Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1844-01-27

goa'ions for Oregon, anything 10 lose by passing
his es luton, aad thus Ird a.g - G.. Britain de-
tefm nation 20 assert or r,sh.s.
Allow the, proof Of this j!aion, give you Z cw
extracts from the documents themselves.
lirfe IS ths first letter ri instruction. from Il. Ci,Y
TO Albert Gallatn uncer date Of Jane ~, leo. Alter
ulluding 10 the instructions formerly seat TO r Rush.
Alr Clay ADDS:
"Nor IS it conceived tina, C Britain has, or can make
out, eren co0rabis t!s TO any post.gt of The No'
ives, coast
| pray you, Sir, observe this expression of NJ
Clay. l. is not that Great Btiiain's tnl is weak -
imperfect, is questionable |, is that she has no; even
coiO1 of tile. II that her title IS defective /,
;te southern portion OF this territory, bu. good,
least piiustle north OF The ot ude o.! forty No,
SIR, nothing Of that sort. Bat il s, thLt from north
70 soHt1 'fon east 10 west, .bc etI-e territory,
Great BtiIain has not prsirnce, not shadow o. u
tue. ltis that TO every part and parcel of O;egoa,
from the Spanish ltar on The south u ihe Russian
hoancsry on the north from thr r-rs of the Rocky
mountains across 10 the waters of the Pacific, The U.
States are the true, rghttul, legitimate owners
That is the broad, unquai,d assertion and i; is
true.
pledge myself 10 this House. Il ,e matter be called
N question before we have done wih the subject.
prove, 10y The tenor oe hnse very treaties to which En-
gland appeals, by the admissions of her statesmen
aud histJrians, that 10 thu vast rforv, regarding
which, 'oe qaat,er OF century, have been amely
negotiating, our title i clear, distinct indspuaua,
as tia; Of any gentleman this nnor II the farm he
OWES or Tie plantation ihlt is his, or was his fathers
before hun.
Such is the t.u,h ard such was Henry CIay's asse--
ton And y't, ere even the INK was dry on that hor-
est sltemeEt OF OF: rights before the letter closed
~ wbic an American Secretary of Stale declares 10
an American Minister that OREGON s, and OF rsht
ought TO be, ours, that sane Secretary empowers that
same minister to trade oiTo no, SIR, that not d p5-
mate language-to negOt0tc array nearly one hall the
territory; meeky ceGe Great Britain that 20 which
she la. rflg- rf a
mles on tine Pacific coast with all the country thence
u the Rocky mountains. Here is the paragra h from
the same letter:
"Yon are authorized 10 propose the annulment OF the
'lird article ct the convention Of 1873, and the
sion of the line the parallel of fnrynine degrees
from he Eastern side Of the Rocky mountains, whore
II now terminates 10 the Pacific ocean, the perma-
nent boundary between the territories Of the two pow
ers in that quarter This is our ultmGt,m ana YOU
MAJ announce II. We can consen, 10 no other line
more favorable to Great Britain"
This offer is made $50 Mr.. Clay writes in the
letter to Mr.. Galatin) "in spirit Of concessions ara
compromise which Great Britain should not hesitate 10
reciproca;e"
Concession ia good thing in its place and if r
RICH. BE- Of doubtful validity, prudence spme,imes bids
Us compronsa for the sake OF peace Bat thus To cede
at the FIRST Off, to nation TIA. has, avowed!y,
cclor OF tie u district Of luntry one half a. large
where the thirteen United States at the date Of no
rtyo'ution,-th's strikes me rs pushing, somewhat
further than just &c demands national honor war
rants the principles Of charity ana good nerhhorshp
may treat neghhor kindly and cou.;eou.iy, without
being called upon 10 give h'm up half my grazing
farm, merely because lv happens - hare !aken fan
cy TO it. know gre told that, if mau smite us
The chick, should turn The other and if he
tlke our coat, We are t. give m our cloak also IL
tcfpcted IN IT'S spirit not in lis LATER, this is an adn.
rabie injunction h'ndGcss WINS its way where hnr.h
vni.nce fails; and ca: best overcome evil By doing
good. Yet, assurediy should have strange ,io'~
Off, 10 this world il, III literal obedience 10 this pre-
cep we were t. resent no injury and RESIST no e.
cFoacomeni 4 tssa 9F', the powerful and the
ous may be carried TOO far 1t out OF place, when 1t
meets corresponding spirit and provokes only arc
CANT pre'cnsnn III return.
Such was the return which Henry Cay's proposal
met from Great Britlin. lie offered he. territory
enough on. of cur POSSESSIONS 10 cut up into half i
dozen states aud she, p.esugiiDg, 1T would seem,
good nature, declared give her sufficient
for two three more, before she closed the bargain.
Her PlsnpotrutarIes repeated the citr they had pre-
v'ousy made, that the Columbia should be the boun-
dary; adding however that they must confess there
not single good liabor from la tnde oEtytwo ID
the mouth ot the Columbia, they would cedc TO the u.
States the harbor OF Port Discovery, in Fucas inlet,
,cil.ar with Il small rocky sthmul lying southeast
from Cape Fatt-ry. | know whether tie oil
the cape suggested the selection Of tbs particular spot
but Capt. Wilkes informs me- he wnpi no, give hun-
bred dollars for the whole tract Il excludes Admiralty
inlet and Puget sound, of The best hGrbo:s in the
world, AMI not unlikely, day, to be The P!ncipal
rof, Of entry FOR The Columbia Valley.
The oarr @: Great Britain was Of course, refused;
and SO terminated the second attempt at negotiation.
Do you ind, in lis details or IN rs result, much
enlargement 10 engage in th':d;
THIS negotiating about what does rot belong 10 -,
is not only unproitlis, but dangerous ALTAR. We
offer to concede and [, compromise We iotbear 10
claim our past due. And s;faght"a; our concessions
and forbearance a7o set up foundation for tile,
which has other ground to rest upon know that.
in strlctness of law, valid THE is not pFecdiced by
offer 10 compromise, mude for the sake Of peace. !
am aware that the permission granted by treaty 10 G.
Brt,n jointly with II occupy hie territory, cannot
ripen into title. Yet, IN po,rt of fact concession
weakens cllim. 1t mas already done IN this
very case. Marx, Sir pray you, The admission made
by Albert Gallan, in his official conference with the
British plrnlpo,cntIares. fad Il in his reply Mr..
Clay, as iolows:
"Our having refused to agree 20 line Of de-
marcaiion wth Great Britain caS sufficient Dyo0f that
aud 10 which paid due consideration. II was thai
account that the United States had reduced The extent
Of their to the boundary line they had offered aud
had added 10 it the proposal Of allowing tn British sub
jecs the free navigation Of the Columbia"
Is that pl'n, Sir: That we agreed 10 negotiate,
says Mr. G.llatn the British Minister, proves that
admit you have ttl" and, therefore, for that
reason, because have been weak rne9gh 10 rcgo,-
ate with you for own thu L : ofl+r you upwards
Of a hundred millions Of OF her territory 10 keep
peace, and say nothing more abott IL.
Our o.n most enlightened statesmen arc sometimes,
for Tie moment, led OF from the issue, b. this
emporizng diplomacy AZ The last session OF Con
gress distinguished Senator from South CaroIina,
now no l,nger a member Of the body which FOX
many years he had gtaced by his service ard Logical
eloquence, made remarkable declaration. | read
from the speech Of Mr. Calhoun delivered in The
Senate. After stating that We had proposed TO Gr'at
Britain the forty ninth PARALLEL and she had IN return
offered the Columbia river, entering the Pacific
about latitude foriy-sx, as Boundary, Mr. Calhoun
adds
81, fellows, that the portion of Territory really in
dispute between he two countries, IS about three de
grees lauude ihats about one fourth of The whole
DO you perceive whittier al! this tends We are
placed IN a false position.
Mr.. GlLAiE Err asked Mr.. Owen, the hour devoted
to he reception of reports had nearly expired 10 give
way to motion 10 commit The subject to The Commit
tee Of the Which, the tae o. the Union, where the
discussion, which he thought very important, might
proceed unchecked by the expiration Of tle hour
Some conversation ensued. in winch Messrs Gil
MER, OWEN. y. V. BROWN CHAS }. INGER.
SOIL, DROMGOOLE, SEMPLE, BLACK, and
others, took part.
The resolution then committed TO The Commit
H. WAL, on state of tfnion md Vas