Mobile register and journal., 1845-02-13

it stretches along the parifc E - srven hundred and sixty miles from North 10 South; i, is about five hund ed miles wide and con laiDJ 360 900 square miles. The Rocky Moun. tains border n on the East, and separate it from the country watered b, the Missouri; on the West it is bounded by the Pacific ocean.
 With respect to the fertility of this reeio there are conflicting accounts. MT Wm. Smrgls, of Bus- ton in lecture recents delivered by him before the Mercantile Association of that city, gave as his npnion from personal observation that the soil of llie Oregon better than that of miiiiuus of acres Of unsettled land within onr territorial limits The climate, however, is milder During ssven winters passed b, Mir Sturgls on that coast, between the fifty first and fifty seventh degrees of latitude, he but once saw ice of sufficient thickness to bear d
 
 We have remarked that the main strength of our claim to the Oregon rests upon the cession made by Spain in 1879. The Spanish claim was based up the right of discoverd; and lhere seems be no doub that the ships of Spain were the first to visit and explore the Oregon coast.
 The Spaniards however, made no attempt to set tie the country. But Spain had her culones in Cali orna and Mexico; and her ships had coasu d along the continent far North latitude fifty five, and that early 1892, she regarded the whole expanse of country as one territory and claimed it accordingly. British vessels also visited the coasI
 is not pretended however, that they the first dscove,ers. But finding the country unoccupied a British settlement and trddlng post were establshe ai Nootka Sound by Lieut.. Meares sometime 
 regarded by Spain invasion of her ights, and the post was attacked and captured by the Span ards in l190.
 Here the beginning of that conflict of claims which has come down to this day for adjustment = Vt have succeeded to the rights of Spain, while Great Britain holds her ancient pretensions. And may here observe that all questions of prior dis covery, and in fact all other questions of right tu Oregon, between the contending parties, are merged into definite issue which forms the starrng pont ..T ,I.. versy. That definite issue was made up by the treaty of the Escural, ratified by Spain and Great Britain in 1790; and the stipulation on the point in question the result of the capture of ihe post al Nootka Sound by the Spaniards England demand- ed restitution and compensation for thus alleged ag- gresson Spain yielded both and then was formed the agreement respecting their mutual claims which constitutes the basis of the very agreement now | existing between our Government and that of Great Britain on this identical point
 ''lD order to strengthen the bonds of friendship, and to preserve future perfect harmony and good | understanding between the two contracting parties il is agreed" says the treaty, ihat their spectve subjects shall not be disturbed moested, either in navigating or carrying their fisheries in the Pa. ciic Ocean, or m the South Seas, in landing on the coasts of those in places not already pied. for the purpose of carrying their commercs with the natives of the country, of making settle | ments there." a. H.. Upon this basis, then, stood the lival claims o Spain and Great Britain to the Oregon. The ques ton was left open, each party admitting that the 0h had claims, but neither assuming to define the act extent of its pretensions. Upon the same basis stands the question now-tbe UDIted States occupy ing the position which Spain held and succeeding to | all her rights. .... I .- t| | Our Government, ndeed advanced claims to the | Oregon prior to 1879. These claims were founded partly upon the belief that the Northern boundary o Louisiana, transferred 1903, extended 10 the Pacific; and partly upon the alleged discovery of the Columbia river in l792 by Capt. Robert Gray, of the ship Columbia, of Boston. Upon the first assump- ton, Mr. Jefferson dispatched Lewis and Clarke to explore the reg ions west of the Rocky Mount ns and in 1911 settlement was established by John Jacob Astor, of New Yoark, the mouth of the Co., lumbia rver. This post captured by the British during the last und restored the conclusion peace admission by Engand of our right 10 make | settlements there, although it was no admission of our right to exclusive possession. England held nu- merous posts in the region, and still holds them, The claim founded upon the alleged discovery of the Columbia River by Capt Gray, m 1792, does not appear to have much weight. The coast was visited by Spanish navigators hundred years be- fore; IL is also claimed by Spain that of her cap tains named Hecota discovered the river itself before Capt. Gray ever saw it, and m proof of this the Spanish maps appealed to, upon which the river now known as the Columbia appears under the name of Rio de San Roque, called by Hecota But whatever rights may belong to the discovery o the great river of Oregon ours, whether deriv.d from Capt. Gray or from the Spanish navigator; be. cause all the rights which Spain hel and this among
 he rest, belong to the United States by the treaty of 1919.
 Let us briefly sum up the facts:
 !. We have no original claim to the Oregon prior to 179O, when the treaty of the EscLria was made by Spain and Great Britain. Capt. Gray's discovery took place in 1792. the cession of Louisiana was made in 1903.
 II. The agreement of 1790 between Spain and Great Britain recognised the claims of both parties but admitted the exclusive sovereignty of neitber.- The whole unoccupied portion of the Oregon seems, indeed to have been regarded open to settlement by any people. Our settlement at Astoria was re- stored the close of the war, although had not then succeeded to the rights held by Spai1.
 III The present basis of the controversy Is iden- teal m substance with that established between Spain and Great Britain in l790-the former nat ion being substituted by the United States party in the natter |
 W. The exclusive sovereignty claimed by some in behalf of the United States tie Oregon only be established by obtaining cess'on of the claims of England by forciby dispossessng her. IL is question of negotiation or war. We may remark, iR oncusion, that the gradual progres of settlements in the Oregon may give us possession of that country in quiet way, and soon perhaps, shall need the territory. The ardent impetuosy at work among US may not permit this slow process. .i '.f .. % .r