The New York herald., 1845-12-10

the novel and wholly untenabe ground that his discove
ry was made not in national but private vessel Such
and SO ncontestlble is the evidence Of our claim,
against Great Brtainfrom priority Of discovery to
the mouth Of the river crossing its bar entering it, and
sailing up its stream, on the voyage Of Captain Gray
alone; without taking into consideration the prior dis
covery OF the Spanish navigator, Hecca-which will
be more particularly referred to hereafter.
Nor is the evidence of the priority of discovery Of
the head branches Of the river and its exploration less
conclusive Before the treaty ratified by which
acquired Louisiana, in 1903, an expedition was planned
at the head of which were placed Meriwether Lewis
and William Clarke-to explore the river Missouri and
its principal branches to their and then to seek
and trace to its termination in the Pacific some stream,
whether the Columbia the Oregon, the Colorado, or
any other which might offer the most direct practical
BILE water communication the continent Tor the
purpose OF commerce" The party began ascend the
Missouri in May 1904 and in the of lS05 REACH
ed the head waters of the Columbia river After
ing MANY of the falling it, they reached the
Kooskooskee in latitude AZ degrees 81 minutcs-de-
scended that to the principal southern branch which
they called Lewiss followed that to ~ junction with
the great northern branch, which they called Clarke
and thence descended to the mouth OF the river where
they landed, and encamped on the north side, Cape
Disappointment, and wintered. The next spring they
commenced their return, and continued their cxplora
ton the river noting its various branches, and
ing some Of the principals and finally arrived at ST.
Louis in September 1906 after absence Of two years
and four months.
1t this important expedition which brought the
knowledge OF the world this great riverthe greatest
by.far the western side of this continentwh its
numerous branches and the vast regions through which
il flows above the points to which Gray and Vancouver
had ascended II took place many years before it
visited and explored by any subject Of Great Britain,
OF any other civilized nation far informed
II as clearly entities to the claim of priority Of dis
covery as to its head branches and the exploration OF
the river and region through which passes the voy
ages OF Captain Gray and the Spanish navigator Heceta
entitled US to priority in reference to its mouth and the
entrance into its channel.
Nor is our priority Of settlement less certain. Estab
lshmens were formed by American citizens on the Co.
umbia as early 1909 and 1910. In the latter year.
company Mas formed in New York. at the head of which
John Jacob Astor wealthy merchant of that city,
u
lishmens on the Columbia river and the contiguous
coasts Of the Pacific for commercial purposes. Early in
the spring OF 1911 they made their first establishment
the south side of the river, few miles above Point
George; where they were visited in July following by
west Company, and his party They had been sent out
by that company to foresta the American company in
occupying the mouth Of the river but found themselves
defeated IN their object The American compary form
ed two other connected establishments hgher up the
river one at the confluence of the Okanegan I'll the
north branch of the Columbia about six hundred miles
above its mouth; and the other the Spokan stream
falling into the north branch fifty miles above.
These posts passed into the of Great Brair
during the which declared the year; but
was provided by the first article Of the treaty OF Ghent
which terminated it, that all territories, places ant
possessions whatever taken by either party from the
other during the war; or which may be taken after the
signing Of the treaty, excepting the islands hereafter
mentioned Tin the Bay of Fundy) shall be restored with
out delay" Under this provision, which embraces al
the establishments of the American company the Co
ber 1918, by agents duly authorized the part OF the
British government to restore the possession and to
agent duly authorized on the part Of government
session where it was before it passed into the hands
British subjects
Such the facts which we rest our claims to pri
ory of discovery and priority of exploration and settle
men against Great Britain the region drained by
the Columbia river So much for the claims have, ir
our own proper right, to that region
To these we have added the claims OF France and
Spain The former we obtained by the treaty of Loui
siana ratified in 1903 and the latter by the treaty
Florida ratified in 1910. By the former we acquired al
the rights which France had to Louisiana to the ex
tent 1t now has S03) in the hands of Spain, and that
had when France possessed it, and such should be
after the treaties subsequently entered into by Spain
other States" BY the latter, his Catholic Majesty
ceded to the United States all his rights claims ant
pretensions" to the country lying west Of the Rocky
Mountains and north Of line drawn the 42d parable
o. ~ @ from point on the south bank OF the Akan
whoe region claimed by Spain west OF those mountains
and north Of that line.
west OF the Mississippi extending to the summit Of the
Rocky mountains, and stretching south between tha
river and those mountains to the possessions of Spain
the line between which and ours was afterwards deter
mined by the treaty Of Florida II also added much tt
the strength Of our title to the region beyond tho Rocky
mountains, by restoring to us the important link OF con
tinuty westward to the Pacific, which had been sur
rendered by the treaty Of 1763as will be hereafter
shown.
That continuity furnishes just foundation claim
oterrtory in connexion with those of discovery and
cupaiion would seem Ii is admitted
by all that neither of them is limited by the precise spot
discovered occupied 1t is evident that in order to
make either available il must extend at least some dis
ance hey ond that actually discovered occupied but
how far, as an abstract question: is matter Of uncer
ainty i is subject In each case to be influenced by
variety OF considerations In the Of island has
been usually maintained in practice to extend the claim
OF discovery or occupancy to the whole So, kew
to the entire region drained by it-more especially
cases OF discovery and settlement at the mouth and
emphatcally so when accompanied by exploration OF
the river and region through which it flows
SUCH it is believed may be affirmed to be the opinion
and practice in such since the discovery OF this
continent How far the claim OF continuity may extend
be
settled only by reference to the circumstances attending
each When this continent was first discoy Spain
claimed the whole in virtue of the grant of the Pope
but claim so exravagant and unreasonable was not
quiesced in by other countries and could not be long
maintained Other nations especially England and
France at early period contested her claim. They
ted out voyages Of discovery and made settlements on
for tser sot,emans usnoin snscisc limits s,ona ths
coasts or bays which they were formed and, gener-
ally region Of corresponding width extending across
the entire continent to the Pacific Ocean Such the
character Of the limits assigned by England in the char
ers which she granted to her former colonies the
United States, when there was no special reason Tor
var. ing from it,
How strong she regarded her claim to the region
eyed by these charters and extending westward Of her
settlements the between her and France which
terminated by the treaty of Paris 763 furnishes strk
ing illustration. That great contest which ended glo
rously for England and effected great and durable
change on this continent, commenced in conflict be-
tween her claims and those of France resting her side
on this very right Of continuity, extending westward
from her settlements the Pacific Ocean, and tie part
Of France on the same right but extending to the region
drained by the Mississippi and its waters the ground
cfsettlemen and exploration Their respective claims
which led to the war; first clashed the Ohio River the
waters of which the colonial charters in their western
extension covered but which France had been unques
iionab!y the first 10 settle and explore If the relative
strength OF these different claims may be tested by the
result OF that remarkable contest that OF continuity
westward must be to be the stronger OF the
two England has had at least the advantage of the re-
suit and would seem to be forecosed against conesng
the principle particularly against us, who contI
bued so much 10 that result and whom that contest
and her examples and pretenons from the first settle
ment OF our country have contributed to impress it SO
deeply and indelihly.
But tho treaty OF l763 which terminated that
bic and eventfu struggle yededas has been stated the
claims and all the chartered rights of the colonies be-
yon1 the Mississippi The seventh article establishes
that river as the permanent boundary between the pos
sessions o, Great Britain and France this continent
so much as relates to the subject is in tho following
words;-"The confines between the dominions OF his
Britannia Majesty in that part of the world tho CONT
nent oil America) shall be fixed rfevocably by line
drawn along the middle Of the river Mississippi from its