The Yazoo Democrat. (Yazoo City, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1845-06-04
PoLITIcAL
For the YazOO Democrat.
The Oregon Question,
BY J. 5. Q.


Atthe treatyof Client in 1914, our north
en boundary from the Rocky Mountains to
T the Pacific was subjec Of discussion but
no line was agreed upon. Our Ministers
had been instructed by our government 70
surrender no claim to The mouth Of the Co
lumbia River, or to any Territory south of
40 deg. north latitude. Our diplomatic
fmctionaries, who negotiated that treaty,
proposed to the British PlenipOtentiariest
during the conference, to make the parallel
Of 40 deg. north, the dividing line west
ward Of the lake Of Woods, as far as the
said respective Territories extended in that
quarter; "proyided, that nothing in the
present article shall be construed to extend
to the northwest coast Of America, or to
the territories belonging to, or claimed BY
either party on the continent Of America,
westward of the Stony Mountains"
This the British negotiators were win
ing to agree to, with a stipulation for the
navigation of the Mississippi River, from
its mouth to the 49th parallel of latitude !;
which would cross the extreme breadth Of
our country at that place, from north to south.
Although this was stipuletion granted to
them in the treaties Of 1888 and 1894, it
was in the condition of our country at this
late period, at once SO unreasonable that our
negotiators promptly rejected it. In this
rejection, our Ministers we're right, but at
this conference they certainly committed an
error. In the proposition to make the 49th
parallel the boundary, the proviso, "that
nothing in that article should be construed
to extend to the northwest coast Of America,
or to the territories belonging to, or claim
ed by either party" was, If not directly, at
least indirectly admitting that England had
a claim to coast or territory, when the title
leven al that time was 50 clearly IN Is, thai
no court in the world could have discovered
| in ii single flaw, and no arbiter among.
nations would have awarded an inch Of il
to England. AT this treaty nothing further
was done, no dividing line was agreed up
on, but by reference to it we find the fol-
lowing stipulation
"All Territory, places, and possessions
whatsoever, taken BY either party from the
other during the war, Or which may be Ia
ken after the signing Of the treaty, except
ing only the Islands hereinafter mentioned,
shall be restored without delay"
Astoria al the mouth Of the Columbia
river, and other posts in the interior on the
banks Of that stream were settled in 1911 |
by the Pacific Fur Company under the
auspices Of our government. BY these
settlements which were prior to any other
upon the coast, we exhibited to ne world
an open possession Of the country BY the
American fag--the emblem Of our sOver-
eighty, floating from the little stOeade. Dur
ling the wal, which soon succeeded, Asto.
ria was taken BY the British sloOp Of war
Raccoon. On the 10th Of December,
l1sls, the place was surrendered 70 The
British Commander, who raised the Brit
lish standard and gave to Astoria the name
Of Fort George.
Alter the treaty Of 1914, in accordance
with a stipulation therein contained e he
restoratiohOF 81 places taken during the
war, England Immediately delivered to rs,
Astoria, and other places taken by herr
Had she been n possession Of any claim
Ito this northwest coast orferTiiorg. i would
not have been IN accudance with her char
actsr for diplomatic sagaeity, q viii her
thirst for territorial aggraudizemeni. thus 70
have restored without a niurmur these cap
tuned posts to the United States.
In the negotiation at London in ISIS,
between our Plenipoisntiaries AIr. Rush,
and Mr.. Gallaiin, and De British negotias
tors Mr. GouIbouIn and Mr.. Rohinson, De
, paralelof 90 deg. westward from he Lake
, Of the Woods toths Rocky Mountains was
settled, las before stated as ON northern