The Illinois free trader and LaSalle County commercial advertiser. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1841-1843, 1843-04-14


Rocky Mountains, or, If proper steps are
taken by our government, on the shores
of the Pacific; and weekly mails passing
and rcpassing from Bangor to the city of
"Chenook" at the mouth of the Colum-
bia.
Some narrow-minded politicians have
asserted that our territory is large enough
already, without going west of the Rocky
Mountains, and that the expense OF sett-
ling that country, and of maintaining our
rights against the assumptions of England,
will cost more than It will come to; and
hence, that our country had better relin-
quish all idea Of ever occupying that beau
tiful and glorious region. tits better, say
they, to make an offering of it to the ava
rice of English capitalists, and the UNI
bounded ambition Of that naughty, over
bearing, and wicked nation, than to con-
tend about territory of so little conse-
quence: better placate their favor at such
triAing expense, by granting all they ask
Or rather demand, for England does not
ask-,han to hazard rupture, perhaps
another war, with our fatherland. Such
men are both ignorant and unpatrotic.
They neither know the value Of Oregon,
nor care for the rights and honor of their
country. Tocorrect the errors into which
such minds have fallen, and 10 extend
more generally correct information upon
this subject, which is daily increasing in
interest, we design in the present article
to present our readers brief description
Of the position, extent, internal resources,
and commercial and political importance
of this beautiful, rich, healthy and magni-
fcent portion of our national domain.
We will also give clear and reliable
statement of the grounds upon which our
claim to its ownership rests, and the rca-
sons why we are bold in asserting that
England has, rghtrully, no claims at all
upon the Pacific coast.
BY the Florida Treaty, concluded at
Washington, February %, 1919, Spain
agreed that the boundary line between her
possessions and the United States, after
reaching the Arkansas, " shall follow the
course of the southern bank of that river
to its source, in latitude 400 north; and
thence by that parallel of latitude to the
South sea-" Mexico confirmed the same
boundary by the treaty of January II,
1898. This fixes the southern boundary
definitely and beyond cavil. The treaty
with Russia concluded at St. Petersburgh,
April II, l843, establishes the latitude of
so 40 as the line south of which that ma
ton had no claims, and would make no
settlements, and north of which the Uni
ted States should attempt none. These
are the proper and legitimate boundaries
of Oregon on the south and north, giving
length Of l2' 4O>, or more than 500
miles. It's western boundary is the Pacl-
fc, its eastern the Rocky Mountains, on
an average about 600 miles in breadth.
BY comparison, it will be seen that this
territory contains nearly 100000 square
miles, or one-tith more than the original
thirteen states, including Maine and Yer
mont, and more than four times as much
as England, Ireland, and Scotland, and is
undoubtedly capable 0! sustaining . pro-
poruonahIe number ofpeopIe. Oregon is
not, as We have recently heard it spoken
OF, a poor, valuelcss tract of barren waste,
piitance 50 dimiuutivc as not to be worth
contending for; but an immense region
capable Of becoming one of the finest,
richest, and most densely populated por-
tons of our country. Allowing only so
persons to square mile, (Eugland has
20l, Ireland 275, Holland 25l, Massa-
chuselts 0S), it would sustain $4,000, GOO
souls, one quarter more than the present
population Of the whole United States.
By consulting the maps it will be seen
that some geographers place the northern
boundary at 4O' north latitude. This is
done in accordance with suggestion
made by Henry Clay. when Secretary Of
State, in letter to Mr.. Galatin. then
minister at the court of St. James, dated
June 10Th, 1926, TO propose settlement
of this boundary by relinquishing our just
claims to all land north of the same parallel
of latitude which now forms our frontier
line from the Lake Of the Woods TO the
Rocky Mountains. This was offering to
make straight 'cork, by "splilting the
difference" between righ, and wrong, JUS
tice and arrogant cupidity. England did
not sccede to the proposition; but, fat
tered by the offer of so much, she became
ohor,rtnr;stinallX, insolant aud rla,,or,