CHAPTER IX.

Mr. Webster's Visit to England-Election of General Harrison to the Presidency-His Death-Accession of Mr. Tyler-The "Treaty of Washington"-Its Various Provisions-Ability displayed by Mr. Webster as a Diplomatist-Approval of the Treaty by Congress and the Executive-Impressment”—Great Oration of Mr. Webster in Faneuil Hall-Extract from the Speech-Hostility of C. J. Ingersoll to Mr. Webster-Mr. Webster's Retort upon him.

IN the spring of 1839 Mr. Webster gratified his very natural desire of seeing the Old World, and of enjoying the pleasures and vicissitudes of travel, by making a voyage to Europe. During the summer of that year he visited a large portion of England, Scotland and France. As may

readily be supposed, his fame as the first and greatest of American orators and statesmen had preceded him, and he was greeted with applause and a hearty welcome. wherever he went. Among the public festivals which he attended by invitation was the First Triennial Celebration. of the Royal Agricultural Society at Oxford. He received many invitations to proffered hospitality from the most distinguished and cultivated personages in England. No American traveller had ever been honored with greater marks of consideration in that country than was he. During his tour he paid special attention to the agriculture and the currency of England, as well as its commerce and manufactures. Having at length returned home, he is said to have declared, with patriotic pride and pleasure, that he was more of an American than ever; and that he entertained a higher estimate than before of his country's real greatness and glory.

In 1840 General Harrison was elected to the Presidency; and that venerable hero, as one of his first official acts, tendered to Mr. Webster the choice of a place in his Cabinet. The President desired that he would select the Secretaryship of the Treasury; but Mr. Webster, for various satisfactory reasons, chose the Secretaryship of State and the control of foreign affairs. He was led to prefer this post inasmuch as he believed that he could be more useful to the country therein, in settling several important and difficult questions which at that time were litigated between the United States and Great Britain. He accordingly assumed the duties of the office; and the first question of grave difficulty which engaged his attention was the adjusting of the boundary-line between the northern limit of the Confederacy and Canada.

In the summer of 1841, Mr. Webster received the permission of Mr. Tyler, who had succeeded General Harrison in the Presidency, in consequence of the death of the latter, to address a note to Mr. Fox, in which he informed him that the United States Government were prepared and willing to commence negotiations for the purpose of settling all the disputes existing between it and the English Government. Soon afterward Sir Robert Peel became British Premier, and Lord Aberdeen, the Secretary of Foreign Affairs, immediately informed Mr. Everett, American minister at the Court of St. James, that the Government of England had resolved to despatch Lord Ashburton as a special minister to the United States to confer with Mr. Webster in the settlement of all existing or apprehended difficulties between the two Governments. Lord Ashburton arrived at Washington on the 6th of April, 1842; and Mr. Webster sent a communication to the Governors of Maine and Massachusetts, informing them of the arrival of the British plenipotentiary, and requesting them to ap

point commissioners to assist in settling the disputed matter of the Northern boundary. The Executives of those two States immediately complied with the suggestion of Mr. Webster, and the commissioners selected by them arrived in the Federal capital in June, 1842. The northeastern, northwestern, and much of the intervening portions of the line which separated the territorial possessions of the two countries had never been really determined. From New Brunswick to the distant Pacific coast, disputed territories of vast extent were claimed by both nations, upon some of which American citizens had located and rights had been already vested, on the supposition that the soil was under the jurisdiction of their native Government; and in other places settlements had been made by British subjects under a similar impression. The question of settlement had become intricate; and the adjustment of it was a task of great delicacy and difficulty.

After four months of incessant labor, a treaty was agreed upon, familiarly known in American history as the "Ashburton treaty," but technically and properly termed the "Treaty of Washington," by which this point and several others were judiciously settled. This treaty definitely fixed the boundary between the United States and the British possessions in North America along the whole line from Nova Scotia to the St. Lawrence River, thence along that river and through the great chain of lakes to the head-waters of Lake Superior, and thence over a vast area four thousand miles in extent, over mountains and primeval forests and pathless plains, to the foot of the Rocky Mountains.

Another question which engaged the attention of the diplomatists on this occasion was the African slave-trade, which had been pronounced piracy by both Governments. England had adopted the policy of declaring those slaves

free which might be thrown upon her West India settlements by stress of weather and other irresistible causes; authorizing her local authorities at once to free all such slaves from the control of their masters whenever they were thus placed involuntarily within the jurisdiction of British law. This was regarded by American citizens and slave-owners as an unjust interpretation of the provisions of the celebrated "Quintuple Treaty," adopted in December, 1841, by England, France, Austria, Prussia and Russia; one of the provisions of which referred to the right of search of vessels suspected of being engaged in the African slave-trade. The eighth article of the treaty of Washington settled this matter on an equitable and permanent basis. It provided as follows:

"The parties mutually stipulate," says the article mentioned, "that each shall prepare, equip and maintain in service, on the coast of Africa, a sufficient and adequate squadron, or naval force of vessels, of suitable numbers and descriptions, to carry in all not less than eight guns, to enforce, separately and respectively, the laws, rights, and obligations of each of the two countries for the suppression of the slave-trade; the said squadrons to be independent of each other, but the two Governments stipulating, nevertheless, to give such orders to the officers commanding their respective forces as shall enable them most effectually to act in concert and co-operation, upon mutual consultations, as exigencies may arise, for the attainment of the true object of this article; copies of all such orders to be communicated by each Government to the other, respectively."

The third point of main importance in this celebrated treaty referred to the extradition of fugitives from justice. Ever since the foundation of the American Confederacy its territories had been the secure refuge of innumerable

and grave offenders against British law; and the Canadas. contained a vast number of fugitives from justice from the United States. It will be apparent to every observer how important and desirable a compact between the two Governments would be, by which the offenders against their respective laws would be apprehended and delivered over to the arm of justice. The tenth article of the treaty settled the matter satisfactorily as follows:

"It is agreed," says that document, "that the United States and her Britannic Majesty shall, upon mutual requisitions by them, or their ministers, officers or authorities, respectively made, deliver up to justice all persons who, being charged with the crime of murder, or assault with intent to commit murder, or piracy, or arson, or robbery, or forgery, or the utterance of forged papers, committed within the jurisdiction of either, shall seek an asylum, or shall be found, within the territories of the other provided that this shall only be done upon such evidence of criminality as, according to the laws of the place where the fugitive or person so charged shall be found, would justify his apprehension and commitment for trial if the crime or offence had there been committed; and the respective judges and other magistrates of the two Governments shall have power, jurisdiction and authority, upon complaint made under oath, to issue a warrant for the apprehension of the fugitive or person so charged, that he may be brought before such judges or other magistrates, respectively, to the end that the evidence of criminality may be heard and considered; and if, on such hearing, the evidence be deemed sufficient to sustain the charge, it shall be the duty of the examining judge or magistrate to certify the same to the proper executive authority, that a warrant may issue for the surrender of such fugitive. The expense of such apprehension and delivery shall be borne

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