The enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1804-1815, 1805-08-09

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capital! Grant even that the mouth of the
Columbia river the whole northern coat O,
the Pacific Is indifputably ours, either by RICH,
of hrit iettlenent or hecauft I'VE have gained i,
as part OF Luuihana, thoud we find it tn bs
our real inter,it TO eftsblh colony 70 TAR from,
hone: 1t rs probable, that the Europears
have already carried this fcheme of diaan.
colonization too far; and that hy initiating
their policy, we fhould be expofed to their
misfortunes. We have land enough already
for the cultivation of the richefi productions i:
why fnould we divide our population
capital by the erection Of new forts or the
ctabli!hrneut of Co!onies' We have al
ready enough of the clements Of war with the
nations OF Europe; why then ihouId we fill
further extend them bv making fcttlenent
and monopolifrg trade, which they are all
anxious 20 acquire; which thev viii be at all
times difpa.ed to interrupt Rccoiett that
in 1889 war between Spain and gres, Britain,
about the right of trading 10 Nootka Sound
was on the very eve OF being declared then e,
us decide whether the profits or the fur trade
could ever compenfate for the calamities OF
tnch contef. There is one view of this fub-
iect however which feems TO pat to fight all
fuch fpecious reafonings. Ii might have been
erroneous policy for the Engllh or the Spa
niards to have afpired To fuch ditant ehabliih-
ments on the Pacific: but with US the cat. is
different. We mut aa from the policy ofre
ceffity They acted from the policy Of COM
mercc. IF we do not cttahliil force at the
mouth Of the Columbia, will il not foon he
the Object Of fome European nations to obtain
a footho!d for themfelves? Then, who can
fay, how far their ambition may extend
what extenGve purchaies of foil they may
make from the natives of the interior country
how widely they may conciliate their attach
ment and obtain their fupport how pertinaci-
Cufy they may relif our extending improve
n,ents in Loui6ana what ANNOYANCE and in
ter1lption they may offer to our own trade
with the natives of TIE interior and to the fet-
tlerent of our acquired territory?
Rm. have .e he EiStf 10 make fitch an ella
blifhments Or on what principle do we claim
the fi,vereigntY OF the Columbia river 1t mutt
either be hecanfe VIC were the 6r!t difcovcrers
Of that country. or became if is embraced with
in the North Wefern and the Northern limits
of Loufana. five claim ii on the FRI ground,
we fna'! come into competition with the Ruff
ans, the Spaniards and the Englih each of
whom, particularly the former, pretend that
they were the hrft 70 Witt and take pofcfion
Of the coat. But thelt pretenfons will offer
no bar 10 the claims of the American navigators
if we NAV renofe any confidence in the repre-
fentations of Mr.. Crowrinihield.@ How far the
difcoveries of our navigators extended up tn,
river; or whether Vancouver was the frh Eu-
ropean, who Attended II towards its mouth, and
Mckenzie was the firit who vifited il towards
its fource or whether even if thefr facts be adj
mitted, they are efficient to make ont claim
of fovereienty to the river itfelf or whether this
claim is not anticipated and AFFORDED by our
right 70 the fovereignty of the Coat, which re-
ceives that river, we fhall leave it to more ex-
perienced and learned politicians to decide. To
them alto we ihall leave the intereiting quellion
whether the weitern boundary Of Louiiana ex-
tends to the Pacific ocean.
But qpbaierye, NAV he the found fuggcnions
of policy on this important fuhjett, the
tour of Meffrs. Clark and Lewis to the
wei will not fail 70 give them Their cTetl.
Should we determine TO efabliih there colony
and line of forts, they will explore the proper
fituations they will aicertain the force neceC
faryt to protect them: they will fee how much
peltrv or produce it may be poilible to collect,
and the expcnces of collecting. Should we
confne onrielves as We do now TO a defu'tory
trade with the natives, they will determine the
praGticabity and profit of extending our adven-
lures NO the river & they will determine the
mott efeeual modes of carrying on a traffic.
They NAV at all events conciliate the eteen s,
confidence of the natives, and bring them &C.
Quainted with nation who at fomc future time
may demand their afiltance or neutrality.
A new route Cor carrying on this branch of
trade is here luggeited for or confederation.
We have hitherto taken it for granted that
there was but one way for cat~ying it on; and
that was, by the fea. Is it TOO romantic how
ever TO fiippofe, when an interior conmunics-
ton acrofs the continent is elablhed and kept
up by line Of forts and the fsieuilhlp { the
natives, thar we may receive even the pc!try OF
the fea-coalt through the rivers and pOrtagcs OF
the continent /? What the Ruflians have done
in Europe, whv may we not accomplish here ?
II would be ridiculous TO afIert in dogma;ic
fpirit that fuch a mode of tranfport alton would
be found lefs expenfve and certain than our
prefent route but it is Communicable to en-
gnre whether the prefent fate Of our difcove.
ries viii warrant us in poGtiv"ly deciding
sgainft il. If Mckenzie could cXpaiiate in the
language Of prophetic enthuGafn upon tn.
advantages Of connecting together the Atlantic
and the Pacific Oceans through the north Of
the continent and forming regular eftablill-
ments through the Interior" If he could even
recon mend two routes 10 the Hudfon's Bay or
the N. wef companies either the navigation OF
the Peace, the Elk and the Churchill rivers, int o
Hudfon's By; or the navigation of the Safca-
iliawinc, Winning Lake, and Neifon's river
into the fame Bay; why may we not point cut
the MfI"uri and the Minilippi as the means
OF commercial communication with the wa
tiers of the Weft