Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-03-05
ton by giving due notice 1t twelve months


in order to a correct and thorough under.
standing Of its true intent, purpose and
meaning, il is necessary for us 10 take Q
brief review Of The situation of the con-
tracing parties in the year 1918.
At that time the United States we're in
possession of no claim to this northwest
ern territory, bu, in virtue Of the dscove.
ry and exploration Of our own enterpris.
| ing nayigators, Gray and Ingraham, and
Of the tile we derived from the French
government by the treaty Of cession oil
1903, by which we acquired the Louisiana
territory.
And am free to admit, that our title,
so far as il was derived from the French,
did not extend beyond 40 degrees.
[Mr. ADAMS here interposcd, and in
quired of Mr.. T. where he found any
French title at all to that country.l
Mr.. T. replied. BY the treaty Of Utrecht,
concluded Between Great Britain and
France in 1918, "Hudson's Bay, and all
the lands, &c. thereunto appertaining,"
we're restored to Great Britain, and com.
missioners were appointed 10 ngree upon
and mark out a line between the two 60
vernments; who, upon examination, adopt.
ed the doth degree Of north latitude. BY
the treaty Of 1853, concluded at Paris, he-
tween Great Britain, France, and Spain,
the French possessions on the St. Law
renee, and all the country lying east Of
the Mississippi, we're ceded TO Great Bri-
tain; and all the country west of the Mis-
sissippi river, up to the 10th degree, was
irrevocabIy relinquished by England TO
France, and thus the French claim to all
that vast tract of country was good against
England.
[Mr. ADAMS again inquired whether Mr.
7. was able 10 show any claim ever made
by Fracne Of any territory whatever on
the south seas.
MIR. r. said, do not believe that she
ever had claimed as against Spain. But
in the old Virginia grant from the crown
Of England, lis western boundary was ex-
tended to the south seas. So in the grant
TO the lords, proprietors Of North Carolina;
and the same is the Georgia grant. After
the acknowledgment of our independence
in the treaty of 1883, by the effect of the
treaty of 1868, the Mississippi river was
admitted by these States, and BY the Uni
ted States, to be the limit of their several
grants. France was the discoverer Of the
Mississippi river; and il is wel-settled
principle among civilized nations, that
when a nation has discovered a new coun-
try by its coast, or by one Of its great ri
yers, its boundaries are held TO be conti-
nued from that coast or river until they
reached TO some natural object creating
for them natural termination. The
bounds Of the French claim, according to
this principle, would extend till they reach.
ed the ocean. And, as England had claim
ed 10 the south seas, and had afterwards
relinquished that claim to France, and as
we, by the Louisiana treaty, became pos
sessed of the French title, il surely was
moi for thu. government to dispute its
rightfuIness and validity. But again; !
am somewhat surprised that such ques-
ton should proceed from the gentleman
from Massachusetts,. For. if we derived
no claim whatever from France, what
shall we say Of the frankness and disin-
genousness Of our negoiiators, who, acting
under his direction, relied upon this ces-
sion of 1903, as one Of the grounds of our
title TO the territory of Oregon2 But
again repeat, that this claim, so far as il
is derived from France, did not extend be-
yond 40 degrees north.
Mr.. ADAMS again interposcd, and said
that the Florida treaty had given us The
the Spanish title; and on that our claim
was iounded.]
Mr.. L. responded. That was very true;
but am speaking Of our title as il existed
in 1918, when we had not yet acquired
the Spanish claim. The Florida treaty
was not concluded ill 1910, near twelve
months subsequent to the treaty Of 1918
[Mr. ADAMS said that our claim preyi.
GUS to that rested on the discovery Of Capt
Gray, and The residue depended entirely
on The Florida treaty.
Mr.. T. proceeded 10 observe, that be-
fore we had obtained any tile from Spain
we had proposed 10 agree to the 40Ih de-
gree Of latitude. The gentleman said We
had no claim under France, but rested Ill
then on the sole ground Of discovery BY
Captain Gray. Now, il our tile rested
on discovery, II must have extended be,
yond latitude 40; for Gray's discovery Of
| HE mouth Of the river entitled US 10 the
whole territory watered by il; and its fri
bu,ary streams and the head waters Of the
Columbia river rise north Of 40 degrees
| | insist upon it, then, that in the year 1918
our claim, independent Of our title by dis
coyery, was good and valid one as a
gainst England. In September, 17Ss
Gray, from Boston, entered the port a
Nootka sound. and 10 1892 he discovered
and explored to some considerable distance
1.-The river which sill bears the name Of hi
Il