Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-04-04

'sYour letter of April 25h enclosing the British project Of
convention Of limits, and your proposed amendments have
been duly received The following observations explain
the which the President authorizes you to close and
sign the instrument:
The modification of the 9th article (noted which
the British commissioners would have agreed to) may be
admitted in that proposed by you them be not at
tanabe. But much to be wished and pressed, though
not made umatum that the roUiso to both should be
omitted This is in view whatever, necessary, and
have little other effect than offensive innation TO
Spain that claims extend to the Pacific How
reasonable such claims may be- compared with those OF
others, II is mpolic especially at the present momen TO
strengthen Spanish ealousies of the United States which
1t is probably object with Great Britain TO excite by the
clause in question"
This Mr.. President was Mr.. Jefersons opinion of the
line of 49ofor it hroughout-n its whole extent "adf-
nifeiy settled under the treaty of Utrecht and not only
for it, but earnestly and pressingy He for cutting
off the provso and letting the line through to the
And who and what Mr. Jefferson, in relation to this Ore
gon river the title which have been settled by this
line He was might say its very dscoverer for, long
before the time of Lewis and Clarke, and before that OF
Gray, when in another part of the wordwhen the United
States Minister to France under the Conederaton-hs pho
sophie mind told him that the lofty ridge Of the Rocky Noun
tains penetrating the region Of eternal snow and tavesng
the country north and SOUTH must waters each
the west well the easand send river to the Pacific
ocean well to the Gulf of Mexico his phiosophc
mind saw this and his practical genius proposed the eaza
on Of his vision. The young and intrepid traveller Ledya
petition in which he unfortunately lost his life Mr. JEFF
erson proposed him elaqush that design-to betake
himself to new theaeto the world, and to the west
en slope OF the North American continent He proposed 10
him to proceed to St. Petersburg, furnished with the proper
letters to obtain the permission and the protection Of the Rus
sian Government to proceed overland to Kamschakacross
the at Behring's straits-foow the down until be
came TO the great river which must be heethen follow it
up to its source in the Rocky crossing over
come down the Missouri This what Mr. jefferson propos
ed to Mr. Ledyard sixty years ago twenty years after
wards, and when President of the United States he carried
his idea into effect through the expedition Of Lewis and Clarke
Their expedition the execution of the object proposed
Ledyard and nobly did they it, Their route
particularly valuable They discovered the the
return voyage which will be the commercial between
and Asia The after their return, Mr.. Henry Of Mis-
discovered the South Pass and through the overland
line of travel will forever be but the return Of Lewis
and Clarke will be the route of commerce presents but
hundred and miles Of land carriage between the Great
Falls of the Missouri and the Upper Falls of the Columbia
passing the mountains through low gap and fertile
try, long marked by large Indian and buffalo road.
Mr. Jefferson in this proposition 10 Ledyard and in this
expedition of Lewis and Clarke, stands forth the virtual dis
and almost the father of the Columbia river II
not merely object Of SCIENCE but of the greatest utility
He looked to it for great practical benefits his country yet
he forty ago. in the year after the return of Lewis
and Clarke and when enthusiasm for their filled every
BOSOM and his than ALL proposed, and not only
proposed but pressed the proposition to make 400 the line Of
division throughout to the He knew very well what he
about then, and where that line would run, The coast
of the Pacific had been well surveyed the OF the Co
umbia from its mouth the Upper Falls near the mouth
Clarke river just below latitude 49o meandered by Lewis
and Clarke, and well presented in their map He knew what
he about and he proposed the latitude of 400 through
out mention this historical fact and to show his opn-
ion of the treaty of Utrecht And here close what have
in relation to that treaty depending upon British and
American authority II surely enough but there
Their party to the reaFance and, to complete the proof
will be appropriate convenient to conclude the matter
with brief exhibition Of French testimony. Here is (sad
Mr. b., displaying huge folio Volumes and opening some
maps y here it Poslewas COMMERCIAL Dictionary with
DAnville's maps dedicated to the Duke Of Orleans.
Mr. b. then pointed out the line established under the treaty
of Utrecht and read the account of it given a
the upper ehand corner of the map. The description
in these words
''7he line that parts French Canada from British Cana
da ,cas settled by commissaes after the peace Of Utrecht
making from Dauiss Inlet, The atlantic Sea-
down to the Ash degree through the Lake AJiibs to the
Northwest Ocean therefore Mr.. DAapiles dotted line
east Of Janes's Bay, is false"
This map made by DAnvle, the great French geog-
apher of his age and dedicated the Duke of Orleans
said TO have been made under the patronage of the Duke
who SAID IN note upon the map, to have expended
thousand pounds upon construction and engraving The
late Duke probably the Regent Duke who governed
France during the minority Of Louis XIV and if So the
map may be considered the work of the French Govern
ment itself BE that it may, is the authentic French
testimony in favor Of the line of Utrecht that line upon the
existence of which the Senator from Michigan has staked
the reversal of his Oregon position.
MIR. b. said he great advocate for the map arpu-
mentor the collection of piles of maps having
line upon it. the other without line, and then assigning the
victory to the taest pile He great advocate for this
argument and if he was the maps before him would
be fine illustration of its foy for the before me- though
made by the author, and adopted the work.
would fall into different piles, with and without
the line with and without the descriptive
dunn Confronted in pile, where the biggest pile
carry the day, they would neutaze each oher but exam-
ed by the of chronology and the lights Of history they
came consistent Ineligible, and potent One made
1852, the other in 1885, ADD each right according its
time In the interval between these two dates namely, in
1853, the line ceased to exist Great Britain acquired Cana
da the line longer had application and from that time
ceased 10 appear maps What necessary 1852 be-
came useless in 1866.
The great fact is established. The commssaries did
meet under the treaty of Utrecht they did execute the stpu
ations Of that treaty they did determine the limits between
the French and British North America and the
parallel OF forty nine from the Lake of the Woods indefinitely
to the west of the boundaries established by them
make application of this fact. draw argument
from it. do not apply it to the question of title.
arguing title, and will do but vndcaiing history
asssed at vital point by the book which has been quoted
and endorsed indicating the intelligence of the Amer
Senate exposed to contempt in the eyes of Europe by
supposed ignorance of treaty which Of the great political
landmarks in Europe and America and am demonstrating to
the Senator from Michigan that the condition has become alb
soute which he bound himself yesterday reverse his
Oregon position. t ts1 -l.at i}
Mr.. President the Senator from Michigan gives some
just and wise observations tho frivolous and ridiculous
causes which have sometimes involved great nations in
ble But think that, Of his illustrations he fell
into misapplcason of historical fact and that without
the aid OF Greenhows book. II the of the