Year: 1860

Gen. Harvey and the San Juan QueStiOn-Im-


pudent Demands Of England,


We publish in another column a charac-
teristic article from the London Times on
the San Juan difficulty, in which that jour
nal haughtily assumes that we have played
the hog and England the hound in regard
to this last possible dispute in running the
boundary line between our own possessions
and those of England on this continent.


The journal in question lays the whole
blame Of the difficulty upon Gen. Harney,
whom it attacks in an unjust and bitter
manner, paying the other officers Of our
army q merited compliment, in ORDER to
heighten its animadversions upon him
This officer has other records to appeal to
than the columns of the London Times to
justify the appreciation in which he is held
by his own countrymen. A glorious career
in our small but hardworking little army,
in the everglades of Florida, along the ex-
tended line of our frontier settlements, and
amid the long marches and hard fought
fields Of the campaign in Mexico, together
with the possession Of an ample private
estate, show that his action on our far
Northwest line has not been stimulated by
hopes Of fame and fortune, such as might
attend the course Of some younger and in-
discreet commander. The Times errs great
ly in believing that our government, in
sending Gen. Scott to the scene Of the dis
pute, intended to convey a reproof to the
gallant Harney. The mission of Gen
Harney was nothing more than a consider
ate act of Cancellation to great but gree
dy friend, whose traditional policy of ter
ritorial acquisition has led her to commit
SO many acts Of injustice to other nations.


1t is to the persistent practice Of this
policy by her subordinate officers, and not
to the conduct of Gen. Harney, that we
owe our present dispute with England
about the possession of the island of San
Juan Acting in spirit that has been
displayed in the development Of our entire
boundary. from the Bay Of FundY to the
Straits Of Fuca, the British Governor OF
Vancouver Island endeavored to take pos
session Of that Of San Juan, which is as
logically part of our territory as are
Aroostook county, in Maii.rRouse's Point,
in New York, and the many other disputed
islands and points which English diploma
cy hasendeavoEed to take away from us,
or as is the territory of the old thirteen
colonies. England's moderation in the
San Juan question, as assumed by the
Times, is oil sham, and there is a very
different solution from the one it proposes,
d" through the open portals Of the temple
Of Junus," which is the prevalence of com
mon sense and common honesty. As for
the United States having done to this
country (England) things which no other
government in the world could have ven
tured on with impunity," we admit the ac-
cusation but we defy the Times to show a
single instance where our demands have
not been supported by truth and reason or
where we have resorted to any other arms
than these, except in just self-defence.


We trust, therefore, that our govern
ment will not submit to Englands demands
for the removal Of Gen. Harney, and that
the post of duty Of that officer will not be
changed except it be at his own request.
That his course in resisting the attempts of
the British officers at Vancouver Island to
get possession of San San Juan-not be-
cause it belongs to England, but because it
turns out to be strategical point which
isolates one channel and commands the
other to Georges Sound, is distasteful to
the British government-entitles him to
our approval, not our censure 1t is an old
trick of England's to bring forward prepos-
porous claims to territory, and then pro-
pose that the matter shall be settled by
division, by treaty, or arbitration by q
third Power, which amounts 10 the same
thing. We appreciate peace between us
as much as she possibly can, but not a
peace which fosters fictitious claims, by
partial concessions to them whenever made;
and if England wants war because we will
not maintain peace by humoring her whims
and her greed, the sooner she gets it the
better it will be for all We will ask for
nothing but what is right and Just, and of
such claim our government should not
concede a single point.--NetO York Herald