The times., 1898-12-04

OF the annual publications by the Gov
eminent, department and bureau reports
and other public documents, which this
year are unusually interesting, one of the
most popular and instructive is the new
Land Office map of the United States, just
issued by Commissioner Hermann.
1t is an important and valuable contri-
button to American history. for it corrects
errors In previous maps relating to the
boundaries of the acquisition of the prov
ince of Louisiana.
The preparation of the map was an
nounced In The Times several weeks ago
in a notice of Commissioner Hermann s
book on the Louisiana purchase, and the
acquisitions of territory by the United
States.
Advance copies of the map have just
been received from the publishers, and,
judging from the numerous letters of COM
mendation from senators and representa-
tives, historians. college presidents, and
Others, the publication will be in such de-
mand that many editions will have to be
published.
These letters received by the commits
sioner were prompted by his book fore
shadowing the publication of the map.
The book contains the commissioners let
ter to the Secretary of the Interior rec
ommending the correction of the historical
error In the previous Land Office map of
the United States. and an elaborate brief,
IL. J,
stating the necessity for such correction.
1t also contains most timely and in
structive Review of Annexation by the
United States" and Early Objections to
Annexation Analysed"
As the book and the new map are COM
panion publications they are here briefly
reviewed together.
The Historical Error.
The historical error which the commits
sioner has corrected was the boundary
line in the last official map of the United
States relating to the acquisition of Ore
g9n, Washington, Idaho, and fractional
parts of Montana and Wyoming. The old
map included these States and parts OF
States in the Louisiana purchase of 1865,
and consequently represented the latter
acquisition as extending in the Northwest
to the Pacific Ocean. The new map
changes all this by designating said States
md parts of States as otherwise acquired
Across their face on the map are printed
the following statements:
Acquired by discovery, 1882"
"Exploration, 1855
astoria Settlement, ISL
Florida Treaty, 1919"
In this statement there are two features
which will naturally attract attention. and
will doubtless lead to considerable discus
sion.
First-He gives the sole credit, so far as
the treaty part of the acquisition is con-
cerned. to Spain.
Second-IIe gives no credit whatever to
the treaty with Great Britain of 1876 re-
lating to the final settlement of the North
western boundary dispute, which, as
everyone knows. nearly led TO a war be-
tween the United States and Great Brit
ain.
HIS principal reason for giving so much
credit to the treaty of 1919 is explained in
the following clear and concise statement,
covering the rival claims of the United
States. Spain and Great Britain:
When. finally. by the treaty of 1913 we
secured the claims of Spain north Af the
forty-second degree of latitude we More
than ever valued Gray's discovery of the
VI the 1OluIlDld the Astoria
settlement. through which alone we de-
duced an almost incontestable right AT
last national interest had so crystallized
about this romantic region westward of
the Rockies that soon II was TO break
forth In the war cry of 'Fifty-four Forty
or Fight
The restoration of the Astoria settlement
Cor Fort GEORGE, on the Columbia River.
10 the Americans, pursuant TO the first ar
ncle of the treaty of Ghent was a most
substantial confirmation by Great Britain
OF the American claim; II was also slim
ulus for increased effort toward final rec
ognition OF our rights. Negotiations with
England were resorted TO by our nation.
which was represented by Rush and Cal
latin. while England was represented bv
Goulburn and Robinson. Our plenipoten-
flaries proposed that the line should be
drawn from the northwestern extremity
OF the Lake OF the Woods, north or south,
as the case might require, to the forty
ninth parallel of latitude, and thence
along that parallel westward to the Pa
tific Ocean. The British commissioners
agreed to this line as far west as the
Rocky Mountains, but no farther The
Americans did not assert that the United
States had a perfect right to that country
but insisted that their claim was good at
least against Great Britain, and in sup
port OF this claim Grays discovery and
onr exploration and settlements were re-
lied on. Against these, the British nego-