Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-12-20

But the British Plenipotentiary argues that the United
States found claim discovery exploration and
tement effected previously to the Florida treaty, without adj
hitting the principles Of the Nootka contention y "nor
they appeal any exclusive night acquired by the Florida
treaty, without upseng all claims adduced in their pro-
per right by Of discovery exploration, and settlement
antecedent to that arrangement.
This a most ingenious method Of making distinct
and independent titles held by the nation than
oneof aayng them against each Other and thus destroying
the validity OF both Does he forget that the United States
own both these titles and WELD them either separately
conformity against the claim Of Great Britain their plea
sure From the Of his remarks might be supposed
that Great Britain and the United States had acquired
the Spanish title under the Florida treaty But Great Br
tain is third paryan entire stranger both these IT,
tesand has right whatever marshal the against
the other.
By what authority Great Britain inerpose in this
Was imagined in any court of justice that the
QUESTION Of title destroyed the old and persa
that the purchase OF the old title destroyed the In
question Of private right il would be considered absurd
if stranger to both titles should say the party who had
made settlement You shall mol avail yourself Of your pos
session. because this taken in violation Of another
standing title and although must admit that you have also
acquired this outstanding te yet this shall avail you
nothing BECAUSE having taken possession previously your
purchase you thereby evnced that you did regard such
title valid And yet such is the mode by which the British
Plenpoenay has attempted destroy both the American
and Spanish titles On the contrary the mentioned
the possession and the outstanding title being united in the
individual these conjoned would be perfect if both
The undersigned whilst strongly asserting both these titles
and believing each Of them separately be good against
Great Britain, has sudousy avoided instutng any compa
son between them But admitting for the sake Of the argu
men merely that the discovery by Captain Gray Of the mouth
Of the Columbia its exploration by and Clarke and the
settlement upon its banks Astoria encroachments
Spain, she, and she alone, had right to complain Great
Britain third party and such had right to inter-
fere in the question between Spain and the United States
But Spain, instead Of complaining of these acts encoach
ments the 22d February, 1919, by the Florida treaty,
transferred the whole title to the United States From that
ment all possible conflict between the two titles ended both
being united in the party Two titles which might have
conhcted therefore, thus blended together The title
vested in the United States is just strong though
every of discovery explorations and settlement the part
Of both Powers had been performed by Spain Alone before she
had transferred all her rights to the United States The
Powers in this respect the two titles and,
the undersigned will show hereafter they confirm and
strengthen each other Great Britain instead Of the United
States had acquired the title of Spain she might have
tended that those of the United States encroach
ments but standing in the attitude Of stranger both
titles, she has no right to interfere in the matter
The undersigned deems pursue this branch
Of the subject further than state that the United States be-
fore they had acquired the titled Of Span always treated that
title with respect In the negotiation of 1918, the American
Penpotentaes did not assert that the United States had
perfect right to that country but insisted that their claim
least good against Great Britain y and the convention Of
October co. 1Ss unlike that of Nooka Sound reserved the
claims Of any other Power State any part of the said
country This reservation could have been intended Spain
sh t they have always asserted and maintained their right
in the strongest terms to the Russian line whilst Of
eng for the sake of harmony and peace to divide the terri
tory in dispute by the 49th parallel Of latitude
The British Penpotentay, then, has entirely failed to
tain his position that the United States found claim
discovery, exploration, and settlement without admitting the
principles of the Nootka convention That convention died
the of the between Spain and England
in 1896, and has since been revived.
The British Penpotentay next sendeavors to prove that
il the Nooka Sound convention had existed the
position of Great Britain in regard her claim, whether to
the whole or to any particular portion Of the Oregon territory
at least good that of the United States In order
establish this position he show that British claim is
equal in validity the titles both of Spain and the United
States These be separated They
and the Different and dvcgng they may have been
before the Florida treaty. they blended together and
identified The separate discoveries explorations and settle
mens of the two Powers previous that date now be
considered If they had all been made byse United ates
aUn- Under This papable view OF the subject the hn6e
signed surprised to find that in the comparison and con-
as instituted by the British Penpotentary between the chin
Of Great Britain and that Of the United States he had entirely
omitted to refer to the discoveries explorations and settlements
made by SPAIN The undersigned will endeavor supply
the omission.
But before he proceeds the main argument on this point
ne feels himself constrained to express his surprise that the
British Plempotenary should again have invoked support
the British title the inconsistency between the Spanish and
American branches of the title Of the United States The
undersigned cannot obear congratulate himself upon the
TACT that gentleman Of Mr. Pakenhams acknowledged ability
has been reduced TO the necessity Of relying chiefly upon such
support for sustaining the British preensons Stated in
Brief the argument is this the American title is good
against Great Britain because with that Of Spain
and the Spanish title is not good against Great Britain because
inconsistent with that Of the United States. The undersigned
bad expected something far different from such argument
circle He had anticipated that the British Pleppoten-
hary would have attempted to prove that Spain had right
the Northwestern of America that vacant and
unapproprated and hence under the law Of nations
open discovery exploration and settlement by all nations
But such thing On this vital point Of his he
bis argument solely the declaration made by the under
signed that the title Of the United States the valley Of the
Columbia perfect and complete before the treaties Of joint
occupation Of October 1878, and August 1927 and before
the date Of the Florida treaty in 1919 Bot the British Pen
poenary ought recolect that this title asserted be
complete against Spain but against Great Britain that the
argument conducted against Spanish but British
Penpotentary and that the United States and Great
Britain represent the Spanish tide And further that the
statement from which he these declarations almost
exclusively devoted prove in the language quoted by the
British Plenipotentary himself that Spain had good title,
against Great Britain the whole Of the Oregon territory
The undersigned has he before observed instituted
any comparison between the American and Spanish titles
Holding bohhavng perfect right TO rely upon both, whe
Their jointly separateyhe has strongly asserted each of
them their turn, fully persuaded that either the the
other sgood against Great Britain and that human inge
nuy make the Spanish title, vested in the United
States, than would have been had il remained the
hands Of Spain.
Briefly illustrate and enforce this title shall be the
naming task Of the undersigned
And, in the first place. he cannot but commend the frank
and canior Of the British Peapoteniiary IN epyng
from the Of his predecessors and rejecting all dove
RES previous TO those Of Captain Cook the year 77s
foundations of British title Commencing with discovery
period late the Spanish title the Of antiquity,
strong contrast to that Great Britain The up-