The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1845-12-11

ticle of that convention, it was "agreed,
that any country that may be claimed by
either party on the northwest coast oil A
merica, westward of the Stony Mountains,
shall, together with its harbors, bays, and
creeks, aud their navigation of all rivers
within the same, BE- free and open for the
term OF ten years from the date Of the sig
nature Of The present convention, to the
vessels, citizens and subjects OF the Two
Powers; i, being welt understood that this
agreement is not 10 be construed 10 The pre-
Ijudice of any claim which either ofthetwo
higher contracting parties may have TO
any part of the said country, nor shall it
be taken to affect the claims OF any other
Power or S ate 10 any part OF The said
country; the only object of the high con-
tracing parties in that respect being, TO
prevent disputes and differences among
themselves"
The negotiation Of 1924 was productive
of no result, and The Convention o. 1918
was left unchanged.
The negotiation of 1926, having also
failed 10 effect an adjustment by comprom.
Use, resulted in the convention Of August
the sixth, 1927, by which it was agreed
10 continue in force, for an indefinite pc
| riod, the provisions OF the third article OF
The convention of the twentieth OF October,
1878; and it was further provided, that
cit shall be competent however, to either
OF the contracting parties, in case either
should think fit, at any time after the TWEEN.
lieth of October, 1928, on giving due no.
tice OF twelve months 10 the other con-
tracing party, 10 annul and abrogate this
convention and it shall, 10 such case. be
accordingly entirely annuled and abroga
ted after The expiration of the said term OF
notice." La these attempts to adjust the
controversy, the parallel OF the forly-nlnth
degree of norIh latitude had been offered
by the United States to Great Britain, and
in those Of 1918 and 1926, with full
concession of the free navigation of the
Columbia river south of that latitude. The
parallel Of the forty-ninth degree. from the
Rocky mountains to its intersection with
| the northeastern branch of the Columbia,
and thence down the channel of that river
10 the sea, had been offered by Great B ritz
ain, with an addition of a small detached
territory north of The Columbia. Each
of these propositions had been rejected by
the parties respectively.
In October, l843, the Envoy Extraor,
binary and Minister PIenipoIeniary Of
The Uni,ed States in London was author
lied 10 make a similar offer TO those made
10 1918 and 1926. Thus stood the q1es-
tioa, when the negotiation was shortly af-
ter transferred to Washington and, on
the 23d day of August, 1914, was formal,
ly opened, under the direction OF my im-
mediate predecessor. Like all the prev.
Gus negotiations, ii was based upon the
principles of compromise )" and with
the ayowed purpose OF the parties was "to
treat of the respective claims of the two
countries 10 the Oregon territory, with a
view TO establish permanent boundary
between them west of the Rocky noun
tains and 10 the Pacific ocean," Accord.
ineIy, on the twenty. sixth of August,
1914, The British Plen! potenliary offered
TO divide the Oregon territory by the forty
ninth parallel OF north latitude, from the
Rocky mountains TO the point Of its inter-
section with The northeasternmosi branch Of
the Columbia River, and thence down that
river to the sea; leaving the free navigd,
ton OF the river to be enjoyed In common
by both parties country south of this
line 10 belong to the United States, and
the north of it 10 Great Britain. AT the
same time he proposed, in addition, TO yield
TO The United States, a detached territory,
north of the Columbia EXCEEDING along
the Pacific and Str,ils of Fuea. from
Bufnchs harbor inclusive, to Hoods
canal, and 10 make free to the United t
States any port or ports south Of latitude s
forty mine degrees, which they might de-
sire, either on the main land or on Q1adra :
and Vancouver's Island. With the ex- \
ception Of the free ports, This was the same +
offer which had been made by the British d,
and rejected by the United States Govern. =
ment in the negotiation of 1886. This -
was properly rejected by the !
American plenipotentiary on the day it a
was submitted. This was the only propo. g
silon of compromise offered by the Brit
ssh p!enipolentlary, The proposition on l
he part OF Great Britain having been re-. h
ected, the British Plenipoteniary request a
ed that proposal should be made by the h
United States for 40 equitable ad just
nent of the question:" Il
When came into Office, found this a
o be the state ofthe negotiation. Tho e
entertaining the settled conviction, that
he British pretensions of title could not
,e maintained TO any portion of the Ore !
,on territory upon any principle of public II
aw recognized by nations, yet, in defer 81
,nce to what had been done by my pre- r.
lecessors, and especially in considera. ;,
ion that propositions of compromise had "
,een thrice made by two preceding ad- a
to adjust the question on et
he parallel of loriy-nine degrees, and in ,,
wo ofthem yielding to Great Britain the -