The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-06

pei them onward with accommodating force across
the Rocky mountains into the valley Of the Column
bia, and that the whole region drained by It 10 des-
tined to be peopled by us.
Such are our claims to that portion Of the terri
tory, and the grounds on which they rest. The
undersigned believes them to be well-founded, and
trusts that the British penipoentiary will see in
them sufficient reasons why he should decline his
proposal.
The undersigned plenipotentiary absiains, for the
present, from presenting the claims which the Uni
ted States may have TO other portions Of the terri
tory
The undersigned avails himself of this occasion
to renew to the British penipotentiary assurances
of his high consideration.
]. C. CALHOUN.
r. PAKENHAN, esq, &C., &C., &c.
(D.)
SEPTEMBER IL, 1874.
The undersigned, British plenpo,entary, has
studied, with much interest and attention, the state
ment (marked A. presented by the American pleni-
potentiary, setting forth the grounds on which he
declines the proposal offered by the British plenpo-
tertiary as compromise of the difficulties of the
Oregon question. The arrangement contemplated
by that proposal would, in the estimation Of the
American penpotentiary, have the effect of restrct-
ing the possessions of the United States to limits far
more circumscrlbed than their claims clearly entitle
them to-
The claims of the United States to the portion Of
into those adduced by the United States in their own
proper right, and those which they have derived
from France and Spain.
The former, as against Great Britain, they ground
on priority of discovery and priority of exploration
and settlement.
The claim derived from France originates in the
treaty of 1903, by which Louisiana was coded to
the United States, with all its rights and appurte-
nances, fully and in the same manner as they had
been acquired by the French republic; and the claim
de. = r.. IL
cluded with that power in the year 1919, whereby
his Catholic Majesty coded to the United States all
his rights, claims and pretensions to the territories
lying east and north of certain line terminating on
the Pacific, in the 42d degree of north latitude.
Departing from the order in which these three
separate claims presented by the American pleni-
potenary, the British penipotentiary will first beg
leave TO observe, with regard TO the claim derived
from France, that he has not been able to discover
any evidence tending to establish the belief that Lou
sana, as originally possessed by France, afterwards
transferred to Spain, then retroceded by Spain tn
France, and ultimately coded by the latter power N
the United States, extended in westerly drcctioa
beyond the Rocky mountains. There il, on the
other hand, strong reason to suppose that, at tho
time when Louisiana was coded to the United States,
its acknowledged western boundary the Rocky
mountains Such appears to have l.een the opinion
of President Jefferson, under whose auspices the
QUESTION of Louisiana was accomplished.
In letter written by him in August 1908, are to
be found the following words:
The boundaries tof Louisians) which deem not admit
ting question the high lands the side
Mississippi inclosng all its waersthe Missouri of course
of the Lake of the Woods the the Mis-
ted States
In another and more formal document, dated in
July, l607-that in to say, nearly year after the
return of Lewis and Clarke from their expedition to
the Pacific, and fifteen years after Gray had entered
the Columbia river--is recorded Mr. Jefferson's
opinion of the mpolicy Of giving offence to Spain
by any intmalion that the claims Of the United
States extended to the Pacific; and we have the au-
thoriiy of an American historian, distinguished for
the attention and research which he has bestowed
on the whole subject Of the Oregon Territory, for
concluding that the western boundaries of LOUISE
ana, coded by France to the United States,
were those indicated by nature--namely, the high
lands separating the waters of the Mississippi from
those falling into the Pacific
From the acquisition, them of Louisiana as It
was received from France, It seems clear that the
United States can deduce no claim to territory west
of the Rocky mountains. But if it were other
wise, and if France had even possessed asserted
a claim to territory west of the Rocky mountains,
as appertainng to the territory OF Louisiana, that
claim, whatever it might be, was necessarily trans
ferred to Spain when Louisiana was coded 10 that
power in 1892 and of course became subject 10 the
provisions of the treaty between Spain and Great
Britain of 1890, which efectually abrogated the
claim of Spain to exclusive dominion over the UNI
occupied parts Of the American continent.
To the observations of the American plenpoten-
ary respecting the effect Of continuity in Furnish
ing claim to territory, the undersigned has not
failed paw due attention.; but he submits that what
is said on this head may more properly be consider
ed demonstrating the greater degree Of interest
which the United States possess by reason of con-
suity in acquiring territory in that direction, than
as affecting, in any way the question Of right.
The undersigned will endeavor to show hereafter
that, in the proposal put in on the part Of Grsas
Britain, the natural expectations Of the Unhed
States, on the ground Of contguity, have not been
disregarded.
Next comes to be examined the claim derived
from Spain.
II must indeed, be acknowledged that, by the
treaty of 1919, Spain did convey TO the United
States all that she had the power to dispose Of on
tho northwest coast Of America, north of the AID
parallel Of latitude; but she could not by that trans
action, unnu or nvalidae the rights which she had
by previous transaction, acknowledged TO belong
to another power.
BY the treaty of 2sth October, 1870, Spain ac-
knowedged in Great Britain certain rights with re-
spect those parts of the western coast of Ameri
ca not already occupied.
This acknowledgment had reference especially to
the territory which forms the subject OF the present
negotiation IL Spain could not make good her
own right TO exclusive dominion those regions,
still less could she confer such right on another
power. and hence Great Britain argues that from
nothing deduced from the treaty OF 1919 can the
United States assert valid claim TO executive de-
minion over any part of the Oregon territory.
There remains to be considered the claim adj
yanced bv the United States on the ground of prior
discovery and prior exploration and settlement.
IN that part Of the memorandum Of the American
penipotentary which speaks of the Spanish title IL
Is stated that the mouth Of the river, afterwards cali
ed the Columbia river, was first discovered by the
Spanish navigator Heceta. The admission Of this
act would appear to be altogether rreconcileable
with claim to priority Of discovery from anything
accomplished by Captain Gray. To one, and to
merit Of first discovery II Hecets's claim is ac-
knowledged, then Captain Gray is no longer the
discoverer of the Columbia river II, on the other
hand preference is given TO the achievement Of Capt
Gray, then Hecetas discovery ceases to be Of any
value. But il is argued that the United States now
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