Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-21

| SPEECH OF Mr. ISAAC E. HOLMES,
OF SOUTH CAROLINA,
On the Resolution authorizing the President TO
glue the notice for The TERMINATION Of the john
occupancy Of HE Oregon Territory.
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,, JANUARY 29, 1916.
The House being in Committee Of the Whole on the state
Of the Unoi-
Mr.. HOLMES rose and addressed the committee as fol-
lows Mr. Chairman the subject before the committee is Ore
gon. Where it, and what it From lts bosom, if by
the enchantes wand, there has sprung dark spirit the
ar now soaring this peaceful country the dusky
pnlons OF cnd, with the restless and rowing eye Of the vu
tnre for the field Of carnage Oregon What is it. Is il
the quality Of her soil Is the wealth that is contained in
her mineral boso the capacousness Of her bays the clear
and the apdy Of her streams that have invested her
with these magic hues have listened itently for the
reasons, and do most consccnousy declare that the whole
Of them have been resolved into simple propositions
First, that the title IL unquesoned and unquestionabe.
Secondly that the Of freedom be extended And
upon these abuets 10 I've sprung great arch that
to- cover the whole question with all s mighty influence I'm
questionable and unquestoned Why, ST. is ot lfnques-
donabs, because it has been questioned and viii be
questioned, because it will be questionable Sir deny
IA toto any right any claim 10 that territory, any part
parcel thereof that does not appean with equal force and
efficiency TO the Power Of Great Britain. And do not by
fair reasoning bring, demonstrate this position,
willing to give up and forever any claim logical
powets The title that you have met passu by Great
Britain Wence then, do you derive your title Is by
rules and laws that limit discovery and exploration If the
discovery Of Gray and the exploration by Clarke and Lewis Of
the branches of the Columbia river do any thing, they
give the right and title to the waters Of the Columbia and
TO the lands watcred by that river TO that extent
The right which applies to you applies with equal efficiency
Great Britain The discovery by Cook and tho cxploa
ton by Mackenzie Of the waters north of 1872 give to Great
Britain that region. Gentlemen apply the rule us
and denyt TO Great Britain. Will contguy which has been
much talked of point Of title, give any thing that
must not equally appertain to her Contguy title
that enables the civilized portion Of country TO roll up
the savage portion contiguous adjoining You
cumscbed within the rules applicable TO that title. And what
does that give you The country that contiguous prox
mate to 49 Ifyou have it by conguty how will de-
prve Great Britain by the title Of that beyond 49o
ask gentleman here in his deep acunen, the extent
his analysis and the discrimination Of his powers able
discriminate between the claims Of the Governments to
these respective portions of the territory the H.
tie of contguiy So far, therefore, the title to separate
portions of this territory concerned you have title equally
good But you content with that You say must
have the territory not to 490 but to $40 40.
Where is your title Our title, you say, the Spanish
deed giving the investure Of 1879 Is Sd have
looked into the deed Does il purpor to convey the
eighty Of Spain the territory Of Oregon the United States
Look at it, II is II conveys all the claim that Spain
had, and is limited by the claim that Spain had And what
claim had she Exactly that (and wish TO be this
point if be metz which the Nootka Sound treaty le
hernothng You claim through Spain, end you then
back the old Spanish title Of discovery and expora
ton Spain. in the 1919. had any title derived from
discovery exploration want hia propoeioq 0n<At5
sAsd 70 logical pinds, that you have no fs By dce,
- j - On: n ~: RI r. !, ss. 49, e.
- = - 11I'
G G ESs q ID ~ e Z
i porsssss, 30 y u 8
Spain commended nrsy Of 4t region. On tie eroand
prior discovery sS Britain Inserted the clsim
and these claims became nearly the Of
What did Great Britain do BY her preparations for she
coerced Spain into treaty. For what For privilege
from Spain No for the acknowledgment OF right She
to war; about do The convention Of the
Escuria followed And what did II do Under that con-
vention deed drawn by which Spain and Great Britain
mutually agreed to renqush their respective Claims to the
specve portions of the territory and TO enter for certain va
uabe considerations both sides, upon joint tenancy IN
which the sovereignty Gas it temed was to be left in
allegiance, but the usufuc in perpetuity II would be pre-
70 by "a legal tile, which conquest would have
given her she would renquish that title and take defea
sible title. 1t would be chids play. But it was child
play. Great Britain played no such game.
Great Britain and Spain therefore, entered into deed Of
joint covenant rsInquishng specific claims and BY that
nquishment purchasing joint How does the Secrca
y Of State who has Brought 60 bear all the acumcn Of his
mind this subject endcavcr to evade this question BY
the abstract statement of position which not true
boldly position which is ruenamel that rights by
treaty destroyed by and that the subsequent war D.
tween Spain and Great Britain destroyed the le Sir
deny the proposition The law of nations is this all treaties
containing privileges, all prcge acquired by treaty melt
away with but all rights secured by the treaty enure
after Igive familiar illustration. We entered into
treaty with Napoleon for the purchase Of the great Louisiana
territory. Suppose go TO with France TO-
morrow would Arkansas Louisiana, and Mississippi revert
back Surely moi, Why Because ii is treaty Of right
But If we with Great Britain tomorrow, we
should lose the fisheries the Banks of Newfoundland
Why Because the treaty stipulated them as privilege
And that question comes round now Did Spain confer
privilege on Great Britain by the treaty Of the Escufia did
she acknowledge right What the treaty intended for
To remedy an evil. What was the evil That Spain had
nteercd with rights Of England, set up in opposition to
those of Spain The consummaion of the treaty that
the conflicting rights Of parties merged in JOINT right
And for the Does that deed that the British
have receipt from Spain for any Of these privileges No
but il says that hereafter the two contracting parties shall
Jointly occupy the ands and make settlements wherever they
peasereservng The sovereignty these particular settle
with the right Of ngess and egress to the sub
ects of the other nation
Gentlemen say, and TO most Of thep is vision Of hor
ror that the American and the British people would be
PEELED live upon the soil under different laws Sir, 10
my vision, is Of the most beautiful, anma
ting and scusng conceptions that the eye 81 imagination
can contemplate had hoped that the experiment Of joint
occupancy about tofocshadow apocaypc that
nations would hereafter have dwell together unity that
longer lands ntesected by firth would make
mics OF nations which else like kindred Drops had melted
into one - that from the bosom Of that far-oH region would
have risen the morning OF peace that would have