The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1845-03-26
From the Philadelphia Ledger.
THE MIRROR AND OREGON.

The New York Mirror, after saying that the
American tile to Oregon is mere shadow says that
the British is still less than ours, being founded upon
the rowing expeditions of the Northwest and Hud-
sons Bay Companies, without the pretence of settle.
ment or civilization. We admit that the English
claim is much less than own, and just much
less nothing is less than something that is not only
substantial, but defnable. But do not admit that
the sole pretence of the English claim is found in the
rowing expeditions of these companies. But we will
| first proceed with the American clam.
The Spaniards ceded to all their territorial
rights between the Northern boundary of New Mex,
leo and the Southern boundary of the Russian pos
sessions SO did the French, in their cession of Lou
isiana Then if either of these nations possessed
territorial rights this region, TO the exclusion of
Britain, possess those rights. Going back to the
first settlement of the English North American col
ones now the United States, we shall find that the
royal patents grants of these colonies extended in
definitely Westward, even to the Pacific Ocean. If,
then the British government ever had any right over
| the regions West Of the Mississippi, it ceded that
right to the United States by the treaty Of 1888, and
therefore is precuded, in legal phrase, estopptd
from making any such claim at this late period. But
that government is precluded by another obstacle
The French government, some years after the peace
o: AK 10 Chapelle, in l74S, extended their settle
ments the Mississippi valley, the East side of
that river, along the Illinois, and along the Ohio up
to Pit,sburg, where they built Fort du Quesne The
British government complained Of these settlements
as encroacmsnts saying that the whole of the French
territory was on the West of the Mssissppi. These
encroaohment and complaints produced the war OF
1856, called in Europe. 'the years war;" and
in the United States, 'tbe old French war - war
sigDazed by Braddocks defeat by the French and
Indians, aud the capture OF Fort du Quesne by the
British, which they afterwards called Fort Pitt, and
also by tho British conquest of Canada BY the treaty
Of Paris Of 1863 the termination of this war; the
French surrendered TO the British the Canadas, and
all the Territory East of the Mississippi and North of
the Ohio and by the same treaty the British relin
pushed to the French all right TO territory West Of
the Mississippi This confirmed the right Of the
French to Louisiana, which extended to lat. So 30
North, and indefinitely West and all this right was
ceded by France TO the United States by the treaty Of
1903. Their f the British patents to the North
American colonies extended to the Pacific Oregon is
ours under the treaty of Paris Of 1888 And whether
these patents extended beyond the Mississippi or not
as the territory West of that river was confirmed by
Britain to France by the treaty OF Paris OF 1863 it
became ours by the Louisiana treaty Of 1903. 4 hus
whether this territory, prior to 1863, was British or
French il must be American now. and not British
Il the British owned II rior to 1863 they have ceded
IT to II they did not it PRIOR to that period
it was French, confirmed as French at that period,
and held as French till 1903, when it was cedsd
TO US.
But even putting out Of ibe questio. the Frerch
tight TO this territory we still fud bar TO apy Eng
lish clpim 10 the right Of The spanisrds They GER
tainly owned it by British admission in I7g0-for by
The convention between Spain and Britain dated on
October % Of thst year. the British ohtsned merely
the right to fish along the coast, and to land trade
with the natives and settle, and thus acknow lodged
the territorial jurisdiction of Spain. And in 1909,
Spain coded TO The United States all its territory on
tue Northwest coast, north Of north latitude ~ deg.