[GANONG ] BOUNDARIES OF NEW BRUNSWICK 337 
deem consistent with the objects of an arbitration—even should it be by 
splitting the difference as was proposed by Mr. Gallatin.” 
“Did Mr. Gallatin propose that?” cried the King, eagerly. 
‘“ Yes, Sire, and gave offence to the State of Maine by the admission thus 
implied.” 
It is quite true that Gallatin had suggested a compromise as to this 
boundary. It is first contained in a letter of his of Dec. 25, 1814 (case 
of the U.S., 1829, 428), and again in one of Oct. 20, 1826, to Henry 
Clay, Secretary of State (in State Papers, VI., 647). The suggestion 
is there coupled with an expression of opinion that the title of Maine 
to any territory north of the 45 parallel (apparently the limit of the Vir- 
ginia charter) was defective, and that the territory in dispute belonged 
not to that state but to the United States, and hence could be ceded to 
effect a compromise. This position was undoubtedly a mistake, and was 
completely repudiated by him in a letter only eight days after the latter 
letter, where he admitted his mistake (State Papers, VL, 650). The 
British made something of this letter in the statement, and Gallatin was 
obliged to repudiate it emphatically in a special section of the Ameri- 
can statement. 
We return now to the decision of the King. On the 12th of Jan- 
uary the American Minister at the Hague filed with the Minister of 
foreign affairs a protest, perfectly respectful in tone, against the award 
on the ground that the King in recommending a new line departed from 
the powers delegated to him by the parties, which were to decide upon 
one of two lines. The British Government, however, agreed to accept 
it ; doubtless it would have been accepted by the United States had it 
not been that it was unsatisfactory to both Maine and Massachusetts, 
and it was accordingly rejected by the United States Senate. As a mat- 
ter of fact, this rejection was unfortunate for all parties, but particularly 
for the United States, for not only did it leave the controversy open for 
thirteen years longer, engendering great bitterness, trouble and expense, 
but in the final settlement in 1842 the United States obtained much less | 
territory, so far at least as this region was concerned, than was 
assigned her in this decision. 
Thus failed the attempt to settle the northwest angle of Nova Scotia 
by arbitration. It was, however, by no means wasted, for on the one 
hand it led the people of the United States to see that to a disinterested 
arbitrator there was more to be said on behalf of the claim of Great 
Britain than they had been inclined to admit, and on the other it intro- 
duced into the discussions the idea of a settlement by compromise, both 
of which were prerequisite to the possibility of such a settlement as that 
effected by the Ashburton Treaty in 1842. 
