The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-17
SPEECH OF Mr.. BENTON,
OF MISSOURI,
In Senate, 7A1saSy, January -, fS43-on the
Oregon bill.

IL
jectons this bill grew out of the clause granting
land TO the serlsrs, not 30 much account of the
grants themselves, az on account of the exclusive
Jurisdiction over the country, which the grants
would seem TO imply. This was the objection; for
NO one defended the title of the British 10 one inch
square oil The valley Of Oregon. The senator from
Arkansas, MIR. SEWER, who has just spoken, had
well SAID that this was an objection TO the whole
bill; for the rest would be worth nothing without
these grants TO the settlers. Nobody would 60 there,
without the Involvement Of land. The British had
planted power there--the Hudson Bay Fur Com.
pany--in which the old Northwest Company was
merged; and this power was to them in the New
WoRLD what the EAST INDIA COMPANY was TO them
IN the OLD WORLD: it was arm of the govern
ment, and did everything for the government
which policy or treaties prevented it from doing
for itself. This company was settling and colo
MIXING the Columbia for the British government;
and VIC wish American citizens to settle and colo.
nize 1t for The British government gives IN
ducenent 10 this company Il gives them trade
commerce, an exclusive charAer laws, and national
Pro'ecuon. we must give Iadacement also; and
our inducement must be hand and protection
Grans OF land will carry SETTLERS there; and the SEN
ator from Ohio MIR. TApPANl was treading in the
tracts OF MIR. Jetfc.son (perhaps without having
read ms Recommendation, although he has read
mucnl wner he proposed, in his speech of yester
oay % liant 500 settlers, with their SO 600 rifles
y" 'iie banks of the Oregon. Mr.. jefferson had
proposed the same thing in regard to Louisiana
lie proposed that should settle that vast domain
when we acquired il; and for that PURPOSE that do
nations of land should be made 10 the first 80 OOC
settlers who should 60 there. This was the RICH,
doctrine, and the old doctrine The white race
were land-loving people. and had right to pos
sess IL, because they used according to the inten.
uons OF the CREAroR. The white race went for
land; and they will continue to go for it, and will go
where they can get IL. Europe, Asia, and America
have been settled by them In this way. All the
States of this Union have been 90 settled The
principle is founded in their nature, and in Gods
command; and il will continue to be obeyed. The
valley of The Columbia is a vast field open to the set
Tier. IL ours, and our people are beginning to go
upont' They so under the expectation of getting
iandi end that expectation must be confirmed 10
them. This bill proposes to confirm il; and If i,
faiis IN this particular, il fails in ALI There is
nothing LEFT to induce emigration; and emigration is
the only thing which can save the country from the
British, acting through their powerful agent--the
HuDsoN BAY COMPANY
Mr. b. said he would not restate the American
title TO this country it had been well done by 9TH
crs who had preceded him in the debate. He would
only give a littln more development two points
the treaties OF 1903 and 1919; the former with
France, ny which we acquired Louisiana; the latter
with Spain by which acquired all her rights on
me northwest coast of America north of AZ degrees
ny the hrst of these treaties, we became party to
inc Ioth article of the treaty of Utrecht, between
France and England; the treaty of peace Of TIA
whlch terminated the wars Of Queen Anne and
LOWS XIV, and settled all their differences of every
Bind in Europe and America, and undertook to
prevent the recurrence Of future differences between
them The 10th article Of this treaty applied To
their settlements and territories in North America
and directed commssaries to be appointed to mark
and define their possessions. These commssaries
did their work. They drew a line from ocean ia
ocean, TO separate the French and British domin.
IONS and 70 prevent future cncroachments and col.
iisions This line began on the coast of Labrador
n eli o...L -
centre of North America leaving the British settle.
mcnts OF Hudson's Bay to the norlh and the French
Canadian possessions to the south. This line took
for landmark the Lake Of the Woods, which was
then believed to be due east from the head Of the
mississippi; and from that point took the 49lh mar
alel OF north latitude indefinitely TO the west The
language of the line is ''indefniiclpn and this csab
lshed the northern boundary Of louisiana. and
erected a wall beyond which future French settle
ments could not cross to the north, nor British to
the SOUTH "
As purchasers Of Louisiana, the treaty Of 1900
made us Party to the 10th article of the treaty OF
Utrecht, and made the 49th parallel the same to us
ana the British, which it had been to the French
ana ths British: it became wall which neither
Too'u pass so far as it depended upon that line.
FMS the British saw, and quickly went to work to
abrogatc or mutilate line which presented an i'm
passabe barrier to their designs upon tho Columbia
river. The American Captain Gray had first dis
covered that river at its mouth, in 1880; Lewis and
Clarke had discovered Il from its head to the sea in
lS04-5; and these discoveries of contiguous territory
gave US the rights Of first discovery over the whole
rver IN addition to the rights derived from treaties
But no sooner had Captain GRAY discovered this
great river than the British coveted it, and sent out
mckenzie to discover it over again, and especially
to lind ITS head in high northern attitudes. To do
this, mckenzie, proceeding from Canada, bore far
to the horh missed all the waters of the Columbia;
fell upon the 7acouche Isrse; and struck the ocean
i've hundred miles following the coast) to the
north of the Columbia Thus, this attempt to hatch
claim to this river, by discovering il at the head az.
ter we had discovered it at the mouth, entirely fall
CD; and the British were left without pretcxt for
claiming our property. In this dilemma McKcnz
proposed 10 make short work Of it with the United
States he proposed to seize the river and TO hold
II, because It was necessary to the British scheme
OF trade and domination in that quarter; and to ex-
pei all "ansricGn cdUenturers" from it. His advice
in these words:
The Russians who first discovers "a. .,no H. ,,
o. ASIA no useful or regular existed opened
long and ba antsnSs p rivers &c. and through that
rates ASA from .meca over which they passed TO the
@e s dnsnt Our situation is at length in dc.
49, % aaf to thelrs-the non.existence of practic able
by sea- and the OF through the CONT
@ sse clearly and i require. only the counte.
avery ample proportion thi: national advantage and
BY The rivers Which,, which discharge themselves
INTO Hudsons Bay at Port Nelson is proposed carry
on the trade to their at the head Of the
grees 81 longitude from the Pacific ocean The Columbia
ows IRON me same mountains, and discharges itself
me racc in north latitude 80 degrees minutes Both
arg capable Of receiving ships at their mouths
navigable throughout for boats. '
Whatever eosrse may be taken from the Atlantic
onmpa Is The line Of communication from the Pacific
ocean, pointed out by nature, II is only navigabe
river in the whole Of vancouvers minute survey Of
e coast Its banks also form the first level country all
e southern extent Of continental Cooks entry
and, consequently the northern situation suited for
the residence of civilized people By opening this inter
course between the Atlantic and Pacific oceans forming
regular establishments through the interior and at both
temcs well along the COASTS and islands the entire
command OF the furtra c Of North America might be OBJ
tanned from latitude 45 to the pole except that portion Of
which the Russians have In the Pacific To this may BIZ
added the fishing In both and the in the four
quarters Of the globe. Such would be the field for com
mercis enterprises and ncacuabe would be the produce
y when supported by the operations OF that credit and
capital which Great Britain 50 cmineny Then
would this country begin to be expense
has sustained in discovering and surveying the
the Pacific ocean which Is st present LEFT to American adj
ysn,ues Who without regularity capital the
Of concaiing future confidence look altogether TO the in
teress OF the moment such sdventurers land many Of
Them as have been informed have been very
would Instantly disappear before welreeulned trade
49,, Many