The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-05-16
OREGON.
THE DEBATE IN PARLIAMENT.


question, regularly to its conclusion; but we do not
now consider it necessary to proceed farther in
posing the numerous and glaring mssatements of
the noble orator on points which we hope are al
ready sufficiently understood among us,--such as
the discovery of the Columbia--the exploration of
that river and the countries through which it flows,
by Lewis and Clark--the settlements in various
parts Of the territories by american citizens previous
to those attempted by any other nation-the cap
ture of these settlements and their restoration to the
United Stes agreeably to the treaty of Client, &c.
On these subjects, think tsuperAuous to add any
thing to what is already well known among us; and
we shall therefore content ourselves with correcting
what seems to be misconcepton; namely, that our
government had rejected all offers of compromise
on the part Of Great Britain, with regard to the par
tition of the countries west of the Rocky Noun
tains.
This assertion is wholly erroneous. The propo-
s,ions made by the United States have been all in the
spirit Of compromise; and Great Britain seems, from
the commencement, to haveacted upon the determna-
ton never to agree to division of the territories in
question, except upon terms which would secure to
herself all tho advantages dervable from them, and
would render the portion assigned to the United
States of no value politically, and of very little
in any way, to their citizens.
II the United States have rights Of any kind in that
part Of America, they extend to the whole region
west of the Rocky mountains, from the ADD para-
lei to and beyond the 54th, comprehending all the
territories drained by the Columbia, and those in
tervening between the former and the Pacific. The
~
iards by the citizens of the United States, before
they had been seen by the people any other ma
ton. The interior first explored by Americans
in all directions, except the valley Of the northern
branch of the Columbia, which was first descended
by the British in 1911, after an American settlement
had been made near the sea. The first settlements
in them were made by Spaniards and by people Of
the United States. The right Of the United States
to their settlement acknowledged by Great Brit
ain in its restoration in 1918, Internationally;
the mental reservation alleged by the British
commissioners eight years afterwards, in manner
worthy of the representatives Of Sforza, Viscon
ii, or Borgia, to the contrary Notwithstanding.
These are our assertions; and when we call for
proofs of discovery settlement anterior to those
Of the Americans and the Spaniards, we receive
from Great Britain nothing but the Nooika Conpen-
ho,,, as subssting ever since 1870, through peace
and through war, in defiance of the assertion Of
Lord Bathurst in 1915, that Grea Britain kno,cs no
exception to The rule that all treaties sndedby be-
hceen the parties.
The rights of Spain were resigned to the United
States by the Florida treaty in 1919; and if they
extended to one foot of ground, they comprehend
r. ~ frovo he
forty-second parallel to the vicinity of the fifty
fourth But it was not convenient to. Great
Britain that the United States should possess
ports on the Pacific, from which their vessels
might issue and spread that sea, or lands capa-
BILE Of sustaining large and enterprising popula-
ton; and the decree accordingly went forth that
Great Britain would assent to no arrangement with
the United States which did not secure to her the
territory north and west of the Columbia, incln-
ding all the harbors, and almost all the lands fit for
cultivation in that part of the world.
The proposition first made by the United States
was, that the 49th parallel of latitude, which had
been adopted an the dividing line between their terri
tories and those of Great Britain from the vicinity
of the Lake of the Woods to the Rocky mountains,
should be continued westward far as the possess
sons of the two nations extended in that direction
thus offering to resign their right to what lay fur
ther north. This being rejected, it agreed that
as neither party claimed perfect title to any por-
ton of the country, the whole should be left free
and open to the people of both for ten years.
Within those ten years the title of Spain to all
north of the 42d parallel was surrendered to the
United States; and Russia engaged to make no set
dement's south of the latitude Of 81 degrees 40 min
utes The American government thereupon pro-
posed an az reement by which Great Britain should
make no settlements south of the 5lst parallel, and
the United States should make none north Of that
line, substituting afterwards the 49th parallel for the
5lst; and them in 1894 the first definite prop
osition from Great Britain for partition of the ter
rtory. The line of separation was to run along the
49th parallel from the Rocky mountains to large
branch Of the Columbia, down which, and down
the main stream, it was to be continued to the sea.
Great Britain was to have all north and west Of this
line, except that the United States should possess
a small detached territory in the angle formed be-
tween the Pacific shore and the southern side of the
Strait of Fuca comprising harbor for small vessels
the ocean, and for large vessels on the strait
Upon this the negotiation ended. In 1896, the
United States for the first time, proposed the
49th parallel, as the de6nitive line Of boundary,
from the Rocky mountains to the open Paeif-
&c; to which the British replied by repeating their
proposition above stated. Neither party would
yield more and SO, after formally Withdrawing their
respective offers, by which each declared that it was
In no wise to Re considered bound thereafter, they
renewed the agreement to leave the country open to
the people of both, for indefinite period; subject
however, to be terminated after years notice Of
such intention by either to the other. That agree
ment still subssts.
Now, can it be said that the American govern
ment has been averse to a compromise 1t has Of
iered 70 surrender all north of the 49th degree
of latitude; but Great Britain claims another
portion, without which the territory left to the Uni