Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1825-03-25
VOL. U.-NO. II.

- 'ii"t Sehlienidn'S argument TO prove,
mat the other articles of the convention were
mere concessions AMI not acquisitions In an
swer to this, Mr. Pitt maintained that tbouoI
what this country had s,ained consisted not of new
rights 1T certainly did of new advantages. We
hao, before, right TO the Southern whal,, fishe-
| rY' aiid right to navigate aud carr, on fishe-
RES IN the Pacific Ocean, and to trade ON tbe
coasts OF any part of \ orih,7est America. but
mat right not only bad not been acknowledged
out oisputed ana resisted; whereas, by the con
Vent'on, IT was secured TO us-a circumstance
which, though no new right. was new ady.n-
tage"-SGme-pISe 1902
but, continued Mr.. BENTON we pesI NOT
take the Character of the Treaty even from the
high authority OF these riva. leaders i'm The Bril-
t'sh Parliament. The Treaty will speak for it.
SELF 1 have ii in my hand, and will read the
article relied upon to sustain the British claim tn
the Columbia River.
.9rficIe Sd, Of the .Nootha Sound Treatv.
"ln order TO strengthen the bonds of friend
SNIP and topreSerye, in future, perfect har
fnohy and good unders andng between the two
contracting parties, 1T is agreed that their res
pecuVe subjects shall not be disturbed or rnoles
teu, either IN navigating or CARVING ON their
fisheries IN the Pacific Ocean or i'm the South
Seas, or in landing on the coasts of those so,s
III places not already occupied for the purnosp
oil carrying on their Commerce with tho pat;vao
vi thc country, or Ut making settlements there
inc whole subject, nevertheless To the restric
tons and provisions specified in the three fnI-
lowing articles.n
Inc particular clause of this article, relied
upon ny the advocates for the British claim. ;S
nat winch gives the right of lurtdine on parts of
the Northwest Coast, not ALREADY 0ccy,;e6 G,r
the purpose of carrying on commerce and max,
ing Seufeme'fs The first inquiry arising upon
'r's c'auSe Is whether the coast, in the latitude
N fil,.( ',.ltt ,.NlN,
u '"e oolninoia hlver, was unoccupied at the
date OF the Nootia Sound Treatvp Tho an
swer is i'll the Affirmative The second IA che
ther the English landed upon this coast while il
was so unocccupied? The answer is in the ne
S'uVe' ana Tins answer puts an end to all pre-
tension Di British claim founded upon this treat.
without leaving us under the necessity of re-
curing 10 the fact that the permission tn L1p1
ana 10 mHhe settlements. so far from contemnIat
ing an acquisition of territory. was limited. 'bv
subsequent restrictions. TO the erection of ter{
porary hutS for the personal accommodation Of
fishermen and traders only.
The truth IS, Mr. President. continued Mr.
Is. Great Britain has no color of title to thu,
country IN question. She sets np none IPhero
IS not PAPER upon the face of the earth IN
winch British Minister has stated caaim.
speak OF the Kings Ministers, and noe of the
Agents employ ed by them. The claims WE have
oeeli examining are thrown out in the CONVEX
salons and notes of Diplomatic Agents. No
English Minister has ever put his name 10 them
and no one wall ever ris his character oo ,
statesman by yenturlng to do so. The claim
OF Great Britain is nothing but a fIak,ed nre
tehsloh founded IN the double prospectlof bene-
ntung herself and injuring the United Estates
me tor trader Sir Alexander Mckenzie. is at
The bottom Of this policy. Failing in his at
tempt to explore the Columbia River, in 1893
he nevertheless, urged upon the British Govern
'leh' me advantages Of taking it to herself, and
OF eXpelling the Americans from the whole re-
glon west of The Rocky Mountains. The ad-
wee accorded TOO well with the passions and
Po!icy OF that government, TO be disrepsrded.
III Is government which lIas lost no opportuni
", since the peace of 1913, of aggrandjzinp IT,
sell at the expense Of the United States. r. is
government winch listens to the Suggestions of
lis experienced Subjects, and thus an Individual
W Ihe humble station of fur trader has pein4--4
ed OUT the policy which has been pursued bv
every Minister Of Great Britain, from Pin t0
Canning, aud for the maintenance of which .
war Is now mcnaccG.
Here Mr.. B. read the following passages
from Sir Alexander NaCkenzic's Jistorv of Inc
Fur r ade:I - '"'
The Russians who first discovered that
along the coasts nf Asia, no useful or reo,,Ia
Navigation existed, opened an interior cofT,n,,-
hicAt'on by MYERS, &c. AMI through that lone
d"u "iue chlendCu continent, to the stTaipht
That separates Asia from America, over which
u'ey passed to The American continent C,ur
situation IS at length, in some degree. s,rr.i3.r
to theirs: the non existence OF a practice lie
passage by sea, and the existence OF one throuoh
the c"ntlnent are clearly proved; and it requires
ohly the CountenanCe and support of the British
government toincrease, III very ample prouc,.
tion' tins national advantage, aud secure the
lraue Oi thai Country to its uDJeCt" eeBs the
rivers that discharge themselves INTO Hudson,s
pay al IOrt Nelson, 1T Is proposed to carry on
the trade oi thcir source, at the head of the Cas
katchwIne river, which rises in the Rnc.y
Mountains, not eight degrees of longitude frorn
the Paclhc Ocean. The Columbia flows from
the same mountains, and discharges itself into
the PacIiIc I'D oortb latitude as. 90. Both of
them are capable of receiving ships at heir
mouth tnd are navgabe throughout Tor boats. y
But whatever course may be taken from the
Atlantic, the CDiumbjU IS me line oC commune,
hoH from the Pacsfc OceaH, pointed out bv ma
tutc, as ut IS the only nayIgable river IN fine
whole extent of EanCOuYer's minute sljrvev or
That coast; lis banks, also, form the first level
country III all The southern extent Of confipen-
tai coast from Cooks entry, and conseuuepHv
the most northern situation, suitable to The resi
dence OF a civilized people. By opening tbie
intercourse between the Atlantic and Pacific
oceans, and forming regular establishments
thIough the interior, and at both extremes. az
well a along the coast and Islands. the ent;4s
Command OF the fur trade of North A,pc.;ca
might nc obtained, from latitude AZ 10 the mole
except that portion Of it which the Russians
nave IN the Pacific. TO this NAV be added the,
nshing IN both seas, and the market of the four
quarters of the globe. Such would be the 6cl5
lot commercial enterprise, and incalcujable
L 49,