Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-12-31

8. Vancouyer's voyage ll5y his Ieutc-
nant up the Columbia. Thereupon we
showed that Gray entered the river Co
iumoia before Vancouver Tor Broughlon)
who indeed himself states that he proceed
ed upon information furnished by GRAY:
and so Great Britain was driven from all
grounds of maritime title, and Proceeded
TO alledge
A. MackenZle's journey across the con-
tinent in 1892 But we proved from
Mackenzle's journal that il was the head
waters of the Tacoutchee Jesse, not the
Columbia, that he struck on his way 10
the PacItIc; wherenpon the British govern
ment said:-Well, ii must be confessed
we have no title whatever ia Oregon, ell
Their by discovery, settlement or otherwise:
we disclaim all title, and we set up a claim
as follows:
"Great Britain claims no exclusive
sovereignty over any portion Of that terri
tory Her present claim, not in respect
TO any part but the whole. is limited TO a
right OF joint occupancy, in common with
other States, leaving the right Of exclusive
dominion in abeyance.'
Such are the precise words of final off,
cial claim of the British governmeni. after
all pretence of title on the part of the
British had been thoroughly refuted and
exploded by US, and given up by herself.
Or, as the same point is stated by the
American minister in his official cores
pondence,
Great Britain considered the whole of
the unoccupied parts of America as being
open to her future settlements, as hereto.
fore. They included within these parts,
as well that portion Of the Northwest coast
lying between the AID and 5Ist degrees
OF latitude, as any other parts. The prin-
ciplc of colonization on that coast or else
where, or any portion of those continents
not yet occupied, Great Britain Was not
prepared to reHnquish."
Now all these facts are notorious, and
accessible TO whatsoever persons choose TO
seek them; and yet, 10 the face of The Of.
fic'al disclaimers OF the British govern
mint, there are many persons in the Uni
ted States, who, misled apparently by the
British Foreign Quarierlv Review, and
the British Edinburgh Review, and the
British London Times, and the British
Lord john Russell, honestly suppose, il
would seem, that Great Britain has a pro-
bable, nay, good and sound title to the
whole or a part of Oregon. No, she does
not claim or pretend any title whatever to
Oregon, but only the general right to CO
lonize, now, at this day in North America
To be sure. 1.-The Edinburgh Review, ad
hitting, as the writer is constrained to dc
(for he had read the documents) that Grea
Britain has no title whatever in Oregon
either by discovery, settlement, treaty
conquest, or prescriptions, yet aledge,
that Great Britain has Shadoac of title
north of the 49th parallel, by reason o
contiguity. inasmuch as she now holds tn,
country north of that parallel on htis sid
of the mountains. To this | reply, tina
The British government advances no sue
claim; prevented, perhaps, by the conside
ration that, it this ground of claim give
to her the shadow of right north of As
it deprives her Of even the shadow OF
right south of 40; and she is not conten
with this, which would be an almost equa
division of Oregon. Besides which, tn
British territory on this side Of the noun
tains is incapable of extension by contigu
ty, for it belongs to the Hudson's Ba
Company, which company is limited b
its charter 10 s'the lands on the coasts an
confines of the seas lakes, and rivers witt
in the Hudson's Straits; and il would b
ridiculous, nay, impudent past all endu
ance, for Great Britain to pretend thu
the coasts of Hudson's Straits cover tn
r tLo &C. xrflIo nj
cessary in order to carry the iuriscictio
of the Hudson's Bay Co. into Oregon.
Great Britain defends her pretension
treat Oregon as unoccupied country, snl
iect to colonization by her, on two ground
First, she argued that, cencedIng h
own defect Of title, still we had no bett
title. To this the United States reptile
by showing that we had better title.
our own prior discovery, prior expiofatIo
and prior settlement of Oregon, and IN o.
rights under France and Spain.
Whereupon, secondly, Great Britain {
lodged light to culonize ia Oregon u
der a concession made to her by Spain,
one of the clauses of what is called Il
Nooika Convention a word Of explain
ton concerning which will conclude al
have to say on the subject Of tile
Oregon.
suppose there is not in The history
modern times any case of war undertake
or threatened with greater precipitaney,
on pretexts more futile, than The Moot
Sound quarrel If Great Britain with Spa
The Spanish government, the first dis
verer of Nootka Sound. sent Don Esteb
Martinez there IN 1888, TO lorm set
ment in all the forms of legality and