THE TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO OF 1848 AND THE GADSDEN TREATY OF 1853.

INTRODUCTORY STATEMENT.

The case of the United States submits the following proposition as to the law:

"That the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 and the Gadsden Treaty of 1853 fix the middle of the Rio Grande, from its mouth to parallel 31° 47′ north latitude, as the boundary between the United States and Mexico; that the true intent and meaning of these treaties is correctly expounded in the opinion of Attorney General Cushing, rendered November 11, 1856, which is adopted and incorporated in toto, by reference; that in substance this opinion holds that if the channel of the river changes by gradual accretion, the boundary follows the channel, if the channel changes by avulsion the boundary remains in the abandoned bed of the river." a

In support of this proposition the United States relies upon the following considerations:

In the early days of the settlement of the new world the Rio Grande was a fluvial boundary between the territorial possessions of France and Spain.

Subsequently it was claimed by the United States as successor in title to France, as the western boundary of the Louisiana Purchase until by the treaty of 1819 the United States and Spain adjusted all their outstanding boundary questions, Spain ceding the Floridas to the United States and the United States accepting the Sabine, the Red River, and the Arkansas as its boundary to the West and South.d

Still later the Rio Grande became the fluvial boundary between Mexico and the Republic of Texas.

a U. S. Case, pp. 43 and 44.

e

b See Napoleon's secret instructions of Nov. 26, 1802, for the Captain General of Louisiana, Countercase of U. S., p. 123.

Mr. Adams to Señor don Luis de Onis Mar. 12, 1818, Countercase of the U. S., appendix, p. 124.

See Mr. Adams to Señor don Luis de Onis, supra.

d Treaties and Conventions, 1776-1909, pp. 1651 and 1652.

e Treaty of Velasco. Congressional Globe Appendix, volume 19, Thirtieth Congress, first session, p. 660.

An act to define the boundaries of the Republic of Texas, approved Dec. 19, 1836 U. S. Countercase, p. 134.

Joint resolution annexing Texas to the United States, approved Mar. 1, 1845, U. S. Countercase, p. 132.

An act extending the laws of the United States over the State of Texas, and for other purposes, approved Dec. 29, 1845, U. S. Countercase, p. 133.

Joint resolution of the Congress of the Republic of Texas assenting to the annexation of Texas to the United States, U. S. Countercase, p. 135.

It is therefore in the light of about 150 years of history during which the Rio Grande had formed a fluvial international boundary line that we approach the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo of 1848 and the Gadsden Treaty of 1853.

The treaties should also be approached in the light of the general practice of nations as embodied in the principles of international law and conventional arrangements. "In doubtful cases," says Grotius, "the territories bordering upon a river ought to be considered as arcifinious, because nothing can be a more apt mark of distinction than those impassable bounds assigned by nature." a With the progress of civilization, rivers have ceased to be impassable bounds and their waters have on the contrary come to be the highways of commerce between neighboring peoples or peoples of the same State. They still serve, however, in many cases to mark the limits between adjacent countries and as such are still deemed natural boundaries. This common practice of the nations utilizing rivers as boundaries has led to a host of boundary treaties in which this practice is embodied. As sovereign nations are empowered to draw their boundary lines as they please, it is natural that these treaties should show certain differences.

I. A number of these conventional arrangements simply make "the river" the international boundary line without specifying that the line shall run in any particular channel.

September 18, 1773. Russia-Poland. Treaty. Dwina, Dnieper. R. 1st ed. 4: 137:

"So that the Dwina River will be the natural boundary between the two states. * * * and from the mouth of the Druiec river the Dnieper shall be the boundary between the two states.” March 29, 1815. Sardinia-Geneva. Minutes of the conference * * * concerning cessions made by the King of Sardinia to the Canton of Geneva. Hermance, B. and F. St. P., 2: 149: "From Venezas to the point where the Hermance River crosses a Grotius, Rights of War and Peace, Campbell's translation, p. 107. See also Vattel, sec. 268; Twiss's Law of Nations, sec. 140.

b In quoting these treaties the following scheme has been followed: Abbreviations: R. means "Recueil de traités," by Martens. N. R. means the continuation of the above as the "Nouveau recueil." N. R. G. means the continuation of the preceding as "Nouveau recueil général." B. and F. St. P. means 'British and Foreign State Papers.' In quoting from treaties, the date will be given first, followed by the names of the countries, the title of the treaty, and the names of the rivers concerned.

c"De sorte que la rivière de la Dwina sera la limite naturelle entre les deux Etats. * * * & depuis l'embouchure de la rivière Druiec, la Dnieper sera la limite entre les deux Etats."

the said route; and thence continuing along the course of this river to its opening into Lake Geneva."a

May 18, 1815.

1815.

Prussia-Saxony. Territorial treaty. Wittich.

B. and F. St. P. 2:85:

"This line will leave the boundaries of Bohemia near Wiese in the neighborhood of Seidenberg, following the current of the Wittich creek to its junction with the Neisse."

May 31, 1815. Netherlands-Austria. Treaty relating to the Netherlands. Worm. B. and F. St. P. 2: 138:

"The said line follows that which separates the two last-named departments up to the point where it touches the Worm * * * and follows along this river." c

July 5, 1825. France-Bavaria. Boundary convention. Schwalb. N. R. 8:2.

"The boundary, from its starting point situated on the Blise * * * shall remain as at present fixed, except only the part where this boundary was formed by the Schwalb river; in this part it shall henceforth be determined by the new course given to this river for the purpose of straightening it."d

II. An overwhelming majority of the treaties providing for boundaries along rivers specify the "middle of the river" or "thalweg," or "center" or "thread" of the channel as the international boundary line.

Feb. 10, 1763. Great Britain-Spain. Final treaty of peace and friendship. Mississippi, Iberville. R. 1st ed. I: 38: "It is agreed that in future the boundaries between the states of his Britannic Majesty and those of his very Christian Majesty in this part of the world shall be irrevocably fixed by a line drawn in the middle of the Mississippi River from its source to the Iberville river, and thence by line drawn in the middle of this river and from the Maurepas and Pontchartrain lakes to the sea."e

a "Depuis Venezas jusqu'au point oú la rivière d'Hermance traverse la susdite route; et de là continuant le cours de cette rivière jusqu'à son embouchure dans le lac de Genève.'

b"Cette Ligne partira des confins de la Bohême près de Wiese dans les environs de Seidenberg, en suivant le courant du ruisseau Wittich jusqu'à son confluent avec la Neisse.

"Ladite Ligne suit celle qui sépare ces 2 derniers Départements jusque là où elle touche à la Worm * * * et longe cette rivière."

d"La limite, depuis son point de départ situé sur la Blise * * * restera telle qu'elle est maintenant fixée, à l'exception seulement de la partie où cette limite étoit formée par la rivière de la Schwalb; dans cette partie, elle sera désormais déterminée par le nouveau cours donné à cette rivière pour son redressement."

e "Il est convenu qu'à l'avenir les Confins entre les Etats de Sa Majesté Britannique, et ceux de Sa Majesté Très-Chrétienne, en cette Partie du Monde, seront irrévocablement fixés par une Ligne tirée au Milieu du Fleuve Mississippi, depuis sa Naissance jusqu'à la Rivière d'Iberville, & de-là par une Ligne tirée au Milieu de cette Rivière, & des Lacs Maurepas & Pontchartrain, jusq'à la mer.”

May 24, 1772. France-Liege. Treaty regarding boundaries, mutual commerce, and freedom of communications. Meuse. R. 1st ed. I: 294.

"The boundary thus formed by the Massambre creek shall be continued along the Thalweg of the Meuse between the said territory of Héer-Liège and that of Aigmont-François." a

August 31, 1784. Austria-Bavaria. Treaty for the permanent adjustment of the boundaries of the Inn quarter. Inn, Salza.

R. 2nd ed. 3:754:

Danube,

"Art. I. The Danube, the Inn and the Salza shall form, in accordance with the treaty of Teschen, the boundaries of the part of Bavaria which was ceded to the Archducal House of Austria.

"Art. II. The shores, islands, and meadows adjacent to said rivers, as well as the accretions of land and the rights of territorial superiority thereover, shall be divided and determined by the thalweg, and this in such a manner that everything situated on the right shall form part of the Inn quarter, and what extends on the left side shall belong to Bavaria.

*

"The treaty of Teschen has already provided that neither of the two contracting parties shall alter the natural course of the rivers. However, this stipulation shall not prevent either party from taking necessary measures to protect their respective possessions against the irruption of the waters; provided that, according to the greater or lesser importance of these works, they shall not be undertaken by one party unless the other party is notified." July 14, 1786. Great Britain-Spain. Great Britain-Spain. Convention relative to America. Sibun, Wallis. B. and F. St. P. I: 656:

"The English Line, beginning from the Sea, shall take the centre of the River Sibun or Jabon, and continue up to the source of the said River; from thence it shall cross in a straight line the intermediate land, till it intersects the River Wallis; and by the centre of the same river, the said Line shall descend to the point where it will meet the Line already settled."

a "La limite ainsi formée par le ruisseau de Massambre sera continuée par le fil d'eau de la Meuse entre le dit territoire de Héer-Liège, & celui d'Aigmont-François." b "Art. I. Le Danube, l'Inn et la Salza formeront, conformément au traité de Teschen, les limites de la partie de la Bavière qui a été cédée à la maison archiducale d'Autriche.

"Art. II. Les rivages, les isles et les près adjacens auxdites rivières, ainsi que les atterrisemens et les droits de supériorité territoriale sur iceux, seront partagés et déterminés par le fil d'eau, et cela de la manière que tout ce qui se trouvera à sa droite fera partie du quartier de l'Inn, et ce qui s'étendra du côté gauche appartiendra à la Bavière * * *

"Le traité de Teschen a déjà prévu qu'aucune des deux parties contractantes ne pourra altérer le cours naturel des rivières. Cependant cette stipulation n'empêchera pas que l'une et l'autre partie ne prennent les mesures nécessaires pour garantir leurs possessions respectives de l'irruption des eaux; bien entendu que, suivant le plus ou moins d'importance de ces travaux, ils ne pourront être entrepris par une partie, sans que l'autre en soit prévenue.”

Oct. 27, 1795: United States-Spain. Treaty of friendship, limits and navigation. Apalachicola, St. Mary's, Mississippi. R. 1st ed. 6:562, 564:

"The southern boundary of the United States, which divides their territory from the Spanish colonies of East and West Florida, shall be designated by a line, beginning on the river Mississippi, * * * which from thence shall be drawn due east, to the middle of the river Apalachicola or Catahouche, thence along the middle thereof to its junction with the Flint; thence straight to the head of St. Mary's river, and thence down the middle thereof to the Atlantic Ocean."

"It is likewise agreed, that the western boundary of the United States, which separate them from the Spanish colony of Louisiana, is in the middle of the channel or bed of the river Mississippi." February 9, 1801. France-Austria. Treaty of Peace. Adige. R. 1st ed. 7:539:

"The Thalweg of the Adige serving as a line of demarkation; and inasmuch as the cities of the Verone and Porto-Legnago will be divided by this line, there shall be established at the middle of the bridges of said cities draws to mark the separation." a Aug. 15, 1804. France-Germany. Convention on the dues for navigation on the Rhine. R. 4, supplement, 37:

“Consequently, although the thalweg of the Rhine forms, as regards sovereignty, the boundary between France and Germany, the Rhine shall always be considered, with respect to navigation and commerce, as a common river between the two empires.”

July 11, 1807: Russia-France-Italy. Treaty of Peace. Treaty of Peace. Bug, Lossosna, Narew. R. 4, supplement, 439:

"In order to establish, as far as possible, natural boundaries between Russia and the duchy of Warsaw, the territory circumscribed by the part of the present Russian boundaries which extend from the Bug to the mouth of the Lossosna and in a straight line leaving said mouth and following the Thalweg of this river, the thalweg of the Bobra to its mouth, the thalweg of the Narew from the aforementioned point to Suratz, from the Lisa to its source, near the village of Mien, from the affluent of the Nurzeck arising near the same village, from the Nurzeck to its mouth above Nurr, and finally the thalweg of the Bug, ascending it to the present

a"Le Thalweg de l'Adige servant de ligne de délimitation; et comme par cette ligne les villes de Verone et de Porto-Legnago se trouverent partagées, il sera établi sur le milieu des ponts desdites villes, des ponts levis qui marqueront la séparation." b"En conséquence, quoique le Thalwag du Rhin forme, quant á la Souveraineté, la limite entre la France et l'Allemagne; le Rhin sera toujours considéré sous le rapport de la Navigation et du Commerce, comme un fleuve commun entre les deux Empires."