The Columbian fountain., 1845-12-04

| impose, aHOfd satisfactory evidence that no COM
promise which the United States ought to accept
can be effected. With this conviction, the prop
osition Of compromise which had been made and
rejected, was by my direction, subsequently with
drawn, and our title to the whole Oregon terrific
ry asserted, and, isis believed maintained by ire
fragable facts and arguments.
The civilized world will see in these proceed
ings spirit OF liberal concession on the part of
the United States; and this government will be
relieved from all responsibility which may follow
the failure TO settle the controversy
All attempts at compromise having failed, it
becomes the duty of Congress to consider what
measures it may be proper to adopt for the secur-
ity and protection of our citizens now inhabting,
or who may hereafter nhabit Oregon, and for the
maintenance of our just title to that territory
In adopting measures for this purpose, care should
be taken that nothing be done to violate the stip-
ulations Of the convention Of 1927, which is still
in force. The faith of treaties, in their letter and
spirit, has ever been, and, / trust, will ever be
scrupulously observed by the United States. I'M
der that convention, years notice is required to
be given by either party to the other, before the
joint occupancy shall terminate, and before either
can rghtfully assert or exercise exclusive iuris-
diction over any portion Of the territory This no.
tice it would, in my judgment, be proper to give;
and recommend that provision be made by law
for giving il accordingly, and terminating in this
manner the convention of the sixth Of August,
1927. 9 as,
1t will become proper for Congress to deter
mine what legislation they can, in the mean time,
adopt without violating this convention. Beyond
all question, the protection of our laws and our
jurisdiction, civil and criminal, ought to be imme
diately extended over our citizens in Oregon
They have had just cause to complain of our
long neglectin this particular, and have, in con-
sequence, been compelled for their own security
and protection, to establish provisional govern
ment for themselves. Strong in their allegiance
and ardent in their attachment to the United
States, they have thus been cast upon their own
resources. They are anxious that our laws should
be extended over them, and / recommend that
this be done by Congress with as little delay as
possible, in the full extent to which the British
Parliament have proceeded in regard to British
subjects in that territory, by their act of July the
second, 1921, "for regulating the fur-trade, and
establishing criminal and civil Jurisdiction
within certain parts of North. America By
this act Great Britain extended her laws and ju-
risdiction, civil and criminal over her subjects,
engaged in the fur-trade in that territory By it.
the courts OF the province of Upper Canada were
empowered to take cognizance of causes, civil
and criminal Justices of the peace and other
judicial officers were authorised to be appointed
| In Oregon, with power to execute all process is
suing from the courts of that province, and to
sit and hold courts of record for the trial of
| criminal offences and misdemeanors,n p not made
VII cases, where the cause of action shall not ex-
ceed in value the amount or sum of two hundred
pounds"
Subsequently to the date of this act of Parlia-
ment, grant was made from the "British CROWN
to the Hudson's Bay Company, of the exclusive
trade with the Indian tribes in Oregon territory,
subject to a reservation that it shall NOT operaie
to the exclusion "of the subjects of any foreign
States who, under or by force of any convention
TOR the time being, between us and such foreign
States respectively may be entitled to, and shall
be engaged in, the said trade" >
1t is much to be regretted, that while under this
act, British subjects have enjoyed the protection
OF British laws and British judicial tribunals
throughout the whole of Oregon, American citi-
zens, in the same territory, have enjoyed no such
protection from their government. At the same
lme, the result illustrates the character Of our
people and their institutions. In spite of this neg
lect, they have mu tipled, and their number IS
rapidly increasing in that territory They have
made no appeal to arms but have peacefully for
tined themselves in their new homes by the adop
ton of republican institutions for themselves: fur
nishlng another example of the truth that self
government is inherent in the American breast
and must prevail. II is due to them that thew
should be embraced and protected by our laws
1t is deemed important that our laws, regulating
trade and intercourse with the Indian tribes east
OF the Rocky mountains, should be extended to
The increasing emigration to Oregon and the
care and protection which is due from the govern
ment to its citizens in that distant region make it
our duty, as it is our interest, to cultivate AMIGA
Bile, relations with the Indian tribes of that
territory. For this purpose, ! recommend that
provision be made for establishing an Indian aqen-
cy, and such sub-agencies as may be deemed ne
cessary beyond the Rocky mountains
For the protection of emigrants whilst on their
way to Oregon, against the attacks of the Indian
tribes occupying the country through which thew
pass, | recommend that suitable number of
stocksdes and block-house forts be erected ALONG
the usual routes between our frontier settlements
on the Missouri and the Rocky mountains. and
that an adequate force of mounted rifemen he
raised to guard and protect them on their iournev
The immediate adoption of these recommendat;onos
by Congress will not violate the provisions of tha
existing treaty. 1t will be doing nothing more for
American citizens than British laws have Iana
since done for British subjects in the same terr;,
tory.
1t requires several months to perform the vov-
age by sea from the Atlantic States to Oreoon
and although we have large number Of w6aie
ships in the Pacific, but few of them afford on nn1
portunity of interchanging intelligence wtboppt
great delay, between our settlements in tbat AZ
tant region and the United States. An oyerlana
mail is believed to be entirely practicable and tha
Importance of establishing such a mail ~ ioaa,
once month, is submitted to the fayorabIe cons;5
Grafton of Congress. oo"'iu-
1t is submitted to the wisdom of Conpress n ID
termine whether, at their present session and M
Til after the expiration Of tho yaor,. u =. 80 VI