Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-01-07
Mr.. Calhoun to Mr. Packenham.
WASHINGTON. Sd Sent. 1914.


The Undersigned, American Plenipo-
Tertiary, declines the proposal of the Bri-
fish penipotentiary, on the ground that it
would have the effect of restricting the
possessions of the United States TO limits
far more circumscribed than their claims
clearly entitIe them to. 1t proposes to H.
nit their northern boundary by a line
drawn from the Rocky mountains along
the 49ih parable of latitude to the north
eastprnmo branch of the Columbia river,
and thence down the middle OF tnat river
to the sea--giving To Great Britain all the
country north. and 10 the United States
all south of the line, except detnehed
territory exte ding on the Paciffc and the
Straits of Fuca, from B Ifnch's harbpr to
Hoods canal. To which it is pr posed in
addition, 10 make tree to the United States
any port which the United States govern
ment might desire, either on the mainland
or on Vancouver's island, south of latl-
tnde 40 deg.
By turning 10 The map hereto annexed
and on which the proposed boundary is
marked in pencil, it will he seen that il
region (on its north side) drained by The
Columbia river; IL ing on ITS northern bank
1t is not deemed necessary To state a
large The claims of the United States &c
this territory, and the grounds on which
they rest, In order TO make good the as
serton that 1t restricts the possessions "
the United States within narrower bnundi
than they are clearly entitled to. 1t vii
he snffirient for this purpose TO show tia
they are fairly entitled to the entire regI"r
drained by the river; and TO The establish
, ment of this point, the undersigned pro
poses accordingly to limit his remarks a
present.
Our claims to the portion of the terrific
nv drained by the Columbia river may b'
divided into those we have In our ow
proper right, and those we have derive
: from France and Spain. We ground tn
) former, as against Great Britain, on pr
/. GRITTY of discovery and priority of explora
!: ton and settlement. We rest our clair
j., to discovery, as against hef, on that {
a Captain Gray, citizen of the Unite
i States. who in the ship Columbia, of Boz
Q ton, passed its bar and anchored in the r
h We: len miles above its mouth, on the III
t Of May, 1892; and who afterwards sale
!. up the river twelve or fifteen miles, an
!. left it on the ooh Of the same month. cal
= ing it IS Columbia" after bis ship, whic
r. name it still retains.
vi On these facts, our claim to the disc
h very and entrance into the river rest
r. They are too well attested to be contr
IS verted. But they have been opposed
nj The alledged discoveries Of Meares al
nt Vancouver. It's true that the former e
Al plored portion of the coast thro' whi'
n. the Columbia flows into the ocean, in l7S
le five years before Capt. Gray crossed q
,e bar and anchored in the river,l in order
ri ascertain whether the river, as laid dos
xtl in the Spanish charts, and called the
ID Roe, existed or not : bat tits equally tr
a. thui he did not even discover it. On /
no contrary he expressly declares, in his Q
ey count Of the voyage. as the result OF
Of observations, that 8 sOe can n0aU sufely I
y. sert Tint there Is no sach riUer as that
r. The st. Roc as laid do,Dn IN the Span
" charts;'' and as if TO perpetua,e his d
he appointment, he called the promoniie
a.. living north of the inlet where he expe
,se ed TO discover it. Cape Disappointing
o, and the inlet itself, Deception Bay ]
r. also true that Vancouver in April, II