The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-24

the other hand we have good and valid title 10 the
whole of it, we think and believe; we are We
have perfectly indspu,abe title to all that part Of
il which adjoins the United States--namey, from
the 42d to the 49h parallel of latitude. Great Britain
admits, we know, that she has tile to sny part of
il; and If there be the shadow Of any ground claim
Of right, under which she can Justly invade and
possess any part oft, (Which we constantly deny
still such claim must apply only TO so much of IL,
and more, being north of the 49th parallel ad-
joins her existing possessions In America.
Such Isl plain and unvarnished statement Of the
general nature Of the pfeenson to this territory put
forth by the British and American governments re-
spectivey. No government, except the United
States alleges pfetends any title 10 the territory;
and no government except Great Britain, sets itself
up as the occuper and master by right of these land
ofal the other) unappropriated parts of the earth.
Rejecting on this statement Of the case, you may
say the case is a very extraordinary one. How is
1t possible that Great Britain should advance such
extravagant pretensons, and enthusiastically re-
fuse, at the same time, all fair tender of compro-
mise from the United Statess repeat, the state
ment of the case is nevertheless true. assure you
that, in making this statement, do
Nothing extcnuate nor aught
Set down in malice"
And this proceed to show you by brief anal sis
Of the volumnous official documents in the case, as
they have been published by our Congress, though
suppressed by the British government.
When this continent first became known to Eu-
ropeans, and in proportion the several powers Of
Europe proceeded to make settlements here, it was
necessary to establish certain rules by which their
conflicting pretensions to territory should be adj
justed These rules were not fixed all at once; but
In the course of colonization, Of discussion and Of
treaty. they came TO be at length fully and univer
sally recognised and admitted both in Europe and
America. These rules lie at the basis of the Oregon
question, and are as follows:
|. First, the European title is in no case consider
ed as derived from the savages of America, and is
regulated by considerations wholly irrespective of
them. Our own government has indeed uniformly
acted on the principle Of paying to the Indians a
fair, nay, very large compensation, for their hunt
ing rights, or temporary occupancy of the lands but
neither the government nor any citizen of the Uni
ted States does or derive title from the Indians
must not stop to discuss the grounds Of this doc
trlne suffice II to say that such is the public lao Of
all the Christian nations of Europe and America,
and such is the municipal ac and the practice under
it, as well Of our own colony, province and State Of
Massachusetts,, as Of the federal government.
:. Secondly, one European government may ac-
quirc territory from another by conduest Us Eng
land did the Canadas; or by treaty, as the United
States did Louisiana; and every American govern
ment, in the progress of an emancipation from the
colonial state succeeds TO the rights of its former
European sovereign.
3. Thrdy,'a European Cor Amefican) govern
ment may acquire title to unoccupied lands in Amer
lea by prior discovery, followed by settlement occu.
patton, or conquest; and its sovereignty may be ex
tended over any contiguous unoccupied territory,
until it meets the bounds Of some other power
Such are the principles, as admitted on all hands,
by which the Oregon question is to be determined.
Now, there are fire governments, and only FIVE
which have, at one time or another had, or been
supposed to have, some sort of rights in or to Ore
Spain, France, Russia, Great Britain,
and the United States.
Whatever exclusive rights Spain had north of lat
iude 42-that is, in Oregonshe herself, by the Flor
ida treaty ESQ caled,) in ISl9 ard afterwards the
Mexican republic, in 1925 as the successor of Spain
have ceded to the United States.
Whatever exclusive rights France had, (if any, }
she also by the Louisiana treaty ESQ called } in 1903
coded to the United States
If Russia had any claims, she also, by the treaty
of 1925 with the United States, and by cores
pondent treaty with England, stipulated to make no
settlements or pretensions south of the southernmost
point of Prince of Wales Isandhatis latitude $40
4G, which thus becomes the northern limit of Ore
gon.
And, although Portugal, Holland Sweden, Der
mark, Naples, Austria, Prussia, Belgium, either of
them, has clearly as much right as Great Britain to
set herself up as the general appropriation Of all unoc
cupled lands in Amerlca-whch, indeed, the British
protocol admits in express tcrms--yet as Great Brit
ain has got into the habit Of taking possession every
where, until her politicians and writers have come
thus to be subject TO such an extraordinary mental
hallucinaiion as to imagine that she has an exclr-
sive right of acqusition-that acquisitions made by
any other government uct of injury to her
that acquisitions Of hers all over the world made by
wanton wars Of invasion and the bloodest and most
ruthless conquests, perfectly right and proper
but that even the most honorable, peaceful and nat.
ural acquisitions made by Russia, France, or the
United States, are monsirous acts Of unparalleled am
this habit Of action and the mental hallucination
consequent on it, Great Britain alone has come for.
ward as the invading appropriation of Oregon; first
against the title of Spain, Russia, or France, and
now as against the title of the United States.
Thus in consequence Of the all-grasping ambi-
ton OF Great Britain, and the comparative unambi-
tousness of all the rest of Europe, the controversy
is narrowed down to the conflicting preiensions Of
Great Britain and the United States
The United States claim title to the whole OF
Oregon, considered the valley of the river Colu
bia.
l. BY our own discovery. It is conceded that
Captain Gray of Boston, in the ship Columbia, first
Of all Christian men, discovered and entered, and
named the river Columbia; and one of the points
of the right of discovery that the discoverer of rv
holds the river-vaey, the dscoverer of bay the
lands on the bay: on which principle France held
the Mississippi country called Louisiana, England
(under France) the ST. Lawrence country called
Canada, and England the northern interior of the
continent from Hudson's bay to the Rocky noun
tains. II is also conceded that Messrs. Lewis and
Clarke in the service of the United States, first ex-
pl0red the Columbia valley on the land side from
the headwaters of the Columbia. 1t is also con-
coded that Mr.. John Jacob Aston, citizen of the
United States made the first settlement the main
waters of the Columbia. The American govern
points to these facts constituting right by
discovery, complete and exclusive, unless it be
doubtful on the side Of Spain.
g. We claim title in right OF Spain. II is conce-
ded that Spanish navgators from the west coast OF
Mexico first of all explored the coast of California
to Cape Mendocino, named after the viceroy Men
doza. It is conceded that Spanish navigators
first of all explored and entered the bay Into which
the Columbia flows. 1t is conceded that Spanish
navigators first of all explored Nootka island and
the Straits Of Fuca 1t is conceded that Spain, first
of all European powers, made settlement and
erected fort on Nootka Sound We say that
these facts might give Spain pretcnsions to dispute
titles with the United States; and that her preten-
sions, whatever they may be, being vested in the
United States, give additional force to our own
proper ground Of title.
3. We claim title in right of France, especially as
against Great Britain. We received Louisiana with
limits underlined to the north and west, and oil