Richmond daily Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1842-1861, 1846-05-29
Mr. Benton's Great Speech.

r. bentOh's SpeeCh.
The numerous and pressing demands upon columns
NJ this moment. will permit TO publish al length the
able and conclusive OF the Senator from Nilsson
n in which, with n pencil OF light, he traces the true
boundary line between the American and British possess
ions Oregon. We fobear. however, to present
20 our readers condensed OF his leading positions
The basis Of Mr.. Benton's argument is this-that the
country presents three distinct geographical divisions to
each Of which different claim and different degree OF
claim attaches and which be COMPOUNDED under
one general without general mystiheston aud to-
tai confusion OF the whole subject The Columbia river
md IL. valley OF these divisions, the Islands along
the coast is another: Frazers and its valley is the
third.
Beginning with the Islands" which he describes ga
network large, small chequered in together,
and covering the the extent of two, and
three hundred miles in front OF the continent ne
proceeds titles Of the nations which at
different periods made discoveries that region but
OF which made permanent settlements. In neither
the title the value OF these islands does he thing
fight about. His conclusion is that "our title TO these
islands better than that of the British. bot that neither
bperfect for OF settlement; aud that now, propo
sed 1884, they should follow the fate OF the continental
divisions in front of which they le.'
The second division OF Oregon is called Frazers
and valley, the upper part which good for navga
don but the lower part wholly unnavigabe for any spe
OF craft Our claim to it upon the Spanish
~ of 1885, and the claim OF Spain wholly upon her
discoveries among the Islands. At the that
quired this Spanish claim, Mr. Benton says, the country
Ind already discovered &c years by the British had
been settled by them for twelve years known BY
British name and no Span.ard had made track upon
its banks And he quotes from book OF travels written
by American, Mr.. David Harmon, and published in
1870, giving description OF this country called Neo
Caledonia, show that it then universally regarded
British province. and that the slightest suspicion
entertained that it belonged Spain. Indeed he
afiirms that the Spanards claimed themselves
Holding up 81 40 map, he showed that that line which
takes in the province OF New Caledonia would embrace
line OF British posts from Fort Mcleod head to
Fort Langley its mouth, and from Thompson's Fork on
side Suar Fork the other. And here The said
clusters OF British imposed by the British visible
every where-FOrts George st. James, Simpson, Thomp-
son, Frazer and others and lakes with these names
and Others" This famous line, sarng the sea- gives
US, by quarter of an inch the map Fort Simpson :,
named after the British Governor Simpson and founded
by the Hudson's Bay Company. Upon what principle we
take this British Fort said Nh b. know not" This
the country which geography and history FIVE and twen
years ago, called New Caledonia, and treated as Brit
lsh possesson-andt is the country which an organized
parry among ourselves OF the present day call the Ao Of
Oregon nome ana every inch OF which they say belongs
NJ B. then read several extracts from the IN
OF the American Secretary OF State to Mr. Rush
then Minister Great Britain order to show that
time years ser the Spanish treaty was nego
tsled claimed only the parallel AZ and not foo,
beyond, concedng that Frazers river and its valley our
ute TO which President Polk Pronounres 'cear and
unquestonabe," province Of the British Empire
sThe British said Mr.. Benton.) who know all this mus
be astonished ffyfour forty fever Of to-day
This par, Of his argument is thus summed up:
'Cn Friday, Mr.. President read one passage from the
documents OF 1923 to let you see that y.four forty or
that is the true residing of fyyo) had been offered to
Britain for her northern boundary to-day read YOU
from the same documents show the same
hing. And let remark mUTe-the remark will
bear repetuon-these offers made by the
who had acquired the Spanish le Oregon and who
must be presumed to know much about Whose
acquaintance with Oregon dates from ie epoch Of the Ba
umore COnvenon-whose love for 1t dates from the
is promugauon party watchwurd--whose knOwedg-
ofHeHtends TO the luminous pages Of Mr. GreeDhow book
"SiT times Mr. Monroe aud his Cabinet renounced Fra
and It's valley and left the British They
did the ineligible principle that the British had dis
covered II, and settled and the sexual possession
Of il when got the Spanish claim which claim spain
made Upon this prime ipe NeV CALEDONIA was left
10 the Bnush in 1928 Upon what principle claimed
now
This is what Mr.. Monroe and his Cabinet thought OF
title 70 the whole OF Oregon nOne the year 1893
They took neither branch Of this proposition They did
not 90 for all or none for some They took some and
left and they divided by line night in itself and
convenient ITSELF and mutually suitable each party
This President and his Cabinet carry their INDIGESTION
able night" to Oregon far 49, and further This
exactly what done SIX before. Mr. Galan aud
MIR. Rush offered the same line being the continuation
the line Of Utrecht describing by that name in their
despatch Of October 2Oth 1875 and covering the valley
Of the Columbia which they alleged title to be
indsputabe. Mr.. Jefferson had offered the same line IN
1907 All these offers Leave Frazsr's river and its valley
20 the British, because they discovered and settled IT, All
IhesO offers hold the Columbia river and is valley
because discovered aud settled It and all these offers
loi the principle Of contguiy continuity work equally
the British the American side Of the line Of u
ueeht
This is what the statesmen did who made the nequi
Huon OF the Spanish claim 10 Oregon in 1919 Ia four
Aft do they had roT.rr d.lI.
Great Britain and thought OF arra gning Them
for IT, Most Of these Statesmen have gone through fery
trials SINCE and been ercey assaed on all the deeds Of
teir lives, but never heard Of Of them being called TO
account much less lose election for part be acted In
offering 40 TO Great Britain 1928, any other time
For my part, thought they right then and think
now; was Senator ihen am now. thought with
them that New Caledonia belonged to the Bnti.h and
thinking STILL and acng upon the hrst hat Of great
maIimask nothing but what's right shall not ask them
for IT. much less fight them Tor 1t now"
The third geographical division Of the contested coun
ny furnishes MI Benton the subject for the application OF
the second half " the great maxim submit 10 nothing
thst wrong And We cannot do him justice on this point
without quoting his own language. lie says.
81 come to the river Columbia snd lis vas, and r,ie
cent valley. / made description Of M viii a.
rnathems against he alienation. described n by 1et,
and bounds-by marks and featuros-and then wrote its
name face. The hftyour iores got hold Of INV d.
FcnpOUn-rubbod out the name-obtcaiod the fsatuies-
rpandeJ the bounisros-tOOk 10 New CALEDONIA, aud o
she rivers i1kes, bays sounds, Islands, valleys forts
settlements oil the way up TO 81 40. and then turned mi
own anathoma against myself because their minds cou
rot apply words 10 things. Well take no offence az this
There some people too simple to get angry with. Al
do with them the West, 10 have them "cu for th
smpes;" after which they cured. They perform hi
superstition iOt homsoyos have done. by themsolvo
s they have do rob their eyes, aud read arsin n b
Others the operator read and caution the listening pa
ueut 20 stick the word 90 the thng.
The valley u the Columbia b ours By discovery
~ settlement, and by the treaty Of Utrecht and has TO-
nf,on, been admitted by Great British admit Of he
dapuune now do not plead uto that great cOun
~. did that twenty yoars ago, when there fow
Fepoat applaud what said. I pass over the grown
which uod 20 long ago, snd which hiss been seain .
much rodden Of late snd take up the question a. fes
plaoe-hs Submissions Of Crest Britain. and show tina
ss IL pfscluded by her words from ever set
ting up any claim 70 the river and valley Of the Columbia
sny part Of the Territory south Of the ash degree"
Mr.. Benton then enters into elaborate histories
sketch Of As,ora-whioh, he says not mere fadin