Wisconsin herald, and Grant County advertiser. [volume] (Lancaster, Wis.) 1844-1845, 1845-06-07
THE OREGON QUESTION.
Mr.. BIppLE:
NO. Ill.

In your last paper the claims of the
United States to the sovereignty of Ore
gon, as the assignee Of Spain, under the
cesson in the treaty of Florida was
considered. Its believed that the da.
Ia therein given, prove that as between
England and Spain, the clairl of the
former is without any foundation, and
that Great Britain herself, so late as
1890, by her official acts in Parliament
so regarded it.
Ii is now proposed 10 cxaminc the IL
tie Of the United States, accruing since
the States threw off their colonial vas
salage and sprang into being;a nation
foremost in the march Of time.
1t is an admitted principle Of the
laws of nations, that the nation who
discovers the mouth of river is enti-
tied TO the sovereignty Of the land wa
tered by said river, its tributaries and
head waters On this sovereignty Of
her American possession called Louis
lana. In 1868, La Sale, French
man, navigated the Mississippi from
Canada TO its mouth. BY reason of
this discovery France claimed both
sides Of the Mississippi, from the Cult
Of Mexico TO a degree Of north lati-
tude not now recollccted. Great Bri-
tain acknowledged this title in France,
as well by the treaty Of Utretcht, 1893,
as by the treaty Of Versailles in 1863.
In the month of May, 1871, Capt,
Gray, of tho American ship &c olum-
bia," Of Boston discovered an opening
which he pronounced the mouth OF q
river, on the Oregon coast, in latitude
40 deg. l6 minutes. On the goth
day of April, 1893, Capt Gray fell in
with the English ship discovery"
Capt. Vancouver. Gray informed
Vancouver of his having been off the
mouth Of a river. Vancouver in his
journal or log book mentions these
facts, and afterwards says that he made
search for this river and could not find
il. lie did not believe that the mouth
of river was there. On the ! It'll OF
May, 1892, Capt. Gray was again of
the opening where he first told Van
couver was the river. He determin-
ed TO satisfy himself, and directed his
course 10 the opening. This was no
easy or safe matter-the breakers and
surf were furious. He sailed on and
found himself Oh the bosom OF mag
niiicent river, which he named after
his ship, "Coiumbia." He assembled
the river 25 miles from its mouth, an-
chored, landed and traded with the ma
tiyes. lie descended the river nam
cd The Capes at its Northern an South.
ern sides, adams" and "liancok"
sand again found himself on the Pacific
ocean. This was the first vessel that
ever crossed the bar at the mouth Of
the Columbia, or ever floated on the
waters Of that noble river. No sophls-
try or misrepresentation can ever take
from Capt. Gray the honor OF The dis
covery or from his country the value
Of the acquisition. This river has lis
sources on the western slopes OF the
Rocky Mountains, and forms stream
where Il enters the Pacific seven miles
in width. Ii runs a long distance
through a country much Of which is
well adapted TO tie wants OF man.
From the mouth Of the Columbia a
few days sail takes you TO the Sand
witch Islands and thirty days TO China,
If the Americans are the first discoV-
ercrs Of the mouth Of the Columbia.
they are also the first discoveries OF It's