The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-17
THE DAILY UNION.

and will give IL! his u now the IAN
guagc of British minister's and this Is what we have
got for forty years. forbcarance to assert our title
The nest-egg laid by British diplomacy has under.
gone incubation, and has Matched, and hos produced
a full-grown bird--a game cock--which has clapped
his wings and crowed defiance in the face OF the
American eagle and this poor eagle, II view could
be got of him as he stood during the infornai
fsrences" between Mr.. Webster and Lord Ashburton,
would be found (no doubD to have stuck his head
under his wing, and hung out the white and craven
feather.
British interests have grown up on both sides Of
the Coumbia--to the south as well as 10 the north
of the river--and it is the intention Of the British
government to protect the whole So say Mr.. Hus-
kisson and MIR. Abingdon. But this is diplomacy
modern dipomacy---e TO fnesse. The
south of the Columbia has not been seized to be re-
tanned, but to be given up The north 10 TO be re-
tanned, for that is the commanding bank. The south
is only seized to be given up as an equivalent ac-
cording to the modern system OF compromising, so
successfully introduced in the case of Maine Seize
all then give back half! call this compromise
and there will be people (for the minds Of men are
various -there will be people to applaud the fine
arrangement, and to thank God for such happy
deliyerance from war. No, sir no. This ia Joke
about holding on to the south bank. The settle
ments made there are for surrender, not for reten.
ton They are made there 10 be given up as equiv
alents for what is taken from is on the north and
precedent of Maine
But the settlements on the north bank their pro-
lection is no Joke The Britis mean to hold on
to them, for they command tie remainder. The
Nootka Sound controversy is to have the effect
upon us which il could not haw upon the Spnniards
forty years ago. In vain tho lighted match was
brandished over the British canon in the affair of
Nootka in 1870; in vain immediate and bloody
war was threatened. The S,anish government,
though old, decrepd, and totteing under the feeble
swny of Charles Nv and the avorite Godoy, had
yet too much of the Castilian blood in it to prefer
dshonor TO war. They prepaid for war and the
British, seeing that the Don codd not be bued, re-
nquished their high pretensDns of colonization
and settlement, and accepted Tie humble privilege
of fishing, and hunting, and sailing the high seas
This is the way the old Nootla controversy between
Spain and England ended ifty years ago. After
the experiment which the British have just made
of our peace-loving temper, it is not to be sup
posed that we shall get out Of the new Nootka
scrape without seeing the match applied to the
printing, or having the cup Of dDhonor held to our
lips until we drink it to the dregs
The origin and the character ef these establish
ments on the Columbia, which he British govern
ment avows its determination TO protect, now pro-
cced to show; and for that purpose will have recourse
to the letters Of Mr. John Jacob Aston addressed to
the Department Of State, and giving account of
his settlement on that river and the attempts of the
British fur company to break it up before The ioar,
and their success in doing SO after the war COM
menced, and by the aid Of their government. II
was in the spring Of 1911 that the ship Tonquin,
despatched from New York by Mr.. Astor, carrying
20 guns and GO men, and an overland party of 100
men, led by Mr.. Wilson p. Hunt, arrived on the
Columbia and built the fort called Astoria near its
mouth, and fading-posts in the interior. There
were British establishments then upon the river!
But the moment the Hudson Bay Company heard
OF Mr. Astor's enterprise, they commenced their
system of encroachment upon it. now read from
his letters
1t is well known that the Northwest Com.
pany hal information OF intentions and plan FOR
Quoting my commercial operations, they despatched
party of men from tho interior with view 10 arrive
before my people at Columbia. These men were Obliged
to return without enecting their object In the mean
time, representations made to their government
the probable effect of my operations on their inter
ests and requesting interfere In their behalf This
being in time OF peace the government did not deem II adj
yisabe to do So soon however as war was declared
these representations were renewed Aid was asked from
the government and il was granted The Phoebe rgate
and sloops Of Racoon and Porcupine, from
England with orders to proceed to Columbia river and
destroy my property. They sailed from England early in
January. isio Arriving at Rio de Janeiro Admiral Dick
Captain Porter in the gate Essex and the sloop
war Racoon, to the Columbia riter She arrived there
Of ne naee Fort @ ana me
The plan by me adopted was such must
have materially affected the interest of the Northwest and
Hudson Bay companies and easy to be foresecn that
they would employ every counteract my opera
tons; and which Impressions stated to the Execu
tive early February 1871 will be by the COPY
oa letter which wrote the Secretary of sate which
reply given. On repeated application. time
country rendered it inconvenient TO give il
: believe, at present, February, 1879
there is post establishment the Columbia river
the one here spoken Of Astoria though pretty
the Northwest company win endeasoI to fix one have
which says the Northwest company fitting the ship
Isaac Todd OF about 500 TONS to to The northwest coast
liver herr an p
no doubt pray you, sir to have the goodness bring
this subject under the consideration Of c President &c
MIR. b. read other passages from Mr.. Astor's let
tiers, explanatory Of his enlarged and liberal views in
making the establishment at the mouth Of the Co
lumbia river, and said they showed him to be a
statesman as well MS an able merchant He also
passed high encomium on the character of Mr..
Wilson p. Hunt, who led the overland expedition
OF 100 men to the Columbia in 1911, and who, not
withstanding his political opposition, was kept in
the best federal Office in the State Of Missouri thc
ST. Louis post ofcc) eleven and half Years out of
the twelve that Gen, Jackson and Mr.. Van Buren,
were Presidents. Having done this justice to Mr..
Astor, and his agent, Mr.. Hunt, (he first protector
and the first founder of white settlement on the
Columbia river,) Mr. B. returned 70 the immediate
object of his quotations from Mt Astor's letters;
they were to show that he made tie first settlement
on the Columbia--that there wasthen no British
settlement upon h-that the British fur com.
panies went to work Immediately tobrcak him up
that he resisted them during The peace, but sunk
under them during the war, the British govern
mcnt having come to their aid. Tie capture of his
post was an act Of war, done by British sloop-of-
war; and as place so captured, i was bound to
be restored at the peace. The Client treaty
stipulated for the restitution, and was restored
But here fraudulent evasion of thetrcaty was i'm
mediatcly perpetrated. The fort A,toria was given
up; and the clear intention of the Gstitution was,
that the fort represented the countrl; and that, in
its surrender, the country should be vcn up. This
was the clear intent of the treaty; MT the con-
duct of the British. They gave up he little fort it.
self, and Immediately built better ole, in better
position higher up the river; and thol established
chain Of posts from the tde-water to he mountains
and on both sides Of the river Thes, are the es-
adjustments which Mr.. Huskisson md Mr.. Ad-
dngton say have grown up under the Nootka con-
veniion, and To which the British government owes
protection, and intends to give it! These are the
establishments with respect TO which that arrogant
language was used, and which, in fad are not with
in 500 miles Of Nootka Sound, and hive no connex-
ion with il. They are wiIful entertainments upon
our known territory they are fragrant intrusions
upon our settlements!--thcy arc fraudulent eyasons
of the treaty of Client and they are taking the
character OF permanent possession ano national COL
onies, while the Nootka Sound contention under