Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-12-13

where il was before passed into the hands Of British subjects
Such the facts which rest claims TO priority
of discovery and priority OF exploration and settlement
against Great Britain the region drained by the Coumbs
river So much for the claims have in proper
/ right, TO that region.
TO these have added the claims of France and Spain
The former obtained by the treaty Of louisiana ratified
in 1903 and the latter by the treaty Of Florida ratified in
1872 BY the former acquired all the rights which France
had to Louisiana 10 the erea IL has (l803) in HE
hands Of SPAIN and that had Uhen France possessed H.
and such should be after the treaties subsequently,
tered info by Spain and other States" BY the latter, hi
Catholic Majesty seeded 10 the United States all his rights
cams, and professions" the country lying of the
Rocky Mountains and north Of line drawn on the AID pa
rale of latitude, from point the south bank Of the Ar
kansas, that parallel the South Sea that u.s. to the
whole region claimed by Spain of those mountains and
north of that line.
The cession Of Louisiana gave us undsputed title west
the Mississippi extending to the summit Of the Rocky Noun
tains and stretching south between and those
ans TO the of Span the line between which and
afterwards determined by the treaty Of Florida
also added much to the strength ofpur title to the region
yond the Rocky Mountains, by restoring the important
link Of continuity westward the Pacific, which had been
surrendered by the treaty Of 763 will be hereafter shown.
That continuity furnishes Just foundation for a claim Of
territory in with those of discovery and occupation,
would unquesionabe. 1t is admitted by all that mel
he Of them limited by the precise spot discovered
Pied II evident that in order to make either available
extend at least distance beyond that actually dis
covered occupied but how far abstract question:
Of uncertainty 1t is subject in each be infu
enced by variety Of considerations In the of island
has been usually maintained in practice extend the claim
of discovery occupancy the whole So likewise, in the
case of river has been usual extend them the entire
region drained by imorc especially in Of discovery
and settlement the mouth and emphacaly when
companied by exploration of the river and region through
which it flows Such il is believed may be affirmed to he
the opinion and practice in such the discovery Of
this continent How far the claim Of continuity may extend
in other less perfectly defined, and be settled only
by reference the circumstances attending EACH When this
sfrStd claimed whole
virtue Of the grant of the Pope but claim extravagant
and unreasonable not acquesced in by other countries
and could not be long maintained Other nations, especially
England and France early period, contested her claim
They fitted voyages discovery and made settlements
the eastern of North America They claimed for their
settlements, usually, specific limits along the coasts or bays
which they formed and, generally region of cores
bonding width extending the entire continent to the
Pacific Such the character of the limits assigned
by England in the charters which she granted to her former
colonies the United States when there special
reasons for varying from it.
How strong she regarded her claim the region conveyed
by these charters and extending westward of her settlements
the between her and France which terminated by
the treaty Of Paris l763 furnishes striking illustration
great contest which ended gorousy for England
and effected great and durable change this continent
commenced in conflict between her claims and those Of
France, resting her side this very right Of continuity
extending westward from her settlements to the Pacific ocean,
and the part of France the right but extending
region drained by the Mississippi and its waters the
ground Of settlement and exploration Their respective claims
which led to the war; first cashed the Ohio river the
Of which the colonial charters in their western extension
covered but which France had been professionally the first
to settle and explore If the relative strength of these differ
ent claims be tested by the result of that remarkable
test that Of continuity westward must be pronounced to be
the the England has had the advan-
tage of the result and would to be orecosed against
contesng the prncpcpartcularly against who
bued much to that result and whom that contest and
her example and preensons from the first settlement of
country have contributed to impress deeply and indeb
But the treaty Of l763 which terminated that memorable
and eventu struggle yielded has been stated the claims
and all the chartered rights of the colonies beyond the Mss
spp The seventh article establishes that ver the per-
manent boundary between the OF Great Britain and
France this continent So much relates to the subject
in the following words " The confines betceen the doi-
of his Britannia Majesty that part Of the a0orLd he
dra,Oa along the middle Of the Sser Mississippi from It's
syree 10 the rirr Herrk and from thence b. line dymsv
along The middle Of this riper and the Lakes Mapas and
PonfchUtrain TO the sea-" dc
This important stipulation which thus establishes the Mis-
sssppi the line fired epocnby between the dominons
OF the two countries this continent in effect extngushes
in favor Of France whatever claim Great Britain may have had
the region lying Of the Mississippi II Of could
affect the rights of Spainthe only other nation which
had any preence of claim Of that river but prevented
the right Of continuity previously claimed by Great Britain
from extending beyond it, and transferred it TO France The
treaty Of Louisiana restored and vested in the United States
all the claims acquired by France and surrendered by Great
Britain, under the provisions Of that treaty. the country
of the Mississippi and among others the question
Iertan same right OF
virtue Of her possession Of Louisiana and the exngushment
Of the right Of England by the treaty of 1863 the whole
country west Of the Rocky Mountains and lying of LOUISE
against Span which England had to the country
ward OF the Allegheny Mountains France with this
difference that Spain had nothing oppose the claim of
France the time but the right of discovery and that
England has denied while France had opposed the
right Of England her that of discovery exploration and
settlement II is therefore, not at all surprising that France
should claim the country west the Rocky Mountains may
be inferred from her map the principle that Great
Britain had claimed and dspossessed the regions west
Of the Allegheny that the United States they
had acquired the rights of France should the claim
and take Immediately after to explore with
occupation and settlement But then we have strength
ened title by adding to proper claims and those
Of France the claims also Of Span by the treaty of Florida
has been stated.
The claims which have acquired from her between the
Rocky Mountains and the Pacific her priority Of dis
covey. Numerous voyages Of discovery commencing with
that Of Madonado in 1925 and ending with that under Ga
ano and Vadcs in 1892 undertaken by her authority
along the Northwestern of North America. That they
discovered and explored only the Of what is
now called the Oregon Territory, but still further north,
fact loo well established to be conroverted this day. The
voyages which they performed will accordingly be passed
at present without being particularly alluded to- with the
cepon Of that Of Hecea His discovery of the mouth of the
Columbia river has been already referred to- II made
on the 18th OF August, l775many years anterior the
voyages of Meaes and Vancouver, and prior Cooks
who did not reach the Northwestern Coast until I77s The
claims Spain Of priority of discovery transferred
to with all others belonging her. by the treaty For
da which, added TO the discoveries of Captain Gray places
our right to the discovery Of the mouth and the
inlet and river beyond all controversy.
has been objected that claim under various and
fctng titles, which mutually destroy each other. Such