The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-15

ate the value TO the United States Of Grays discov-
cry, because his ship, Qhe Coumbia,) was trad
ing, and not national, vessel As he furnishes no
reason Tor this distinction, the undersigned win
conine himself TO the remark that a merchah, YES
sci bears the flag OF her country at her mast heao'
and continues under It's jurisdiction ana pfotecuoh
in The same manner though she had been com
mssloned for the express purpose OF making DIS
coveries Besides, beyond all doubt. ms discovery
was made by Gray and 10 what nation could the
benefit of il belong unless II be 10 the United STATES!
C,ertainly not 10 Great Britain And if TO Spain,
the United States now her representative.
Nor does the undersigned perceive In what man
ner the value of this great discovery can be lessen
ed by the fact that II was hrst published TO the
world through the journal OF Captain Vancouver,
British authority On the contrary, Its authenticity
beng thus acknowledged by the party having an adj
verse interest, is more firmly established than II 1t
had been first published in the United States.
From careful examination and review OF the
subject, the undersigned ventures the assertion,
that TO Spain and the United States belong all the
merit OF the discovery of the northwest coast of
America south OF the Russian line, not spot of
which, unless 1t may have been the shores OF some
OF the interior bays AID inets, after the entrance TO
them had been known, was ever hehed by British
subjects until after it had been seen or touched by
q Spanlard or an American. Spain proceeded IN
TINS work of discovery, not as means OF acquiring
tltle but Tor the purpose OF examining and survey
Ing territory 10 which she believed she had an IN
coatestlble night. This title had been sanctioned
for centuries by the acknowledge ent or acqules-
cence OF all the European powers. The United
only to the extent OF the region watered by the Co
lumDla. The Spanish and American titles, now
united by the FLORIDA treaty, cannot be Justly re-
sisted by Great Britain. Considered together, they
constitute perfect Title TO the whole territory in
dispute, ever since the llth May, 1892 when Cap
tain Gray passed the bar the mouth of the Column
bia, which he had observed in August, l7sS.
The undersigned will now proceed to show that
this lte OF the United States, at least to the possess
sion OF the territory at the mouth OF the Columbia
has been acknowledged by the most solemn and
unequvocal acts Of the British government
After the purchase OF Louisiana from France, the
government OF the United States fitted out an expe-
dltlon under Messrs. Lewis and Clarke; who, in
1905, first explored the Columbia, from Its source
TO Its mouth, preparatory 70 the occupation OF the
! territory by the United States.
In 1911, The settlement at Astoria was made by
the Americans near the mouth OF the river, and
several other posts were established in the interior
! along Its banks. The war of 1912 between Great
Britain and the United States thus found the latter
| IN peaceable possession OF that region Astoria
1 was captured by Great Britain during this war
! The treaty OF peace concluded at Client in Decem-
Der, lSl4, provided that 'a territory, places, and
possessions whatsoever, taken by either party from
the other, during The war, Nc, Nc.,' "shall be
stored without delay" Ia obedience to the provi-
sIonS OF this treaty, Great Britain restored Astoria
TO the United States and thus admitted in the most
solemn manner, not only that II had been an Amer
lean territory or possession at the commencement
OF the war, but that It had been captured by British
arms during It's continuance. II is now too late TO
gainsay or explain away these facts. Both the trea-
~ OF Client, and the acts OF the British government
under il, disprove the allegations of the British
pienpotentary, that Astoria passed "into British
hands by the voluntary act OF the persons in charge
of IT," and ''that II was restored 10 the u nted
States III 1918 with certain wel-authentca ted re-
servatisns.''
In reply to the first of these allegations, it is true
that the agents of the (American) Pacific Fur Com
pany, before the capture OF Astoria the 10Th Oc-
! tober, 1913, had transferred all that they could
Transferable private property of the company-to
the (Bnush) Northwest Company but il will
scarcely be commended that such an arrangement
could impair the sovereign rights Of the United
States to the territory. Accordingly, the American
flag was still kept flying over the fort until the LIST
December, 1913, when It was captured by his Ma
Jesty's soop-of war Rackoon, and the British flag
was then substituted.
1 That it not restored to the United States
''with certain well authenticated reservations fully
appears from the act OF restoration ITSELF bearing
date 9th October, ISIS This Is absolute and un-
conditional as the English language can make it,
That this was according to the intention of Lord
Castereagh, clearly appears from his previ GUS ad-
mission to Mr.. Rush of the rgh, of the Americans
TO be relnstaed, and to be the party in possession
while treating the title. IfBrtish ministers az
forwards, IN dispatches 10 their own agents. the
contents OF which were not communicated to the
government OF the United States, thought proper to
protest against our te, these were, in effect but
mere mental reservations, which could not affect the
validity OF their own solemn and unconditional act
OF restoration.
But the British plenlpoentiary, notwithstanding
the American discovery OF the Columbia by Capt
Gray, and the exploration by Lewis and Clarke of
several OF It's branches, from their sources in the
Rocky mountains, as well as Its main channel to
the ocean, contends that because Thomson a
British subject In the employment OF the North
west Company, was the first who navigated the
northern branch OF that river, The British govern
ment thereby acquired certain rights against the
United States, the extent of which he does not I'M
dsrtake 10 specify. In other words that after one
nation had discovered and explored great rive r,
and several tributaries and made settlements on its
banks, another nation, If it could find single
branch on Its head waters which had not been ac-
tually explored, might appropriate to itself this
branch, together with the adjacent territory. If
this could have been done, 1t would have produced
perpetual strife and collision among the nations af-
Ter the discovery OF America. /, would have vio-
lated the wise principle consecraed by the practice
OF nations which gives the valley drained by river
and Its branches to the nation which had first dis
covered and appropriated its mouth
But, Tor another reason, this alleged discovery of
Thompson has no merits whatever. His journey
was undertaken on behalf OF the Northwest Com
pany for the mere purpose of anticipating the United
States IN the occupation of the mouth of the Column
bia- a territory to which no nation, unless it may
have been Spain, could with any show Of Justice,
dispute their right. They had acquired il bv dis.
covery and by exploration, and were now in the act
OF taking possession. II was in an enterprise un-
dertaken Tor such purpose, that Thompson in has
tenlng from Canada to the mouth of the Columbia
descended the north, arbitrarily assumed by Great
Britain to be the main branch of this river. The
period was Tar too late to impair the title Of either
spain or the United States by any such proceeding
Mr. Thompson, on his return was accompanied
by party from Astoria, under Mr.. David Stuart
who established post at the confluence of the
Oklnagan with the north branch OF the Columbia
, about SIX hundred miles above the mouth of the
latter.
In the next year Qsl2) asecond trading post wa.
established by party from Astoria on the Spokan
t about SIX hundred and fifty miles from the ocean
II thus appears that, previous TO the capture o
Astoria by the British, the Americans had extended
their possessions up the Columbia six hundred ant
/, NIFTY miles: The mere intrusion OF the Northwes
! Company into this territory, and the establishment
OF two or three trading posts, in 1911 and 1872 OF
the head waters OF the rlver surely not interior.
I with, ormpair the Spanlsh-American title VIVA
this company may have done in the intermediate
period until the 10Th October, ISls-the date of the
iirst treaty ofJoint occupahon-is unknown 10 the
undersigned, from the impenetrable mystery in
which they have velled their proceedings. Aftel