Colonial Despatches
The colonial despatches of Vancouver Island and British Columbia 1846-1871
Despatch to London
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 9 September 1859, CO 305:11, no. 10757, 148.
Abstract
Douglas, Sir James to Pelham-Clinton, 5th Duke of Newcastle Henry Pelham Fiennes 9 September 1859, CO 305:11, no. 10757, 148.
Despatch to London.
Minutes (3), Enclosures (untranscribed) (2), Other documents (1).
No. 45
9 September 1859
I have the honor of transmitting herewith for Your Grace's
information the copy of a letter, lately received from Brigadier
General Harney, in reply to my communication to
to him of the 13th
August last.
to him of the 13th
August last.
2. With respect to General Harneys letter, it is unnecessary to
do more than request Your Grace's attention to a few very
important points.
In the first place I would refer to his remark, that on two
different occasions since he entered upon his present command,
he had "reported to his Government in terms of commendation
and praise" concerning my "acts affecting American citizens",
and secondly, that though the explanation given in my letter had
removed the impression that any violation of the rights of
American citizens had been committed by the authorities
authorities of
Vancouvers Island, he nevertheless declines to withdraw the
United States Troops now occupying the Island of San Juan "until
the pleasure of the President of the United States has been made
known on the subject."
authorities of
Vancouvers Island, he nevertheless declines to withdraw the
United States Troops now occupying the Island of San Juan "until
the pleasure of the President of the United States has been made
known on the subject."
3. In the meantime the occupation of San Juan is every day
becoming more complete; the troops have been removed to, and now
occupy, a commanding hill, the very position in fact, which I
intended should be occupied, had they been landed according to
my plan, by Her Majesty's Troops, contiguous to the settlement
of the Hudsons Bay
Bay Company.
Bay Company.
4. They are now engaged in strengthening that position by
various military works, which indicate an intention to make good
their occupation, as Your Grace will observe by a communication
from Mr De Courcy, Magistrate for the District of San Juan, of
equal date, which is herewith transmitted.
5. The Squatter population, alluded to in that letter, will
soon disappear in the event of the United States Troops being
withdrawn from San Juan, as it is only the presence of the
latter which now induces them to remain there; a remark
remark which I
take the liberty of making in case the Government of the United
States should make it a point of honor to hold the Island, under
the plea of its containing an American population of a fixed
character and settled habits, which is however not the case.
remark which I
take the liberty of making in case the Government of the United
States should make it a point of honor to hold the Island, under
the plea of its containing an American population of a fixed
character and settled habits, which is however not the case.
I have etc.
Minutes by CO staff
Transmit as proposed?
From the tenour
of the Governor's remarks, it is evident that he considers that
passing events strongly support the original view that it would
have been better to effect a landing of a British Force
immediately that the Americans had landed theirs. The opposite
mode of proceeding [is] [p]leasing to the [pa]cific and
[tem]perate views of
a 
Community like ours, but it is difficult to receive the daily
arriving accounts of the manner in which the Americans are
strengthening themselves without having some uncomfortable
misgivings whether after all Governor Douglas was not right and
whether it would not have been better to land some of our people
likewise and announce that we should maintain a joint occupation
until the Americans withdrew.
Community like ours, but it is difficult to receive the daily
arriving accounts of the manner in which the Americans are
strengthening themselves without having some uncomfortable
misgivings whether after all Governor Douglas was not right and
whether it would not have been better to land some of our people
likewise and announce that we should maintain a joint occupation
until the Americans withdrew.
We have preserved the peace, but I greatly doubt we may have
lost San Juan.
TFE
1 Novr
Whatever may be the eventual decision as to the Isld of S. Juan
no British Govt
ought to be in the slightest degree influenced by this
lawless occupation, and if so the fact of Govr Douglas having
been overruled by the Naval and Military Authorities can have no
effect upon the ultimate result of diplomatic negociations.
It is however quite open to question whether Govr Ds plan
would not have been the best, but it was not open to question
whether, when his plan 
had been abandoned the Govt at home
should hesitate to share the responsibility of and approve that
which had been adopted. If unhappily our Force had been
inferior we could hardly have taken the course we did with
honor—it being greatly superior, the act was one of generous
forbearance—not of timidity. Copy to F.O.
had been abandoned the Govt at home
should hesitate to share the responsibility of and approve that
which had been adopted. If unhappily our Force had been
inferior we could hardly have taken the course we did with
honor—it being greatly superior, the act was one of generous
forbearance—not of timidity. Copy to F.O.
N
2
Documents enclosed with the main document (not transcribed)
William S. Harney to Douglas, 24 August 1859,
declining to remove the troops until he received instructions from
the president.
John de Courcy, Stipendiary Magistrate, to Douglas,
September 1859, reporting on the state of affairs on San Juan.
Other documents included in the file
Draft, Merivale to Foreign Office, 7 November 1859, forwarding
copy of the despatch.
Footnotes
- The original form of this correspondence can be viewed here. Please note that the original was marked initially as part of the Vancouver Island collection, and changed thereafter, presumably after receipt, to the British Columbia collection.