial. integrity OF the s,ato
they represent TO the lottery Of arbitration.
J. 8. 7.
The KiaG or the Nsthsriasas ss Umpir..
To THE EDITOR OF TIE sUN-Sir: A le,,s,
from ex-senator Edmunds has been published
answering several objections to the arbitration
treaty. No ones opinion Is entitled TO grest.,
attention than that OF the Statesman whom hi,
party ought long since to have placed In the
Presidential chair. The writer. however. would
suggest that Mr.. Edmunds has probably In hi,
haste overlooked . memorable instance 10 our
history in which arbitration by q European
sovereign was a failure. He says:
The third and last objection I have heard |, IN, am
posed danger OF leaving II to any European power %
name an umpire in certain contingencies. Il IL
enough TO say thas 80 far ~ our considerable exp.
rienco has gone In such matters We have never had
occasion 20 complain OF the action OF any sovereign
In naming an umpire or In deciding = dispute.
During John Quincy Adams's Administrators
. convention was agreed to with Great Britain
By which the lonr-standing dispute about our
northeast boundary was submitted to the arb,-
tration Of the King OF the Netherlands. His
award was rendered on tho 10th OF January.
1881. This award was so unsatisfac,ory to this
country that i was summsrily rejected. In
point Of fact, Il was rejected by the other s,ds.
elso. But In New England. especially, the excite.
ment and Irritation were very great.
In 1912. as everybody knows, this subject was
settled forever. not By arbitration of any sort
Whatever. but By tho negotiation OF the treaty
Of Washington by Daniel webater and Lord
Ashburton. A part of Mr.. Ed.Iundss own
state Of Vermont, which the award OF the King
Of tho Netherlands gave 70 Great Britain, WAS
saved TO this country BY the masterful diplo-
macy OF New Eneisnd's nobiest son. iii,
treaty, you will remember. was denounced ia
the British Parliament a. the Aahburton Sur.
render.
II seems to the present writer that all our die.
putes may most safely Be left for settlement as
they arise: By arbitration II they arc OF trining
import: otherwise by diplomacy or the sword.
PHILADELPHIA Jan. 20. is. B.