Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1845-06-19
From the Democratic Repis0 for June.
The Oregon Question.

lie oregon 4Hcsttons
The Oregon is a tract of country on the western
side of the new world; principally watered by the RI
ycr Oregon, or Columbia, and its tributaries. 1t ex-
tends from AZ degrees of north latitude, to 81 degrees
and 40 minutes, and from the Pacific eastward, five or
six hundred miles, to the ridges of the Rocky OF Ore
gon mountains. The name is taken from the river
which, long before its actual discovery, had been sup
posed TO exist beyond the mountains, and which was
first called the Oregon, by Jonathan Carver, of Con-
necticut, who travelled in the interior of the continent
in l776. How he got the name, or whether he in
vented it himself, it is impossible, at the present day,
TO determine. The stream was not actually seen till
1892, many persons until then believing it TO be fabu-
lous. The name, however, remained, and is now not
only applied to the country from which its waters are
gathered, but, as the name of the river itself, Is
married to immortal verse"
"The continuous woods
Where roll. the Oregon, and hears no sound,
This country is trayersed by ridges Of lofty noun
tains. The shores are bold and high in many parts
mountains rising Immediately from the sea. Up to
the 4Sth parallel there are few inlets, or islands, but
further north there are thousands of islands, and net
work of bays and peninsulas. The valleys of the in
terror are generally narrow. The climate is milder
and drier by many degrees than on the Atlantic side
In the same ATTITUDES OF the soil, different accounts
have been given, some representing it as fertile, and
others of as little value. The most valuable portion
of 1t undoubtedly lies south of the river, though by
far the best part Of the territory, for Its harbOrs and
maritime advantages lies around the strait of Fuca.
To US, as a trading power on the Pacific, these are
invaluable.
Until within a few years, there have been but scan
ty settlements few trading posts and missionary
stations. But the tide of American emigration has
lately set in that direction, and nothing but some IA
tai misstep, on our part, can prevent Its habitable
portions being occupied in a few years by our. coun-
trymen, and a vast trade thence carried on over all
the Pacific
This country is claimed by America as belonging
exclusively to her while England claims, not an ex-
elusive right in any part of it, but a right to occupy
and settle it, in common with America and other ma
tons.
The discussion between the two governments has
grown into an angry one and if we were to Judge
by the late declarations of the English ministry, there
remains no arbitrament but the sword. IT is difficult
however, to believe that the government of Great
Britain can seriously think of pushing their preten-
sions to the extent of a war, while we are confident
that our g~oSernment, in maintaining the rights of ON
government, in maintaining the rights OF. America,
will see the ~propriety of discussing them with moder-
alton as well as frmness,. doing no act to provoke,
and sedulously abstaining from even the appearance
of disregarding the obligation of treaties. But while
it does this, it has also a duty TO perform to Ameri.
cans. 1t is time that the ~insolence of Englishmen,
now become almost habitual, were rebuked. Let us
AluCC NC Vi > ACt ~ oPPSoA "A . anu ~ ~ LIN
and consequences take care of themselves.
That we may present a concise as well as a JUS
view of the real merits of this question of the Oregon.
we shall endeavor to condense into as small a space
as possible the grounds, both of fact, and OF public
lay, on which our rights are founded. In doing this
we shall strive to omit nothing material to the inqui
ry. -
What are the rules of public law, by which The
question of right, in this case, is to be judged! Thej
are these:
1. That in respect to newly discovered countries
the first discoverer has the prior right to. occupy, pro-
vided be does so within a reasonable time. What il
a reasonable time depends upon the nature of the
country, the uses to which 1t may be applied, and the
wants of mankind in respect to it; If, for example
it were a rich west India Island, the first discoverei
could not ~rightfully prevent other nations from occu.
pying and cultivating il If he did not see fit soon tC
do so himself. II, ON the other hand. it were a re
mote barren island, there would be no necessity O
immediate occupation.
q That if the first discoverer does not occupy with
in this reasonable time, he is deemed to have aban
doned his right, and the next d~iscoyerer stands as i
he had been the first, and so on through any number
of discoveries.
8. That the discovery of river is deemed the dis
covery of its course and branches, and of the country
drained by it.
A. That all treaties and engagements between gov
ernments, of an executory nature, are annulled by
subsequent war.
With these rules before us, let us examine thu
Questions of fact. The first settlements in the New
World were all made on Its eastern shores. The Pa
cific ocean was discovered by Balboa at Panama, il
1913. No person, however, ventured to the north
west coast as far as Oregon till 1913, when Ferrelo
a pilot In the service of Spain, penetrated to the lati
tude of 43. Thirty-six years afterwards, Drake made
his famous voyage round the world, and 1t is main
tanned by the English government that he sailed as
high on this coast as 46 but while one account O
his voyage has it AZ, the other has it 43 and there il
good reason to think that this latter account is th,
tue one. The discrepancy in the two accounts de
stfoys their value as evidence, and no reasonable per
son would think of resting any title upon them. Drak'
did not land on any part of this coast, and from tina
period for about two hundred years no Englshmal
visited it. The Spaniards, however, visited 1t severa
times, once more at least during the sixteenth centu
ry, twice in the seventeenth, and three times in thu
eighteenth, before the time of Cooks voyage. In
IT'S, that great navigator sailed along the coast, par
ticularly examining the upper parts of the 47th ant
18th parallels, and stopping at Nootka Sound. After
wards the coast was frequently visited by the vessels
of the different maritime nations. The river remain
ed undiscovered. Vancouver passed along the shor,
in 1892, examined it, and concluded that there wa,
no river. Captain Gray, an American, In the Ameri
can ship Columbia, however, discovered it on the It'll
of May, 1872, and sailed into it a considerable dis
lance. Its existence had been previously suspected
as we have already mentioned, and Heceta, a Spanish
navigator; hadI in IT'S, run along the shore, and OF
t the 18th of August, at six in the evening, arrives
t opposite a bay in the latitude of 46 deg. II min.
; "where the currents and eddies were so strong that
Notwithstanding a press of sail, it was difficult to &c
clear out of the northern cape, towards which the cur
g.