The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1844-11-22
THE BRITISH INVASION OF OREGON


New York Sun, is severe comment on the diplo-
macy Of our government, which waived all just
and resoute assertion of our rights in Oregon, and
contented itself with holding mutual occupation
with power which had no pretext to set foot on
the territory at ALL Esops fable of the wolf that
begged Of the silly children, in the absence of the
mother, for the admission of one paw through the
crack of the door, and then the hind leg, and lastly
the saout, getting purchase to force in the whole
body, and concluding the scene by devouring the
the young boys, might have taught the administra-
ton the danger of admitting such power to any
sort of participation in Oregon. While we have
been talking about our undoubted right-about set
tliDg Oregon with emigrants, making partition of
lands among them, and surveying the coasts, and
sounding the mouths of rivers for harbers, and look
ing out for routes TO bring the China trade overland
to our steamboat navigation on the western waters,
England has taken possession of hundred COM
manding posts-every practicable harbor-has sub
jected all the emigrants to her sway-and is ready,
at any moment TO assert exclusive and absolute
thority over the whole region Mr.. Webster, who
rendered the British more service during the last
war than any general sent by them across the Allan
tic, completed their obligations to him by settling
all our difficulties with them on the northern from
tier, by surenderng the mountain barrier of Maine,
and by omitting the least mention of our Oregon
right until the British government should have full
time to fortfy their possession, by establishing for
tresses at every commanding point Now this is
done, and Great Britain is prepared to snap her fin
ger in our faces -GloJe
From the New York Sun.
While the good people of the United States have
been up to the eyelids in managing the presidential
election for the past year. honest John Bull has been
taking measures quietly, but securely, to occupy
Oregon-principally those portions which we claim
and to which we have an undoubted right; ;and when
the smoke of the presidential battle clears away, we
may see our position in Oregon in less amicable
light than we have been fondy supposing. Mr..
Dunn, agent for the British Hudson Bay company,
has furnished the Montreal Courier with a state
ment of the complete occupation Of Oregon amino
renaneadi by the direction of that company, aa the
representatives of the British nation. The actual
occupation of a country bylforts and other establish
ments, even within disputed limits, is considered
prima face evidence of the right Of propreorship;
aud even admitting in this case that Great Britain,
by negotiation, ,surrenders part other actual occupa
tions The possession is of itself embarrassing to get
rid of. That the English have stolen march upon
us, will be readily admitted in reading the follow
ing forts established under the superintendent of
the Hudson Bay company: Fort Vancouver, on the
north bank of the Columbia, 80 miles from the
ocean; Fort George, formerly Astoria,) near the
mouth of the river; Fort Nasqually, ,Puget's Sound;
Fort Langley at the outlet of Frazer's river; Fort
Mclaughlin, on Miibank Sound; Fort Simpson, on
Dundas Island; Frazer's Fort, Fort James. Nc
Leod's Fort, Fort Chilcotn, and Fort Alexandria,
on Frazer's river and its branches; Thompson's s
Fort, on Thompson's river, tributary of Frazer's
Kootina Fort, on Flateow river; Flathead Fort, on
Flathead river; Fort Hall, and Fort Bosas, on the
Saptip or Snake river; Fort Colvie, and Fort
O'Kanagan, on the Columbia, above its junction;
Fort McKad, at the mouth of Umqua river 1t
may be asked, where the limits 10 British power
| and domnons' We find her occupying territory
on the northwest Of America, also in India and CHI
| na-in the Pacific and the most remote portions of
the earth-an inordnate grasping appetite for terri
tory and ambitious to carry her power to the ends
of the earth. That government is at the same time
peculiarly sensitive at any attempt on the part OF
the United States to possess what in reality is
own Where is the necessity of all the above forts
To protect the interests of the Hudson Bay compa-
ny? Not so-it is to take military possession, a
little lower down, ofOregon, and be found in pos
session; while we have only military station or
two-a few travelling emigrants, and a few mis-
sionaries, to occupy territory to which we have
an undoubted right, But the above list of forts is
not all the power brought by Great Britain to bear
on that territory. They have an immense number
ofarmed boats to trade on all the lakes, rivers, and
streams, in the interior, and along distance ofsev-
eral thousand miles, besides heavily steam
ers on the coast; also several heavily armed mer-
chant ships and barges for goods and for fishing.
The Hudson Bay Company having been stationed
for many years in that neighborhood, have now
great wealth, numerous body of men and traders
in their employment, and all the warlike Indians in
that country, whom they have attached to their in
terests by course of honest dealings and liberal
intercourse. This company, therefore, is the au-
thorised agent of Great Britain to carry into effect
her occupation of that entire territory. The Rus
slams poweress, and confne themselves to their
possessons-a strip ofseacoast beyond the 54lh de-
gree of north latitude. They have post or two
one at Stka, in the Kamschatka country The
United States have neither power nor influence
not an inch of land conceded to US as our own
from California to the Pacific. The period can no
longer be postponed for this country to ascertain
what are her rights in Oregon, and be prepared to
maintain them. There has been, no doubt, an ac-
tive correspondence on this subject between the
two countries, which will be laid before Congress
at the ensuing session. and we glad to hear that
Mr.. Calhoun is daily looked for at the Department
of State, and feel satisfied that the questions both
Of Texas and Oregon entirely safe in his hands