siècle. Nous l’avons déjà indirectement montré à plusieurs reprises en citant des traités
410 Williams v. Bruffy (1877), 96 U.S. 176, 1
411 Voir par exemple, à propos d’une convention fixant une frontière entre l’État de Virginie et l’État du
Tennessee, State of Virginia v. State of Tennessee (1893), 148 U.S. 503.
412 STORY, (J.), Commentaries…, précité, §§1396-1397 : « The first part of this clause, respecting laying
a duty on tonnage, has been already considered. The remaining clauses have their origin in the same general policy and reasoning, which forbid any state from entering into any treaty, alliance, or confederation; and from granting letters of marque and reprisal. In regard to treaties, alliances, and confederations, they are wholly prohibited. But a state may, with the consent of congress, enter into an agreement, or compact with another state, or with a foreign power. What precise distinction is here
intended to be taken between treaties, and agreements, and compacts is nowhere explained; and has
never as yet been subjected to any exact judicial, or other examination. (…) Perhaps the language of the former clause may be more plausibly interpreted from the terms used, "treaty, alliance, or confederation," and upon the ground, that the sense of each is best known by its association (noscitur a sociis) to apply to treaties of a political character; such as treaties of alliance for purposes of peace and war; and treaties of confederation, in which the parties are leagued for mutual government, political co- operation, and the exercise of political sovereignty; and treaties of cession of sovereignty, or conferring internal political jurisdiction, or external political dependence, or general commercial privileges. The latter clause, "compacts and agreements," might then very properly apply to such, as regarded what
might be deemed mere private rights of sovereignty; such as questions of boundary; interests in land, situate in the territory of each other; and other internal regulations for the mutual comfort, and convenience of states, bordering on each other » (c’est nous qui soulignons).
413 Pour une liste de ces accords et de leurs sujets, voir FRANKFURTER, (F.), LANDIS, (J.), « The
Compact Clause of the Constitution », Yale L.J. vol.34, n°7 (1925), pp.685-758. Une liste des accords figure en annexe de l’article, pp.735-743 pour la période 1789-1914.
414 Voir [Anonyme], « The Power of the States to make Compacts », Yale L.J., vol.31, n°6 (1922) p.638
et, plus largement, BRUCE, (A.A.), « The Compacts and Agreements of States with One another and with Foreign Powers », Minn. L. Rev. vol.2, n°7 (1918), pp.500-516.
Thibaut FLEURY | Thèse de Doctorat | Juin 2011 Partie 1 – Construction des conditions d’acquisition du titre
passés entre certaines de ces Nations et le gouvernement fédéral. Comme la Cour
Suprême l’affirmera en 1831 « les nombreux traités conclus avec eux par les États-Unis
les reconnaissent comme un peuple capable d’entretenir des relations de guerre et de
paix »
415. Ce sont ainsi plus de trois cent traités qui ont été conclus en 1789 et 1871
entre ces deux entités – qu’ils l’aient été pour fixer une frontière
416, reconnaître un titre
territorial
417, céder un tel titre
418ou des droits territoriaux
419, prévoir des régimes
d’extradition
420, ou enfin, établir ce que l’on définira par la suite comme un
« protectorat ».
415 Cherokee Nation v. Georgia (1831), 30 U.S. 1.
416 C’est le cas d’un très grand nombre de traités. Pour une bonne illustration, voir par exemple, « Treaty
with the Wyandots, etc., Aug.3, 1795 », 7 Stat. 49, article 3.
417 Voir par exemple « Treaty with the Delawares, Sept.17, 1778 » 7 Stat. 13, article 6 : « Whereas the
enemies of the United States have endeavored, by every artifice in their power, to possess the Indians in general with an opinion, that it is the design of the States aforesaid, to extirpate the Indians and take possession of their country: to obviate such false suggestion, the United States do engage to guarantee to the aforesaid Nation of Delawares, and their heirs, all their territorial rights in the fullest and most ample manner » ; « Treaty with the Cherokee, July 2, 1791 », 7 Stat. 39, article 7 : « the United States solemnly guarantee to the Cherokee Nation, all their lands not hereby ceded » (le traité est reproduit en Annexe) ; « Treaty with the Wabash and Illinois, Sept.27, 1792 », A.S.P.I.A. vol.1, p.338, article 4 : « The United States solemnly guaranty to the Wabash, and the Illinois Nations, or tribes of Indians, all the land to which they have a just claim; and no part shall ever be taken from them, but by a fair purchase, and to their satisfaction. That the lands originally belonged to the Indians; it is theirs, and theirs only. That they have a right to sell, and a right to refuse to sell. And that the United States will protect them in their said just rights ».
418 Voir par exemple « Treaty with the Choctaw, Oct.18, 1820 », 7 Stat. 210, article 2 : « for and in
consideration of the foregoing cession, on the part of the Choctaw Nation, and in part satisfaction for the same, the Commissioners of the United States, in behalf of said States, do hereby cede to said Nation, a tract of country west of the Mississippi River, situate between the Arkansas and Red River, and bounded as follows (…) ».
419 Voir par exemple « Treaty with the Wyandot, etc., Aug.3, 1795 », 7 Stat. 49, article 7 : « The said
tribes of Indians, parties to this treaty, shall be at liberty to hunt within the territory and lands which they have now ceded to the United States, without hindrance or molestation, so long as they demean themselves peaceably, and offer no injury to the people of the United States ».
420 Voir par exemple « Treaty with the Cherokee, Nov.28, 1785 », 7 Stat. 18, article 6 : « If any Indian or
Indians, or person residing among them, or who shall take refuge in their Nation, shall commit a robbery, or murder, or other capital crime, on any citizen of the United States, or person under their protection, the Nation, or the tribe to which such offender or offenders may belong, shall be bound to deliver him or them up to be punished according to the ordinances of the United States; Provided, that the punishment shall not be greater than if the robbery or murder, or other capital crime had been committed by a citizen on a citizen » ; « Treaty with the Cherokee, Jul.2, 1791 », 7 Stat. 39, article 10 (le traité est reproduit en Annexe): « If any Cherokee Indian or Indians or person residing among them, or who shall take refuge in their Nation, shall steal a horse from, or commit a robbery or murder, or other capital crime, on any citizens or inhabitants of the United States, the Cherokee Nation shall be bound to deliver him or them up, to be punished according to the laws of the United States ».