io8 THE ROARING FORTIES 



ritory in the affair of the Caroline, and an ex 

 change of views that was interpreted by Web 

 ster as a substantial abandonment of the ancient 

 claim to the right of search and impressment. 

 In regard to the case of McLeod, Webster re 

 newed the admission by the United States of 

 the British contention that a private citizen 

 could not be punished for an act for which his 

 government assumed the responsibility, but 

 amicably forbore to point out, as his predeces 

 sor had done, the awkward position in which 

 the British Government would be put by this 

 contention in connection with certain incidents 

 of Palmerston s aggressive policy in the af 

 fairs of continental Europe. The forbearance of 

 Webster in this matter was typical of the gen 

 eral tone of the correspondence and of the whole 

 negotiation. A spirit of friendliness and cour 

 tesy was manifested at every stage, and an 

 almost ostentatious avoidance of ideas or ex 

 pressions that could irritate. Whatever of 

 soothing effect was produced by the mission of 

 Lord Ashburton was probably due as much to 

 this characteristic of the negotiations as to the 

 treaty itself. 



The boundary fixed by the treaty gave to 

 Maine a little more than half of the area claimed 



