Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1843-01-28
EXTRACT FROM
MIR. BENTON'S SPEECH,
On HE British Treaty..
OREGON TERRITORY.

OREGON TERRITORY.
proceed 70 the omitted subjects; and
here the objections to the treaty are iul.
ly as great for what it olni,s as for what
i, contains. The special mission came
gloriousIy hera'dej as mission OF peace
Ito settle everything; and to give u
new point of departure to the inhabitants
OF two great countries in the walks OF So
cial, commercial, and political intercourse.
1t has only settled part; leaving four SUB
jects out OF seven to be pursued at Lon
don, with vastly diminished prospects OF
success; and producing all the effect Of Il
separate treaty with part oil the con.
iederucy, and that at the moment when
British legislation had given Il separate
trade, and virtually II free trade, TO this
same part. in the great staples Of grain
and provisions. The mission Of peace
has given IL separate peace TO the Nor
them States: the new corn law has Civ
Ell them q separate trade: and the Amer
lean citizen is differently constituted
from what am. who can believe these
condolences TO be the effect Of accident,
or cause for Joy in the American I'm
ion.
The omitted or pretermitted subjects
are four: the Columbia rivcr-;mpress
men--,he outrage on the Caroline--and
the liberation OF American slaves, car
red by violence or misfortune into the
British West India Islands, or enticed in.
to Canada. OF these begin with the
Columbia, because equal III importance
to any, and, IRON position, more partc-
uiarIy demanding my attention. The
country on this great river is ours; di-
plonacy has endangered is title: the
hi lish have the possession, aud have re-
pulsed us from the whole extent Of its
northern shore. and from all the fur re-
! gion on both sides Of the river, and up in !.
10 all the valleys and gorgcs oil the Rocky
mountains. Our citizens are beginning
to 60 there; and the seeds Of. national
CONVERSATION between the British and A.
rnericans are deeply and thlckly sown in
that quarter. From the monicn, that we
discovered il, Great Britain has claimed
this country; and for thirty years past
this claim has been point oil contested
aud deferred diplomacs, IN which every
step taken has been step for the bene-
! III other claim, and for the injury Of ours.
| The germ of war lies there; and this
mission OF peace should have eradca,ed
that germ. On the contrary i; does no,
notice II! Neither the treaty nor the
correspondence names or notices il! and
il il were not for nleagre and s,inted
paragraph in the Presidents. message
communicating and recommending the
treaty, we should not know that the name
OF the Oregon had occurred 20 the nego
tutors. That paragraph is in thes,
words:
'.A!er sundry informal communica
tons with the British minister upo.. the
subject OF the claims OF the two countries
west of The Rocky mountains, SO little
probability was found to exist OF coming
TO any agreement on that subject at pres
emit. that it was not thought cxpedien, te
make it one OF the subjects oil formal ne
COLLATION., to be entered upon between
this Government and the British minis
ter, as part OF his duties under his spe
clal mission"
This is all that appers in relation to q
disputed country, equal in extent TO tn.
Atlantic portion OF The old thirteen Uni
ted States; superior to them IN climate
soil, aud confeuralion; adjacent to thu
valley Of the Mlssissippi; fronting Asia
holding the key 10 the North Pacili,
! ocean; the only country fit Tor colonial
lIon ON the extended coast OF Nor,hwes
J Ameflca; 4 country which belongs 10 iii,
United States by IL title as clear as thei
title TO the District OF Columbia; which
/ resolve Of Congress, during Mr. Monroe
administration, Geelarjn. to be exclude,
against Europci,n colonization; whlcl
Great Britain is now colonlZing; and til,
title To which has been subject oil Iii
plomatic discussion Tor thirty years
This is all that is heard OF such IL coun
try, and such dispute, IN this mission o
:. peace, which was to settle everything -
To supply this omission, and tocrcct som,
barrier agains, the dangers OF mproyi
| dent, indifferent, ignorant, or treacnerou.
/ diplomacy IN tulure negotiations IN lela
llon to tins great country, it is my pur
pose at present to state oul title 10 it
4 Nssshs -" Not.'c3 S0s w N.N poSO tllO ldi0Cy Ot
the British prelensions; and thus 10 leave
in the bosom OF The Senate, ind on ,h,
page OF our legislative history, the faith
/! lul evidences oil our right, and which
i shall attest our title to ali succeeding gen
CREATIONS.
Oar title TO this great adjunct domain
rests upon eight points, almost any on.
OF which is sufficient to yindlcute it,
They are:
l. The discovery Of the Columbi;
river, at its mouth, in 1890, by Caplai,
Cray Of Boston; aud the imposition .
the American name of his ship upon il
u discovery which enured to the beneti
OF his country, and u name which attest
ed lis possession aud sovereignty.
2. The discovery OF the same river
at its head, and thence 10 its mouth IN
the ocean, by Lewis and Clark, under the
authority OF the United States, in the
! years l8O4-5.
3. The settlement at the mouth Of The
river in 1911, under the auspices Of Mr.
Aston. OF New York, citizen OF the U
niicd States, and whose settlement enur
ed 10 the benefit Of his country.
4. The treaty oi 1903 with the French
Republic; by which the United States &C
Qulral Inmisinnn md with - a., ,,.o.