United States was shown by the selection of Washington instead of
London as the place of negotiation and of Lord Ashburton as
negotiator. The head of the great banking house of Baring
Brothers, he had won his title by service and was, moreover,
known to be a friend of the United States. While in Philadelphia
in his youth, he had married Miss Bingham of that city, and she
still had American interests. In the controversies before the War
of 1812 Lord Ashburton had supported many of the American
contentions. He knew Webster personally, and they both looked
forward to the social pleasure of meeting again during the
negotiations. The two representatives came together in this
pleasant frame of mind and did most of their business at the
dinner table, where it is reported that more than diplomatic
conversation flowed. They avoided an exchange of notes, which
would bind each to a position once taken, but first came to an
agreement and then prepared the documents.

It must not be supposed, however, that either Ashburton or
Webster sacrificed the claims of his own Government. Webster
certainly was a good attorney for the United States in settling
the boundary disputes, as is shown by the battle of the maps. The
territorial contentions of both countries hung largely upon the
interpretation of certain clauses of the first American treaty of
peace. Webster therefore ordered a search for material to be made
in the archives of Paris and London. In Paris there was brought
to light a map with the boundary drawn in red, possibly by
Franklin, and supporting the British contention. Webster
refrained from showing this to Ashburton and ordered search in
London discontinued. Ironically enough, however, a little later
there was unearthed in the British Museum the actual map used by