The North-Carolina standard., 1845-05-14

will have the T5ght OF possession Unit Ithe question
of title shall be decided by arms or negotiation.
II. 0nsthe first point. the Fig6t of possession On
the part of the United States, Mr. B. should not
have thought it peccessaryto say any thing to an.
American Senate, had it nea been for the extraor-
binary position assumed by the Senator from New.
Jersey, hr. Dickersoh.) That gentleman main
tains that the United States have no right to the
possession OF this country, and has qnoLed- the
third article ofthe London convention of 8, to
sustain that idea. On the contrary, i maintain
that we have right to The possession, rst as the
true owners oflhe country; see0ndis as entitled to
restitution under the first article Of the Ghent treaty.
thirdly as having mutual right of entry with
the British for ten years, under the Londop con-
vention above quoted. The third article of this
convention stpnlates that any country clnmed by
either party to the West ofthe Rocky Mountains,
shall be "free and open to he citizens and sab
jectsS' Of the two powers, for the period of ten
years from its signature. Yet, by strange pro-
cess ofreasoaing, the Senator from New Jersey
construes This nsuEuaE right Of entry, expressly
secured to the ''ctizens,' Rand subjects" of the
"two" powers; as an exclusive privilege granted
to one, and that one not his own country but the
" Subjects" Of his Brilannic Majesty. But1 will
confront that gentleman with authority upon this
sabiecl--the authority of British minister, which
will probably have more weight with him than
the argument of an American Senator. Lord
CastleTeagh himself at the time of negotiating
that treaty, admitted our right To the possession
Mr. Rush, in his letter to Mr.. Adams, of Feb
! 1918, SAYS: 1t is proper, at this stage to say,
that Lord Castereagh admitted, in the most ample
| extent our right to be reinstated and be tile
portv IN possession acAiie treating of tie title"
"a That,Great Britain m0ao has the possession,
is fact of historical notoriety. The settlement
of Astoria founded by American citizens, and
named after an American, has been retained ever
since the war, converted into military post, and
its name charged into the royal British appelta-
ton of Fort George. There, British cannon are
mounted, the British flag flies, and the medals of
George the Fourth are distributed to the chiefs
and warriors of the surrounding tribes. Five
other posts are established at proper distances be-
tween the sea and the mountains so as to form
complete chain from to sea, along the course
of the Columbia, to Saskatchiwine and the st.
Lawrence A Gordon Of posts, three thousand
miles in length is stretched along our flank, for
purpose which every citizen, and every Indian
of the West, well understands, and TO counteract
which no effort IS made by the American Govern
ment The Columbia river is suffered TO be &C.
cupied, in lis whole extent, by British arms. The
mock ceremony OF delivering Astoria to Mr.. Pre-,
vost, in 1913, deceives nobody. The facts are,
that British sloop Of war touched at Lima, in
the Fall Of 1918, took up Mr.. Provost carried
him to Astoria, fort George,) on the 1st day OF
October, and brought him away on the 9th.
While there, MIR. Provost, under the authority of
the American Government, signed a receipt for
the delivery of Fort George, and accepted re-
monstrance FROM the British against the delivery,
" until the final decision of tie right of SOrer
eighty bct,ceen the t.co Governments" The pos
session of the fort was not changed, nor intended
to be changed, by any act done by Mr. Provost.
He could not the fort himself and had neither
soldier nor sailor to do it for him. The ceremo.
nv of lowering the British fIg, and of hosling
the American, was piece of form, arranged be-
orehand, for the purpose Of satisfying the words
OF he'fGhent treaty, by nominal restitution,
while the post itself remained with the English,
in the same manner as if Mr. Provost had re-
manned at Lima. Noattempt has since been made
by the American Government to realize the pos.
session, and Fort George, with the whole country
drained by the Columbia, remains to this day in
the hands Of the British The mouth Of that
river has become frequented post in their hands.
All the goods for the region West of the Rocky
Mountains, are>imported there, free of duty and
all the fuTs taken in that extensive country, In
cluding the Rocky Mountains, are thence export
ed to the great fur markets Of China and japan.
3. That Great Britain reststs the possession Of
the United States is a fact Of WHICH our p9blie |
furnish the proof
AS carly as July, 1915, the Government Of the
United States turned its attention to the reoccupa
lion Of the Columbia. Claiming its restitution
under the first article of the Client treaty. the
Secretary of State, Mr. Monroe, conforming to-
he Usages of civilized nations, requested from the
British Charge des Affairs, at Washington, Mr.
Baker, u letter. of Instructions for the delivery.
Mr. Baker declined TO give the letter, upon the
ground that he had no orders from his Govern.
nent to do go. In 1917, the British ambassador,
Mr.. Bagot, made it a subj Of complaint and re-
nonstrances that the Government of the United
States should propose to re-occupY. that country,
and treated the proposition as an invasion of the
rights and interests Of his Britanic Majesty. He
1enied our right to be restored under the terms of
he Ghent treaty, taking distinction, where there
existed no difference, between the case of post
captured by superior force, and of post evacu-
Gted by an inferior force, at the approach of a
superior one. The latter Of these cases he al
eged to be that of Astoria.
In 1921, when the occupation Of the Columbia
was first presented to the consideration OF Con
gress, the British Minister at Washington, Mr..
Canning, toice called upon the Secretary Of State,
Mr.. Adams, with view to arrest the progress Of
hat measure. He went SO far as to say, that such
occupation would conflict with his Maiestys
claims in that quarter. Contemporaneously with
this interference and threat the appea rance Of
numerous essays in the National Intelligencer. {
evidently from the pens of persons in the employ,
ment of Eng land and Russia, attacking and ridi- |
;uling all the claims of the United States to the
Northwest coast of America. The essays of an
'nymous newspaper writers might be deemed un-