The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-14
TITLE TO OREGON IN 1746.
To fhc Editor of The Union:

SIR: In tho present state of the relations OF tho
United States with Great Britain, arising from the
respective claims OF the Two countries to Ore Son,
is due to the former that her people should be fully
possessed of all the information which may tend to
convince them of the justice Of the American claim
Let thorough conviction be produced, not by mere
assertion, but by facts and dates well authenticated
on the pages of the historian, that our country is
clearly in the right and England clearly in tho wrong;
and then shall be approved before
sciences and the world if shall at last determine
to defend our hitherto acknowledged territory
against British invasion by force and arms. The
unanimity already exhibited upon this subject
throughout the length and breadth of our country,
is most gratifying TO the patriot and well calculated
to inspire the administration with courage and
strength. If England were wise, would she no,
pause and deliberate before she invades great
public, full of youthful vgor and courage fired with
holy and virgin patriotism, and, above all, UNITED
"a republic, whose youthful energies twice before
though crippled by treason and disunion, were yet
sufficient to humble her imperial pride with defeat
and disaster on the field of battle'
But let us to it, that the present remarkable
ununmity of public sentiment be not COMPOUNDED
with sudden outbreak Of popular passion and OF
enth usiastc patriotism, which have not and
conviction for their basis, and are easily discour-
aged when war shall actually lift his horrid front
There ia but one remedy against public sentiment
thus fraught with i'll and deception to the govern
ment 1t consists in enlightenng the people with
facts and figures Show them the utter groundless-
ness of England's pretensions, the fallacy Of her
diplomatic arguments, and, in one word, CONVINCE
them Of the justice and righteousness Of our cause,
and such conviction will be OVERLOOKING fountain
of hope, hrmness, courage and patriotism in times
Of disaster, and of temperance and moderation when
our arms shall finally be laid down in triumph and
victory.
The diplomatic correspondence on the part Of the
American government, with the very mastery ex-
position of the Oregon question IN it's minute de-
tails, by the Hon. Caleb Gushing, arc invaluable to
the country, and should be read and re-read by eve
ny American citizen who desires TO know the right
and the wrong of this great national controversy.
Let them be printed and reprinted, until they shall
be found in every city and hut between the Atlantic
and the confines of the Great West. But yet |
have seen little or published information touch
ing the Spanish claim to Oregon, conceded by the
world, and particularly by Great Britain herself,
prior to the voyage of Meares, in 1888. In some
points of view, this may be deemed unimportant.
Thus, it may be said that the Nootka Sound con-
vention of 1870 implies the prior sovereignty OF
Spain. There are, however, some points of view
in which the Spanish claim before 1888, conceded
by England, may be brought TO the aid Of the
American claim under the Spanish purchase of
| 1919.
/. If the Nootka Sound convention gave Eng
land noabsolute rights Of sovereignty, If it did, but
they shall be deemed abrogated by the subsequent war
with Spain, then England claims the right to occu-
py Oregon as territory hitherto unknown, unoccu-
! pied, and unclaimed.
| g. England claims in her own right by discov-
cry, and by settlements under the Hudson Bay
Company; but if she fail here she still claims Orc
gon as unknown, unoccupied, and unclaimed by
any before herself
| The American claim by discovery and settlement
is believed to be full answer to these pretensions
but England is completely estopped by the fact
that her early historians and seogrhers hare not ont
positively ,reI',ded her from making any claim TO Mort
american territory upon the Pacific but expressly con
csde the same 10 Spain.
u The rnth this assertion will appear most clesrl,