230 APPENDIX TO BEITISH COUNTER CASE. 



139 No. 6. Extracts from Writings of Mr. J. Q. Adams in refer- 

 ence to the foregoing. 



****** * 



The article proposed by Mr. Gallatin covered the whole ground 

 disputed by the adversary : and the advantage of it to us, if proposed 

 and accepted, would have been, that we should have issued from the 

 war, with all the fishing rights and liberties, as enjoyed before it, 

 uncontested. When, therefore, during the discussion, and before the 

 vote had been taken, I offered to abandon this advantage, and to rest 

 the future defence of the fishing rights and liberties upon the distinct 

 assertion that they had not been forfeited or abrogated by the war, by 

 thus resting it, I knew that it would be necessary to defend them, 

 after the conclusion of the peace to defend them against the power, 

 and the policy, and the intellect of Great Britain. It was placing 

 them all at the hazard of future negotiation and another war : and I 

 thought I offered a signal concession, of deference to the mere sec- 

 tional feelings of one western member of the mission, by offering to 

 accept the alternative. But I felt the most entire confidence in the 

 soundness of the principle which I asserted. I knew that it was 

 sufficient to preserve the fishing rights and liberties from surrender. 

 I was content with it as a fulfillment of our express instructions ; and 

 I relied upon the determined spirit and active energy of my country 

 to maintain it after the peace. I had no doubt of the ultimate result, 

 so long as our assent to the British doctrine and notification was 

 neither expressed nor implied. 



My proposal was not, however, accepted, until, upon taking the 

 vote on the question whether the article proposed by Mr. Gallatin 

 should be offered to the British plenipotentiaries, it appeared there 

 was a majority of the mission in favour of it. This vote was taken, 

 as has been stated, on the 5th November; and on the 7th the substi- 

 tute, being the proposition which I had suggested on the 4th, was 

 offered by Mr. Clay, and unanimously accepted. The article was not 

 proposed to the British plenipotentiaries, nor was the consideration 

 of it ever after resumed. 



No. 7. 1814, November 10: Article 8 of the Proposals sent by the 



Americans to the British. 



It is agreed that a line drawn due north or south, (as the case may 

 be) from the most northwestern point of the Lake of the Woods, 

 until it shall intersect the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude, and 

 from the point of such intersection due west along and with the said 

 parallel, shall be the dividing line between His Majesty's territories 

 and those of the United States to the westward of the said lake, as 

 far as the said respective territories extend in that quarter, and that 

 the said line shall to that extent form the southern boundary of His 

 Majesty's said territories, and the northern boundary of the said 

 territories of the United States : provided that nothing in the present 

 article shall be construed to extend to the north-west coast of Amer- 

 ica, or to the territories belonging to, or claimed by, either party on 

 the continent of America to the westward of the Stony Moun- 

 tains. . 



