Richmond palladium. [volume] (Richmond, IA [i.e. Ind.]) 1839-1854, 1845-12-10

was shntNF a'ttFHatds transferred 10 Wash
thGton. aud. On The twenty-ihud Of Aure,,
lSai, was formally opened. under the d,f,r-
'ien 81 IN! immediate predecessor. Like all
The previous negotiations, 1t " as based mn.
the principles 81 "conprom,se;' and N.
avowed purpose u the parties was, To .t,..,
of the respective CLAIMS OF the two pa,,,.., >.
the Oregon country, with The view TO es,ah
lish n permanent boundary between ,b,m
westward Q: the Rocky mountains 10 the Pa.
citc ocean,. Accordingly. Oh the ,wen,y
sixth OF August. 1911. the British p'enino,.,.
tiary offered 10 divide the Oregon TERRITORY bv
the forty ninth parallel of north latitude. from
the Rocky mountains 10 the pom, Of is inter.
section with the northe as!ern most branch of
the Columbia river, and thence down ,ha,
aver t. the sea; leaving the free navigation of
The river to be en- oyed in common by both
pariies-ihe country south Of this line to be-
long TO the, Unned States, add that north of II
TO Great Britain. AL the same time. he pro-
posed. IN ADDITION. 10 yield TO the United
States a detached territory north of the Col.
umbia, extending along the Pacific and the
Straits o: Fuca, from Bufinch's harbor incru.
sive 10 Hoods canal. and 10 make free TO The
United States an: port or ports south Of Ia,-
tuie toriy-nlne degrees. which they nigh,
desire. entire on the main land, or on Quadra
and Vancouver's island. With the exception
Of the free ports this the same offer v hch
had been made by the British, and rejected by
the American government in the negotiation
| OF 1876. ms proposiiiun was properly re-
/ jected by The American pie nipoienitarv On
the day II was submitted. This was the only
proposition OF compromise Offered bv The
Brush plenlpo,eniarv. The proposition on
the part OF Great Britain having been rejected.
the british plenlpoteniiary requested tina, a
proposal should be made bv the United States
tor an "equl,able adjustment, Of the question:
When came ia,o flee, | found this TO DO
the state OF the negotiation. Though enter
tanning the settled con, lotion, that The British
preiensions OF TILE could not be maintained
20 any portion OF the Oregon territory upon
any principle OF public law recognized by
nations, yet ia Difference 10 wha, had been
done ty my predecessors, and especially IN
consideration that propositions of compromise
had been thrice made by two preceding ad.
minisi"aiions. 10 adjust the question on the
parallel % iortv-ninc degrees and in two of
them yielding 10 Great Britain The free nayi.
CATION OF the Columbia, and that the pending
neSoua'ion had been commenced on the basIs
OF compromise, deemed it TO be my duty no,
abruptly TO break 1t off. In consideration.
too, that under the conventions Of 1918 and
1897, The citizens and subjects Of the two
Powers held JOINT occupancy OF the coun-
try. was induced to make another effort 10
settle this long pending controversy in the
spirit OF moderation which had given birth
to the renewed discussion A propo,;,on
was accordingly made, which was rejected by
she Bniish p'enipoten,iary, who without any
other proposition, suffered the negotiation on
MS PARK 10 crop, expressing his trust that the
United States would oAer wha, he saw fit to
call '.some further proposal for the settlement
oil the oregon question, more consistent with
fairness and equity. and with the reasonable
expectations Of the Britis!, government
The prososition thus offered and re iected re-
Peaied the offer OF the parallel OF for,y-nine
degrees of north latit de, which had been
made by two preceding administrations, Lus
without proposing to surrender TO Great Brit.
an as they had done, the free navigation Of
the Columbia river. The right Of any foreign
Power 10 the free navi CATION of any Of our
rivers. through the heart Of or country, was
one which was unwilling to concede. II
also embraced d provision 10 make free 10
Great britain any port or ports on the cap Of
(lnadra and 'ancouver's island. south Of this
parallel. Had this been new question, com.
ing under discussion for The first time hi.
proposition would not have been made The
extraordinary and wholly inadmssible de-
mands OF the British government, and the re-
lection Of the proposition made IN Difference
alone to what bad been done by my 2redeces-
sors, and the implied obligation which their
acts seemed to impose, afford satisfactory evi
derce ,ha, no compromise which the United
States ought 10 accept, can be effected. With
this conviction, the proposition of compromise
which had been made and rejected, was. by
my direction, subsequently withdra wn. and
our title to the whole Oregon territory asser.
ted, and, as is believed, Maintained BY ire
fragab Die facts and arguments.
The civilized world will see in these pro-
ceedings spirit OF liberal concession on Tho
gar, of the United States: ADD .tis govern
ur-rTs w'rl be relieved from all responsibility
which may follow the failure TO settle the con.
:roversy.
All attempts at compromise having failed, il
becomes the duty of Congress 20 consider what
ma ha I'D L.