Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1845-06-05
From the RereiHe.
Our Title to Orp1On


"Uutil they prove mine own is not mine
own, >an undertaking somewhat perilous.)
mine own shall retain
We do not claim Oregon--IT Is
OURS; absolutely and beyond doubt,
OURS. II is ours by virtue of treaties
with France and Spain-by virtue of
the treaty of Utrecht between France
and England--by virtue of the treaty
between the United States and the Re-
public OF France, (lsO3, and by RIGHT
OF DISCOVERY.
The frs, white explorers Of Oregon,
from the East, were Lewis and Clark,
who acted under the authority Of our
Government The mouth of the Col.
umbla was discovered by Captain
Robert Gray, of Boston, and entered
by the ship whose name the river
bears. on the 10Th Of May, 1902
The first white settlement on the Co.
lumbia was made under the auspices Of
John Jacob Astor. an American natu-
ralized citizen. By virtue of these
discoveries and these settlements, all
the lands drained by. the Columbia river
are ours.
But setting aside our rights to Ore
gon, as derived from treaties, and by
virtue of being the first discoveries and
occupants of the soil. we have direct
acknowledgement Of our tile by the
British GoUernment--a QUIT CLAIM
deed from the Prince Regen. latter
wards George the Fourth) accompani-
ed by deliUsry of the Fort near the
mouth of the Columbia, which carried
with it the virtual delivery Of the
whole territory. This seems to have
been forgotten or overlooked by most
of the writers on the subject OF our ii.
tie to Oregon. Let us examine into the
matter.
During the last war, the naval forces
of Great Britain succeeded in breaking
up our settlement of Astoria. The
post was taken possession of, and its
name changed to Fort George. Previ.
Gus to this event we were in peaceable
and undisputed possession Of the Oregon
country, and if there ever had been
claim Sc. up by the British Government
to any portion of it. we have not been
able to find that it was asserted. By
right of conquest, Great Britain had
possession of the territory until the
close OF the war, and afterwards, until
it was claimed by our Government,
when it was DELIVERED UP BY THE BRIT
lsH AUTHORITIES, under the first article
of the treaty of Client, which stipulated
that the territories captured by each
nation, during the war, should be re-
stored. This delivery took place on
the 7.h of October. 1918, AS appears
by the following act of surrender and
acknowledgements:
'In obedience to the command Of
his Royal Highness, the Prince Re
gent, signified by despatch from the
RICH. Honorable Earl Bathurst, adj
dressed to the partners or agent of the
Northwes. Company. bearing date 9Th
of January, 1918, and in obedience to
subsequent orders, dated on the 9th
Of July last, from William H. Sheriff,
Esq. captain Of his Majesty's ship
Andromache, we the undersigned, do,
in conformity with the first article of
the treaty of Client, restore to the
Government of the United States,
through its agent. ]. B Provost, ESQ,
the settlement Of For. George, on
the river Columbia.
"Given under our hands. in triplica,e
a, Fort George, on the Columbia river,
this 9th Of October, 1918.
F. Hickey,
Capt. OF his Majesty's ship Blossom
JAMES KEITH,
Of the Northwes. Company.
81 do hereby acknowledge to have
this day received. on behalf of the
Government of the limited States III.