Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-05-03
From the Augusta (Me.) Age.

nations is matter of universal notoriety
time felt eho insldious advances and grasping
nvarice of this nation for acquiring new terrific.
! ry. No sooner has that government fixed its
eyes upon territory or country which it finds
desirable as on acquisition, than it sets up some
vague, indefinite pretence of claim to il, which
it urges with all conceivable solemniiy and
perseverance until it can extort an admission
from its intended victim, that the territory thus
claimed is in dispute. From that moment her
success is certain. The title being once ad-
mted to be in dispute, negotiation follows, in
the progress Of which, by bold assumptions on
her part, and unguardcd admissions on the part
of her adversary. she succeeds in process of
| time in presentnge formidable array of facts
and arguments in support of claims, which, at
the outset, had not the slightest foundation on
which to rest. This was the process by which
Maine was robbed of her territory. and the
process by which she now hopes to plant her
pawer in the Oregon.
Our title TO the Oregon territory is too well
known to our readers to require that we should
now set it forth in detail. Suffice it to say.
that from the year 1911 up to the time that the
! British broke up our settlement on the Colum.
ba, during the last war, we were in open,
peaceable and quiet possession OF the country,
and that up to that time the British had never
intimated to our government that they had the
slightest preence off claim to the country.
! During the war an expedition was sent by the
/ British aganst the American post at the mouth
Of The Columbia, which succeeded in capturing
II and taking possession in the name of the Bri.
! tish king. This possession was held by the
British until after the close of the war On
the lSa Of July. 1915, Mr.. Monroe, then Sec.
retary of State, informed Mr.. Baker, the Bri.
tIsh charge d'aiiaires at Washington, of the in.
! 'ention Of our government to resume possession
ofthis post under tho provisions of,he first art.
Gle of the treaty OF Ghcnt which stipulates for
the mutual restitution of the territories and
| posts which each nation had wrested from the
other during the war, at the same time request
ing letter from Mr. Baker to the commander
Of that post, directing him 10 yield it up to the
jurisdiction of the y. States.
To this note of Mr.. Monroe Mr.. Baker re-.
piled that he had no instructions from his CO.
vernmcnt in relation TO this matter, and refer.
ring him TO Vice Admiral Dixon, in "whose
command the Pacific ocean is inclu ied," and
as being in "posscsson Of every necessary in.
-. 1, T., Il,
respondence, in which the restitution of the
territory in question is claimed as having be.
longed TO us before the war. it is a singular fact
that the British charge made no claim to the
territory on the part of his government, but
simply declined acting on the ground OF want
of authority. This was in July. lSl5.
During the year lSl7, our government sent
the soop of war Ontario, under the command
of. B. Provost to the Columbia, TO take pos
session Of this post according TO the provisions
of the treaty OF Ghcnt.
, On the Goth Of November, 1877, Charles Ba
got, the British Minister, then reside n, at Wash
ineton, in note addressed to Mr. Adams, Sec
retary of State, eyoresses his regret that The
Ontario should have been sent on its expedition
without having fret notified the British govern
men,. la this note is presented, for the frs
time, claim in behalf Of that government t,
the territory now unhappily in dispute. Aat
, we wish our readers To mark the fouIIIaton OF
which that claim was based. He says tha
from reports made by the governor general o
Canada, to Mr.. Baker, ''It appears that the pos
D in question had not been captured during thu
y late war, but that the Americans had retire,
- from it, under an agreement made with ,h
u Northwest company, who had purchased thei
). effects, and who had ever since retained peace
able possession of the coast. AS it thus appear
that no claim for restitution of this post can b
+ grounded upon the first article of the treaty
D Ghent, and az the territory itself was early tak
y en- possession of in his Majesty's name, and ha
9 since been considered as part of his Majesty
Is dominions, have To request that you will ful
u" nsh me with explanations of the object Of tn
voyage of the Ontario" &c.
Here, then, is the first claim Of title whic
the British made upon our government to Orr
gon, and this claim admitted the title of the
W States before the war, and is based by the Br
IS, tsh minister upon the fact tina. the post WI
!. !. net captured during the war, but a6andone
0. by the Americans, whose effects the Northwe
company purchased Thus resting the B'
- tsh claim entirely upon the fact OF the aba
donment of the post by the Americans and u
!. subsequent possession Of the country by Il