The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1846-02-07

SUDStIluI6Os if 4s5f NJ
That il was not restored 10 the Uni
ted States " with certain well-authenti-
Gated reservations" fully appears from
the act OF restoration itself. bearing
date 9Th October, 1918. This is as
absolute and unconditional as the Eng
lsh language can make ii. Thatthls
was according to the intention Of Lord
Castlereagh. clearly appears from his
previous admission to Mr.. Rush OF the
right Of the Americans to be reinstated,
and to be the party in possession while
treating on the title. If British minis
ters afterwards, IN dispatches 10 their
own agents, the contents OF which
were not communicated to the govern
meHt of tine u. States, thought proper to
protest against our title, these were, in
effect, but mere mental reservations,
which could not affect the validity of
their own solemn and unconditional act
of restoration. d
But the British plenipotentiary, not
withstanding the American discovery of
the Columbia by Captain Gray, and
the exploration by Lewis and Clark of
several of IFS branches, from their sour-
ces ir the Rocky Mountains, as well as
its main channel to the ocean, contends
that because Thompson, British sub
ject in the employment of the North
west company, was the first who nav
igated the northern branch of that riv-
er, the British government thereby ac-
quired certain rights against the United
States, the extent of which he does not
undertake to specify. In other words,
that after one nation had discovered
and explored great river, and several
tributaries, and made settlements on its
banks, another nation, if it could find
a single branch of its head waters
which had not been actually explored,
might appropriate to itself this branch,
together with the adjacent territory.
II this could have been done, it would
have produced perpetual strife and col
lision among the nations after the dis
covery of America. 1t would have Vi
olated the wise principle consecrated
by the practice of nations, which gives
the valley drained by river and its
branches to the nation which had frs.
discovered and appropriated its mouth.
But, for another reason, this alleged
discovery of Thompson has no merits
whatever. His journey was underta-
ken on behalf of the Northwest Com
pany for the mere purpose of anticipa.
ting the United States in the eccupa-
ton of the mouth OF the Columbia-a
territory to which no nation, unless it
may have been Spain, could with any
show Of justice dispute their right
They had acquired it by discovery and
by exploration, and were now in the
act Of taking possession. Ii was in an
enterprise undertaken for such pur-
pose, that Thompson, in Fastening from
Canada to the mouth of the Columbia,
descended the north, arbitrarily assu-
med by Great Britain to be the main
branch of this river. The period was
far too late to impair the title of either
Spain or the United States by any such
proceeding.
Mr.. Thompson, on his return, was
accompanied by party from Astoria,
under Mr.. vidStuart,who established
a postal the confluence ofthe Okinagan
with the north branch of the Columbia,
about six hundred miles above the mouth
of the latter.
In the next year Q8l9) a second ira
ding post was established by a party
from Astoria, on the Spokan, about six
hundred and fifty miles from the ocean.
1t thus appears that. previous 10 the
capture of Astoria by the British, the
Americans had extended their posses
sions up the Columbia six hundred and
fifty miles. The mere intrusion Of the
Northwest Company into this territory,
and the establishment OF tive or three
trading posts, in 1911 and 1879, on the
head waters Of the river, can surely not
interfere with or impair the Spanish
American title. What this company
may have done in the intermediate pc
riod until the goth October, i81S-.the
date of the first treaty of joint occu-
pation-is unknown to the undersigned,
from the impenetrable mystery in which
they have veled their proceedings.-
After the date Of this treaty, neither
Great Britain nor the United States
could have performed any act affecting
their claims to the disputed territory.
To sum up the whole, then, Great
Britain cannot rest her claims to the
northwest coast OF America upon dis
covery. AS little will her single claim
by settlement at Nootka Sound avail
ner. Even Belsham, her own histori-
an, forty years ago, declared it to be
certain, from the most authentic infor-
nation, " that the Spanish flag flying