Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-08-02

MING, which began the second instant were resumed and
concluded only yesterday, that might allow myself full time
for delibsntion.rPp- 467-474.
We have thought il necessary thus to give Mr..
RusH's explanation of the reasons which led to our
abandoning the original purpose OF the Government
to discuss our rights with both the adverse claim
ants at once, Britain and Russia, in triple confer
ence. The declaration of President MONROE came
in the way of it, with very serious embarrassment;
the declaration, we mean, that we would allow no
further European colonization upon the unoccupied
parts of this continent: claim to exclusive occu-
patton which we have since waived, by conceding
to both Russia and England territorial rights which
are entirely inconsistent with it, 1t was, however
part of the policy of Mr.. MoNRoE's great move
ment of that day-the broad and bold declaration 10
the Holy Alliance then designing to assist Spain in
reconquerng her American colonies that the United
States would not suffer the interference, on this
continent, of European Powers having no American
interests of their own. This was declaration as
just it polite: it would have constituted us
the protectors of those younger States. The main
policy, then, we say, noble, because friendly to
freedom and disnterested but this other part (of
nterdctng settements was stretching il to extraya-
gance. 1t is remarkable how both have since been
given up; the one as beyond our po,Der, the other
as beyond our morality: for we have wrested. and
avowedly intend to wrest from weaker States what
ever suits US we have held out direct invitation
to France to aid us in the scheme of annexation
and we have conceded by treaty the Russian terri
tories down to latitude "a degrees 40 minutes, and
offered to abandon to Great Britain the region we
are now disputing, beyond 40 degrees
We proceed to Mr.. RUsH's Report, from the text of
which (atp 593 we shall extract all that is Of mpor
lance to put the public in possession of complete
view OF the general title setup on that occasion, by
either nation. We will give, at present, the formal
statement first preferred both parts but must
postpone until another day the subsequent attack and
defence OF the adverse plenipotentiaries. Mr. RUSH
says, in his general report to the Secretary Of State
opened this subject the British Penpoentiaes at
he eleventh conference remarked that although it had
understood in my preparatory conversations with the pro-
organ OF his Maess Government that the respective
territorial other claims Of the United States and Russia as
veil as Of Great Britain and Russia regarding the country
westward Of the Rocky Mountains DO matter Of sepa
ate discussion at ST. Petersburg yet those of the United
States and Great Britain were now according to the under
Standing in subsequent to be taken up for
discussion in London My Government was aware that the
convention of October lsls between the United States and
treat Britain, article of which contained temporary re-
,uaon Of this interest," had still four years to run but the
President nevertheless Of opinion that the present
lot an unsuitable moment for attempting and more de-
mite adjustment of the respective claims Of the Powers
the country in question II country daily assuming
aspect POLITICAL commercial and territorial Of more and
ions with other Staes upon their fisheries well their
commerce in the Pacific upon their fur trade and the whole
ystem Of their intercourse with tribes Of the Indians
eminded the British penpotsntiares that by the third ar
icle Of the treaty of Washington Of February 3D. 1872
etween the United States and SPAIN the boundary line b.
ween the two countries fixed, part along ths souts
ank Of the Arkansas TO its source latitude
md thence, by that parallel Of latitude, The South - and
hat Spain had also renowned to the Unit1 Skss y ~
anne article, all her rights north of that parallel tsn ms
nown at this and other conferences o from the extent of
he subject unable open all conference
THAT understood to be the Of the 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
panwhich, however, regarded by my Government
upassing the right of all other European Powers that
oastthe United States claimed, in their right and
heir absolute and exclusive sovereignty and dominion the
fnole country west OF ROCKY
econd to at least far up the fifty first degree of north
altitude. This claim they rested upon their first discovery of
he river Columbia, followed up by effective settlement
Is moutha settlement which reduced by the of
Britain during the late war, but formally surrendered up
he United States at the return Of peace Their right by first
iscove they deemed peculiarly strong, having been made
ot only from the by Captain Gray but also from the
eror by Lewis and Clarke who first discovered its sources
nd explored its whole inland to the Pacific
ad been ascertained that the Columbia extended by the
liver Multnomah, to low forty two north and, by
;arkes river, to point high up if not beyond
hat point and to this entire range of country contiguous to
he original dominion Of the United States, and made part
by the almost ntermngling waters Of each, the United
States sad considered their title established by all the
principles which had been applied this subject BY the
of Europe settlements in the American hemisphere
asserted that nation, discovering country by entering the
mouth of its principal river the seacoast must necessarily
allowed to claim and hold great extent Of the interior
country as described by the of such principal
and It's tributary streams and that the claim, this extent
douby strong where in the present instance the
ue ver had also been discovered and explored from its very
mountain springs to the Such union of titles impart
ing validity to each other did often exist. remarked
was scarcely to be presumed that any European nation
ou henceiorih project any colonial establishment any
p 'ne northwest coast Of America, which, as vet had
never ocen used to any other useful purpose than that of trad
ing win the aboriginal inhabitants or fishing in the neigh
po'g seas but that the United States should couempate
anu AT one day fon permanent establishments there was
uray 70 be expected, proxmate their own possessions