Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-05-31
THE OREGON QUESTION.
NO. l..
Tnx CLAIMS OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF OREGON.

TnE CLAIMS OF THE UNITED STATES TO THE
SOVEREIGNTY OF OREeoN.
BY the laws of nations there are
three methods in which nation may
acquire the sovereignty Of a country
Isl, by discovery; I'd, by treaty or ces
sion Of the rightlul owner; Sd, by con-
quest BY the first of these methods.
The sovereignty of the whole Of North
and South America, as well as the
West India islands, were acquired by
the governments of England, France,
Spain, Portugal, Holland, Sweden
and Denmark. Vattcl in his work on
the laws Of nations doubts the Justice
and legality of civilized nations, acqnir.
ing territory by merely invading The
territories Of barbarous nations, but it
is not for England TO object TO title BY
discovery, because she has no better or
Other title TO most of Ler colonial pos,
sessions. The claim of the United
States TO Oregon by discovery is two
fold. First, as the assignee Of Spain,
whose subjects, il is believed, first saw
the coasts of Oregon: BY tie treaty
with Spain, 1919, called the treaty for
the ccssion Of Florida, we acquired all
the rights of Spain TO the territory in
question. What were those rights Of
Spain? 1t is of historical record that
Spain always asserted her right. and adj
hcred oft in 1890, even at the haz-
ard Of a war with England. Spain
then exhibited the following title by
discovery. She said and proved that
Juan dc Fuca, one of her subjects, in
1892, discovered strait in latitude 40
deg. to 81. De Fuca staid there TWEEN
ty days, and Vancouver, a commander
in the British navy in 1892 called
tn m in honor Of the first discovercr
'ihc straits Of Fuca." In 1903 Agu-
licr spanish captain discovered the
mouth Of the river Umpqua in latitude
Al deg. min. In TIA Perez and
Martinez. under the Spanish flag, dis
covered sound, since called "Nootka
Sound" by them called "Port San I.o-
rcnzo." In i775 the promontory of
g San Rogue" now known as Cape
Disappointment was discovered by the
Spaniards. All these discoveries
were on the coast bounding on the ter
rtory of Oregon. Until recently Eng
land did not controvcrt the title of
Spain, but in her present anxiety TO es-
tablsh foreign markets. and TO claim
as her Inheritance The uttcrmost parts
of the earth, she now attempts to com
bat the Spanish right, and claims for
one of her own officers, Sir Francis
Drake, the honor Of the discovery
They say in 1877 Sir Francis Drake
made tho discovery OF tie coast OF Ore
gon, and called it New Albion. y
There are in our country now, maps
published in London, Gom which il
appears that Sir Francis, ne, er reach
cd latitude 40 deg. north. lie saw the
Gulf Of California and Cape Blanco,
but all north Of latitude ~ was called
"7erra BoreaHS Mcognito." Sir
Francis Drake was O commissioned pi-
rate, and was more intent in robbing
vessels on the high seas than troubling
himself about discoveries for his sover-
cign. England also has tortured the
voyages of Captain Cook into nimsey
prctcxt Of proof Cook sailed TO dis
cover a north west passage from the
Atlantic TO the Pacific IN l77G, and the
English historian, B;ssctt. admits that
Nootka Sound had been discovered
and occupied by the Spanards two
years before. About this time Spain
and England got into trouble about
wrongs alledgcd to have been commit
ted at Nootka Sound, by the Spaniards
on English subj cts. Neither tie
King, George lII) nor Parliament
spoke on the occasion Of tile. They
claimed satisfaction for the insult Of
fercd to Great Britain through ono Of
her subjects, and only asserted a righi
10 frGde at Nootka. Parliament vot-
ed one million pounds sterling TO carry
on the war against Spain. but neither
George III, Mr.. Pitt, Mr.. Fox, nor
any ono else in Parliament claimed IT,
tie to the soUereignfy Of Oregon. This
was in 1890, and the records Of Parlia-
ment will not show any claim TO this
sovereignty. The English claim then
was only "a right to trade mot to The
soiI) in place to which no country
claim az exclusive right Of commerce
and navigation,'' not Of sovereignty.