The Scranton tribune. [volume] (Scranton, Pa.) 1891-1910, 1901-12-07

'''''S vi ouf country, atdcu ny IT'S pre-
tended friends Charles James Fox
| the proliN orator and reversible poll
| tician formed an ill-timcd and i'll
| famed combination with Lord North.
that odious tool of early revolutionary
| tyranny. This wrctched office getting
union of old aud long-timc political
| adversnfes was compelled. within a
year. by the sober sense of the Eng
lish people. to ratify the very terms of
II treaty. which the combine had voted
the Shelburne cabinet out of power for
approving. The historian t.ccky says
of this friend of our country: "Iie bore
! u long exclusion from office with great
dignity and calm. and no part of his
| public career appears to have been
| Influenced by any sordd desire of cm-
| olumont, title or place" Th" cause
| Which made Lord Shelbu,nc unpopular
| IN England should have the opposite
effect here. stand by your nations
| frieuds
ROBERT Il. LlNi NGSTON.
| Franklin, Nergcnnes. Shclburne and
| Livingston were the four government
agents. clothed with power. that
brought about the first and final treat
les of 1IS.-l7S3. Livingston was tho
| equal of John Adams as an able and
convincing logician without the angu-
lar and obstinate blunlness of Adams.
He was the superior of Jay as II man
OF affairs and in a rugged strength of
| understanding. Robert Il. Livingston.
! the first in achievement of the six dis
tinguished members of this remarkable
family, was elected to the Continental
Congress in April. l775 Serving on
|
from June II, l775. to July 4. on the
| committee of five whose deliberations
and conclusions gave the reasons.
rhetoricaly set forth BY Mr.. jefferson,
for the Declaration of Independence.
| On August 10. 1881. he was elected by
congress secretary for foreign affairs
and in the discharge of delicate diplo-
matte duties. exhibited talents and
aptitude of the highest order. In Sec
retary Lvingston's instructions to
Franklin. dated January Z. 1852. are
embodied in the most argumentativc
and exact form the American claim for
the Mississippi as our boundary line
and for other much desired conces-
sions. that can anywhere be found. He
says I believe that our extension to
the Mississippi is founded in justice.
| and that our claims are at least such
as the events of the war give us the
| right to insist upon. He followed
| with the koeneSt Watchfulncss each
step in the negotiations for an ndvan-
| tageous peace. When peace with hon
| or and with untold benefits to his coun-
| try was unqucstionably assured. this
| patriot resigned his high post to be-
| come chancellor Of the state nf New
| York.
PROGRESSIVE. STEPS TOWARDS
FREE NANlGATION.
The high ground taken. fortified and
! rendered inpregnabc by Livingston
and his three able commissioners in
| Paris, had been occupied before by far
seeing men. The old treaty of l1G3 had
| guaranteed to the subjects of France
| and Great Britain the right to the free
navigation of the Mississippi. lin it's
| whole breadth and length from its
| source to the sea-" Tho first .Anncri-
can statesman whose clear vision seems
to have disccrncd the value to this
country Of this region was Alexander
Hamilton. In his works. published by
the Putnams and edited by Senator
Lodge. we find on Page Is. Volume /.
these sentiments: THE farmer. ! am
inclined to hope. builds too much on
the present disunion of Canada. Geor-
gia, the F'loridaS. the Mississippi. and
Nova Scotia. from other colonies. \
little time | trust, will awaken them
to !; proper sense of their indiscrelion.
! please myself with the nattcrinG
prospect that they will ere long unite
in one indissoluble chain with the rest
of the colonies" This is from "a full
vindication' of the measures of con-
| greSs. in answer to the calumnieS of Il
| Wcstchester farmer, published in De-
| ccinber. lT1d On Page 10 of the Samc
volume is pertinent paragraph too
| wisely prophetic at so early Il date 10
| be passed by: 'If. by the necessity OF
| the thing, manufactures should once
| be established and take root among us.
| they will pave the way still more to
the future grandeur and glory of Amer
lea" The practical business sagacity
of the great Washington led him to in
crease his quota of money in what hc
calls the "MissiSsippi Adventure" Tic
attends the meetings of n company in
1863 1853. 1867, and in March. l713. he
sends his tenant, James Wood, as an
agent to locate lands las high w tn"
MissisSipni as the navigation is good,
having been informed that the lands
are better and tho climate more tenn
p"ratc in the northern parts of the gov
ornmont than below" Wood was not
successful
Until ISL all business relating to
foreign and financial affairs WAS trans
acted through committees of congress.
On September 26, l116. Il committee
consisting of Governor Morris. Il. IT,
Lee. Il. Wylhc and John Adams. werc
instructed to draw W and report to
congress II set OF instructions for III"
commissioners about to be sent abroad
This committee prepared instructions
of vast Importance drawn. no doubt
by the brilliant Morris. whose inStruc-
tions to our minister of Spain and 10
congress with slight change. and bio
came the basis of the treaty lIS2 by
which we finally won peace" In sup
port of the high authority of President
Roosevelt, whose words we have just
quoted. we add that the secret journals
of congress prove that the middle of
the river Mississippi" boundary line
was first publicly claimed by this
statesman. After much backin" and
filling on This question by congress-,
clear-cut ana w"l-dctined Instructions
We're at length agreed upon. October 4,
1880. and sent. October Il. 10 Mr. John
JAY. then at Madrid. These came from
Il new committee. of which james
Madison was chairman. They were
presumably from tho clear brain ANA