Arkansas intelligencer., 1843-09-09

c~f~~~S - e~ssAAn6 bhos SouhsA ohe W aAAoAhA'
tanning our rights against assumptions of England
will Cost more than it will come to; and hence,
that our country had better relinqush all idea OF
ever occupying that beautiful and glorious region.
It is better, say they, to make an offering of it to
English capitalists, and the unbounded ambition
OF that naughty, overbearing, dhd wicked nation,
than to contend about territory of so little con-
sequence better placate their favor at such tri-
ning expense. by granting oil they ask-or rather
demand, for England does not ask-than to hazard
rupture, perhaps another war, with our father
iano' such men are both ignorant and unpatri-
o'ic. They neither know the value Of Oregon, nor
care for the rights and honor Of their country.
10 correct the errors into which such minds have
iaien, and to extend more generally correct in
formation upon this subject, which is daily in.
creasing in interest, we design in the present
article to present our readers brief description OF
the position, extent, internal resources, and COM
mercial and political importance of this beautiful,
rich, healthy, and magnificent portion Of our do
minlon. We will also give a clear and reliable
statement OF the ground upon which our claim to
lis ownership rests, and the reasons why we are
bold IN asserting that England has, rightfully, no
claims at all upon, the Pacific coast.
BY the Florida Treaty, concluded at Washing
ton' February ", 1919, Spain agreed that the
boundary line between her possessions and the q.
States, after reaching the Arkansas, shall fol-
low the course Of the Southern bank of that river
to its source, in latitude AZ deg's north and thence
by that parallel Of latitude TO the South Sea-
Mexico confirmed the same boundary by the
treaty of January IL, 1928. This fixes the south.
ern boundary definitely and beyond caviI. The
treaty with Russia concluded at St. Petersburgh,
April IL, 1924 establishes the latitude of so deg's
40 min. as the line south of which that nation had
no claims, and would make no settlements, and
north of which the United States should attempt
none. These are the proper and legitimate boun.
daries of Oregon on the south and north, giving
a length of IL deg's 40 min., or more than 500
miles. Its western boundary is tho Pacific, its
eastern the Rocky Mountains, on an averge about
6OO miles in breadth. BY comparison, it will be
seen that this territory contains nearly 500, 900
square miles, or one-fifth more than the original
thirteen States, including Maine and Vermont,
and more than four times as much as England,
Ireland, and Scotland, and is undoubtedly capable
OF sustaining proportionable number Of people.
Oregon is not, as we have recently heard it spoken
of poor valueless tract of barren wase pittance
so diminutive as not to be worth contending !or !;
but an immense region, capable Of becoming one
OF the finest, richest and most densely populated
portions Of our country. Allowing only SO per-.
sons to square mile, England has 29l, ireland
275, Holland 254, Massa chusetts 9S,) it would
SuSeoih ~HsooS,ooo SouiSs Ouc luitTtc UlCTO IDdu
the present population of the whole United States
By consulting the maps it will be seen that
some geographers place the northern boundary 40
degs nCrth latitude. This is done in accordance
with suggestion made by Henry Clay, when Sc.
Minister to the Court of St. James. dated June
10Th, 1926, to propose settlement of this bound
ary by relinqushing 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
10 the Rocky Mountains. This was offering to
make straight ,cork, by "splitting the difference"
between right and wrong, justice and arrogant Gu.
pidity. England did not accede to the proposition ,
but, 1attered by the offer so much, she became
insoent, and clamored for more,
offering on her part, to follow the 10Th degree
until it reached the Columbia river, then the chan
mel of the same river to its mouth. This would
have carried off more than half of the extent,
and three-fourths Of the value of the territory
II was rejected, of course. Diplomatists should
be cautious how they make in their generosity,
to deviate from the direct path of the
strictest justice in the case about which they are
negotiating. There is no half way between truth,
right, justice, and their opposites. If concessions
and accessions are required, they should be mutu-
al otherwise, strict justice should be unyieldng-
ly insisted on. The claim of the United States
to the lands north of latitude 40 deg's, and south
of 81 deg's 40 min., is, except in so far as that
claim rests upon the purchase Of Louisiana of the
French, just as good as that south of the Colum-
bia river, and depends upon precisely the same
proofs for its establishment Ii England can just.
iy assert her right to control one portion, she may
on the same ground claim all the rest, for nothing
wns ever said or done about division line except
as matter Of compromise. Our right, founded
on priority of discovery, occupation, cession, and
extension by contguity, is as good to one part MS
the other, as shall be shown when we come to con-
suit the authorities on which our claim rests.
Before entering into an examination Of the JUS
tice of our claims, a brief description of the coun
try will not be misplaced, that we may ascertain
whether it is worth the trouble of the investiga-
ton I; or whether it would not be wiser to let it
remain as it is, beautiful wilderness, ravaged Of
its treasures daily by the emissaries of an over
bearing and avaricious foreign monopoly, and its
INHABITANTS cheated and ehslaved by the subjects
Of government which boasts so ostentatiously Of
its friendship for poor Africans, while it persists,
IN every quarter Of its widespread empire, in deeds
OF the darkest oppression; and actually permits,
In many Of its colonies, the slavery Of the natives
whom it has first robbed of their lands, and made
upon the cruelty Of its tender mercies,
not only for protection but for existence.
Our means for preparing brief description Of