Lot 1038

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Description:

THE VENEZUELA BOUNDARY DISPUTE
The Venezuela Boundary Dispute was a grave diplomatic controversy which nearly brought England and the U.S. to war. The dispute concerned Venezuela's claim that land had been inherited from Spain, versus that of Great Britain, claiming that the same land had been acquired from the Dutch in 1810. In 1895, Secretary of State Richard Olney, invoking a new and broader interpretation of the Monroe Doctrine, virtually demanded arbitration. Britain rebuffed the offer, provoking Grover Cleveland's momentous message to Congress on Dec. 17, 1895, which denounced the British refusal and maintained that it was the duty of the U.S. to take steps to determine the boundary and to resist any British aggression beyond that line. Talk of war broke out, until British P.M. Lord Salisbury, already facing unrest by the Boers, sent a conciliatory message conceding the validity of the Monroe Doctrine. An American commission was appointed, and the line that was finally drawn in 1899 made an award generally favorable to Great Britain. Venezuela continues to contest the boundary.

Rare pair of oversized photographs of the commissioners, each ca. 1897, likely taken at the conclusion of negotiations in early 1897. The first image, 18" x 14" overall, is signed by each member of the arbitration panel beneath his respective image: Supreme Court Justices DAVID J. BREWER and MELVILLE W. FULLER who represented Venezuela, Privy Councillor and Lord Justice RICHARD HENN COLLINS Chief Justice LORD CHARLES RUSSELL representing Great Britain, and FREDERIC DE MERTENS, a Russian picked by the other four arbitrators. Light toning to mount, one chip to mount with no loss, else very good. Sold with a second image, 19 1/2" x 15 1/2", showing the 28 members of the Arbitration Tribunal, signed by each including President BENJAMIN HARRISON (who represented Venezuela), SEVERO MALLET-PREVOST, Secretary of War BENJAMIN F. TRACY, RICHARD E.WEBSTER, DAVID J. BREWER, MELVILLE W. FULLER, RICHARD HENN COLLINS, LORD CHARLES RUSSELL, FREDERIC DE MERTENS, JAMES H. REDDAN, ROLAND GRAY, and the other members. Very good.

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September 11, 2013 11:00 AM EDT
Chesapeake City, MD, US

Alexander Historical Auctions LLC

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