The Ohio Democrat. [volume] (Canal Dover, Ohio) 1840-1900, 1841-09-09

not the commercial treaty Of that place.
Thus, when opposed 10 France aud Spain,
the parallel of 49 degrees, to the west Of the
Rocky Mountains, as we'll 90 TO the east Of
tha, chain, was the southern boundary Of Brit
ish CLAIMS and possessions. Ii VAS so when,
by discoveries, we became the owners Of the
river, by treaties added the titles Of France &
Spain to our own, and BY the settlement Of Az
tOria coneummatcd oil these titles BY actual |
possession. Things we're in thio state, all
clear and fair for US, when the wretched coQA |
venIiOn Of 1918, founded 10 Ignorance, or
lessness Of American rights Aad l1ieH4
made that fatal concession Of o jolq
ton which my colleague has expaded y0H,
and which has led to the death Of more than
6ve hundred Americans--tO the lOss Of MIL
liOns Of properly--to the expulsion Of oil our
traders from that region-tO the permanent Get
Element and exclusive possession Of the Brit
ish-and to their assertion OF title to the north
hank Of the river, down 10 its mouth in the
sea. This is the fruit Of the most unwise con
Venton of 1878, made for ten years, and con-
linued in 1928, until terminated by notice-a
convention in which the diplomatic art, in al.
fectDg TO settle controversy where there wac
none. has contrived TO generate serious diff
6cul,y, and has deposited the seeds ofa con-
tes,aiion, which time aggra ayates, and which
the sword may have TO cut The English now
possess .hree degrees Of latitude ID the valley
Of the Columbia, which belong to us; and, what
10 far more material both 10 US and to them,
they possess The mouth OF ihe red river, The only
haibor upon that coast, the gate which opens
! and shuts the way 10 the! and the only channel
| ofeommunicalion between the whole valley Of
| the Columbia and the Pacific ocean. This is
the condition 10 which British eDcroachmeni
and American diplomacy has reduced our ter
Ttorial and possessory title on the western
| coast OF our own continent. We are expelled,
with the loss Of lvss and properly, from the
territory, the river, and the hatbor, which be-
longs 10 us; and does any one suppose that the
Great West 10 going 10 submit to This outraged
By no means! Wemean 10 resist, 10 recover
our rights, and 10 expel the intruders; and Cor
this purpose we propose TO give the prelimina-
ty notice now for terminating the convention
for the JOINT occupation, end thereby formally
commence that northwestern question, which
will quickly take its place by The side Of tho
one in the northeast. The, sH, 10 tha cum
maty of our title and dispute on the Columbia.
1t is q brief exposition Of The question. Time
forbids details and proofs; bulh would be un-
Just to the subject. and 10 q merltOrIous eiii-
zen who has personally explored the valley Of
the Columbia, who has personally Witnessed
the workiDgs oflhe convention Of 1873, and
who has made the best report 10 The Govern.
ment upon tho couulry and the state Of thing Q
bsyond the Rocky Mountains which il has ev-
| or received; il would be unjust both to tie sub
isct, and 10 this citizen, 20 touch this eubjecI
10 any way, without referring to his most meV
itorious researches, and able report upon the
subject. | refer to Major Pitcher. long in the
fur trade Of the West, and late Supefnlen.
dent of Indan affairp at 81. Louis; q post fol
which he was better fitted than any man living
and from which he has been removed for "ln
terieriux 10 elections" Yes, interference! ia
reference in q Slate in which thete ia no oon-
test--wheTe the Democracy have majority
Of eight lhousand--sn5 where interference
was neither needed nor received from him OF
any body else. This gentlemen, being long
in tho fur trade, made an extraordinary tour oI
examination and exploration in the years
lS2S-'29, and 80, 10 which he visited the
British establishments, not only on the Colun
bla, but also on the Athabasca, the Saskatchi-
vine, tho Lake WINNIPEG, aud other hyPerbo'
| TEAM regions; atour in which be walked twer
" five hundred miles on enew shoes, in re-
| gionsbeyODd the parallel Of forty nine degrees
without an American with him, often accom-.
| panied by single and arrange Indian, hi
baggage drawnby dogs, and bic life Staket
upon the pers Of famine and cold. aud it
which he received the greatest hospitality anC
Kindness from oil the British posts. HrS re-
port TO the Government. which is printed il
Senate documen.s Of lS30-'3l, is invalrabl
for ito information, aud judiciOuS observations
but can only take two extracts from il, one II
relation 10 the reciprocity Of The convention o
1918, the other in relation tothe fort and settle
ment Of Vancouver a.
2. As to The reciprocity eftRs treaty Of lSlt
'sThe third at,icle Of this convention sp
Il plies 10 the JOINT occupation Of the country
i west Of the Rocky Mountains BY the Britis!
and Americana, aud Was intended 10 grant 70
cprocal privileges; but the reciprocity 10 II
words only: the BriIish get all the advantages
The words the convention are-.That AM
country that may be claimed By either party
on the Northwest coast Of America. West
ward ofthe Stony Mountains, shall, together
with its haTboTs, bays, and creeks, and the
navigation Of oil rivers within the same, bc
a ~ -.