第2章

　　&sect；23。\"Eachnationhadgrantedandpartiallysettledthecountry，denominatedbytheFrench，Acadie，andbytheEnglish，NovaScotia。Bythe12tharticleofthetreatyofUtrecht，madein1713，hismostChristianMajestycededtotheQueenofGreatBritain，’allNovaScotiaorAcadie，withitsancientboundaries。’AgreatpartofthecededterritorywasinthepossessionoftheIndians，andtheextentofthecessioncouldnotbeadjustedbythecommissioners，towhomitwastobereferred。

　　ThetreatyofAixlaChapelle，whichwasmadeontheprincipleofthestatusantebellum，didnotremovethissubjectofcontroversy。Commissionersforitsadjustmentwereappointed，whoseveryableandelaborate，thoughunsuccessfularguments，infavourofthetitleoftheirrespectivesovereigns，showhowentirelyeachreliedonthetitlegivenbydiscoverytolandsremaining，inthepossessionofIndians。

　　&sect；24。\"Aftertheterminationofthisfruitlessdiscussion，thesubjectwastransferredtoEurope，andtakenupbythecabinetsofVersaillesandLondon。ThiscontroversyembracednotonlytheboundariesofNew—England，NovaScotia，andthatpartofCanada，whichadjoinedthosecolonies，butembracedourwholewesterncountryalso。

　　Francecontendednotonly，thattheSt。LawrencewastobeconsideredasthecenterofCanada，butthattheOhiowaswithinthatcolony。Shefoundedthisclaimondiscovery，andonhavingusedthatriverforthetransportationoftroopsinawarwithsomesouthernIndians。ThisriverwascomprehendedinthecharteredlimitsofVirginia；but，thoughtherightofEnglandtoareasonableextentofcountry，invirtueofherdiscoveryoftheseacoast，andofthesettlementsshemadeonit，wasnottobequestioned；herclaimofallthelandstothePacificocean，becauseshehaddiscoveredthecountrywashedbytheAtlantic，might，withoutderogatingfromtheprinciple，recognizedbyall，bedeemedextravagant。Itinterfered，too，withtheclaimsofFrance，foundedonthesameprinciple。Shethereforesoughttostrengthenheroriginaltitletothelandsincontroversy，byinsisting，thatithadbeenacknowledgedbyFranceinthe15tharticleofthetreatyofUtrecht。Thedisputerespectingtheconstructionofthatarticlehasnotendencytoimpairtheprinciple，thatdiscoverygaveatitletolandsstillremaininginthepossessionoftheIndians。Whichevertitleprevailed，itwasstillatitletolandsoccupiedbytheIndians，whoserightofoccupancyneithercontroverted，andneitherhadthenextinguished。

　　&sect；25。\"Theseconflictingclaimsproducedalongandbloodywar，whichwasterminatedbytheconquestofthewholecountryeastoftheMississippi。Inthetreatyof1763，FrancecededandguarantiedtoGreatBritainallNovaScotia，orAcadie，andCanada，withtheirdependencies；anditwasagreed，thattheboundariesbetweentheterritoriesofthetwonationsinAmericashouldbeirrecoverablyfixedbyalinedrawnfromthesourceoftheMississippi，throughthemiddleofthatriverandthelakesMaurepasandPonchartrain，tothesea。Thistreatyexpresslycedes，andhasalwaysbeenunderstoodtocede，thewholecountryontheEnglishsideofthedividing，linebetweenthetwonations，althoughagreatandvaluablepartofitwasoccupiedbytheIndians。GreatBritain，onherpart，surrenderedtoFranceallherpretensionstothecountrywestoftheMississippi。Ithasneverbeensupposed，thatshesurrenderednothing，althoughshewasnotinactualpossessionofafootofland。Shesurrenderedallrighttoacquirethecountry；andanyafterattempttopurchaseitfromtheIndianswouldhavebeenconsideredandtreatedasaninvasionoftheterritoriesofFrance。