The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-07-05

saw, Wnile surrounded by Starving tnouSanus. IL
is PRIDE and OSTENTATION; there is no re-
ligion in it.
RUsH's MEMORANDA OF A RESIDENCE
AT THE COURT OF LONDON.
We recur with much pleasure to this able and n-
teresting book. II sheds flood Of light on the
early negotiations upon the Oregon question, and
shows the position which was assumed by Mr..
Monroe, when the negotiation was first opened, as
well as the views of the government Of the United
States from that day to this.
In 1918, the question was first approached, but
was not then prosecuted by either party with en-
ergy and earnestness. In December, 1923, when
the questions to be discussed in the general negota-
ton between Messrs. Stratford Canning and Illus
kisson on the part of England, and Mr.. Rush on
the part Of the United States, being determined
on, this subject first assumed its legitimate import
ance. On the 18th of that month, Mr.. R. had an
interview with the British Minister Of Foreign Az
fairs, (Mr. G. Canning )--who was then confined to
his bed with the govt, and had to be propped up
with pillows while giving the audience, after the
manner Of the Emperor Vespasian and Pitt;-and
in this interview he concisely stated the claims of
our government. The British minister declined
making reply at the moment, but, in few hours
after, despatched to Mr.. Rush note, which forms
the subject-matter of his journal of the 18th, which
we extract, as follows:
December Is-Yesterday before night came on Mr. Can.
nngs servant brought me private note twas familiarity
but that when had let him, he naturally looked at my
memorandum and, when he did look at It how could he
help enchanting. what is herer +"Do read Mr. Rush
'rhe United States will agree to make no settlement
north q 81 deg on Great Britain agreeing to make none
80 far all is clear" continues Mr. Canning in his note
point & possible dispute between the United staes and
Great Brain but the memorandum goes onor north Of
what this intend', continues his note "our north.
question with Russia our southern with the United
gs 5epee us and Russa7 and do thew mean 10 SIMULATE
against Great Britain in favor Of Russia to them
selves whatever Russia may not wanti"
The ends with saying that he had given only his
first thoughts and hoped would help to clear the
aimed at this by answering his note ns,antt, said that
even proposal was that Great Britain should
r s s S Of a and nS o. :.
above 80 deg and we 5 deg to be also the south
ern limit Of Russia being the boundary within which the
Emperor Paul granted certain commercial privileges to his
RussianAmericsn Company in l799 Fiy-one was taken,
my answer went on to say as the northern limit Of the Uni
ted States because NECESSARY to give all the waters o.
the Columbia; and added that had design
cede to Russia system of colonial exclusion above 55
degrees deprive ourselves of the right Of traffic with the
natives above that parallel This was the general expana
ton lgave of the little memorandum in writing had LEFT
with Mr.. Canning, which brief was had been
FUZZY formed from my Instructions My note concluded
with saying tina; was charged by ny goyern%ent with
ation came on had the hope would be satisfactorily dem
onstrated
note from Mr. Canning written from his bed in which he
says that he would take my explanation ke the wise and
wary Dutchman Of old timesad referendum and nd
siderandum."
We here discover that the positions assumed by
our minister, in the interview above alluded to,
gave the British government its first intimation that
the statesmen of America were aware of the future
commercial importance Of the Oregon territory, and
that the discovery was as unpalatabe as unexpect-
ed. The alarm and excitement evinced in Mr.. Can
nnUfs cOmplnfev contradict the n If
the worthessness of the territory for useful pur.
poses put forth by the English and portion Of the
press Of the United States, in order to create the
impression that our rights in that quarter not
worth contention, on the part of a nation whose
policy is 30 exclusively domestic. We again thank
Mr. Rush for bringing this occurrence to the notice
of the American public at this time; for it is most
conclusive offset to the arguments, or rather nsinu-
atoms, OF the opposition press to which we allude.
In the report detailing the proceedings of the
commissioners engaged in the general negotiation,
sent home by Mr.. Rush to the government of the
United States, we find full account of the positions
assumed, and the arguments used to enforce those
positions, on either side. We lay before our read
ers his summary of the proceedings at the eleventh
conference, which presents the whole subiect-matter
in dispute in nutshell, as it were, and covers the
claim of either government.
opened this subject to the British at
the eleventh conference remarked that although II had
been understood in preparatory with the
OF that the respect
I've territorial other claims Of the United States and
sa well OF Great Britain and Russia regarding
ter separate discussion at ST. Petersburg vet that those
Of the United States and Great Britain according
ken up for formal discussion In London My government
that the convention of October 1878. between
the uned States and Great britain Gns article Of .S Thih
four to rum but the President nevertheless OF
opinion that the no; an "a mo for
i've claims Of the two to the country IN question IL
was country daily assuming an aspect political CONNER
cal and territorial of more and interest to the United
States bore upon their relations with other statesupon
their fisheries, well as their commerce in the Pacific; up
their fuade and the whole s their intercourse
with vast tribes OF the Indians reminded the British plen
potenaries that by the Sd article of the treaty Of Wash
ngon of February 49, lsp between the United Ststes and
SPAIN the boundary line between the two countries
fixed in part along the southern bank OF the Arkansas
lis in latitude ~ degrees NORTH and thence by that
parallel latitude the South and that Spain also
renowned to the United States BY the article oil her
rights north Of that parallel then made known at this and
other conferences or from the extent Of the subject
unable to open it all at conerence) what
understood to be the nature fthe title OF the United States
to the whole OF the country north of the parallel stated
said that apart from all the right thus acquired from
surprising the right Of all other European powers on
that coastthe United States claimed in their right
and their absolute and exclusive sovereignty domn.
on the whole Of the country west OF the Rocky Mountains
from the 42d to at least far the degree Of north
OF the river Columbia followed up by an effective settle.
ment at its mouth-a settlement which reduced by the
Of Britain during war formally
ed up the United States the return Of peace Their
right by first discovery they deemed peculiarly strong hav
ing been made not only from the BY Capt Gray but also
from the interior by Lewis and Clarke who first discovered
its sources and explored its whole inland 10 the Pa
cifc II had been ascertaned that the Columbia
tended, by the silver Munomah to low ~ degrees
north and by Carkes river to point as high as 81 de-
not beyond that point and TO this entire range
country contiguous to the original dominion Of the United
States, and made part Of by the almost ntsmingnng
waters Of each the United States said considered Their
title established by all the principles which hao ever
been applied this subject by the powers OF
settlements in the American hemisphere la,ered tnst
nation, discovering country by entering the NOUN o.
its principal river at the seacoast must necessarily De
allowed to claim and hold, great an extent Of the
interior country described by the course OF such
nrncnai yer and It's tributary and that the claim
TO this extent became douhy strong where, az In the
instance river had also been discovered
and explored from It's very mountain springs TO the
such union Of titles mpartng validity to each other did
not often remarked. that was scarcely 10 be pre-
umed that European nation would henceorth project