Page:American Historical Review vol. 6.djvu/59

 THE GUIANA BOUNDARY A Postscript to the Work of the American Commission My theme is not the award. All that America or Americans asked was arbitration, and arbitration there has been. Venezuela herself, our client, even had she not been awarded that for which she most hotly strove — the mouth of her great river — could as the weaker power find ample cause for gratitude in any boundary which has such guaranty of permanence. But, now that the episode has safely passed from politics to his- tory', it seems to me due to those whose interest in the history of Guiana outlives the dispute as to ownership, and who may still treasure the work done for President Cleveland's Commission as a lasting gain to our knowledge of the exploration and settlement of the western world, that some effort should be made to check its results by the new evidence laid before the final tribunal. I trust it is not presumption for me to undertake the task ; and certainly in no pages could it find so fitting place as in those of the Ajierican Historical Review. The labors of the American Commission, it will be remembered, were cut short in the midst, early in 1897, by the treaty of arbitra- tion between Great Britain and Venezuela. Some months before, indeed — as early as November 10, i8g6 — the treaty was so nearly assured that Secretary Olney could request the Commission to suspend its deliberations ; and it can now be no breach of confidence to add that for weeks prior to this the shadow of the coming event had narrowed the field of research. Thus, much was left undone. There could be no such sifting and testing of Spanish claims as of Dutch. The history of present-century Guiana was scarcely en- tered on. And, even in the field explored, more than one tempting avenue of inquiry was left unentered. To these tasks the advocates of Great Britain and of Venezuela could now address themselves. Their time, it is true, was but scant. By the terms of the treaty " the printed Case of each of the two Parties, accompanied by the documents, the official correspond- ence, and other evidence on which each relies " must be in the hands of the other party and of the judges within, at farthest, nine VOL. VI.— 4. ( 49 )