The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1846-08-06
sgLlrtsa als ., From the Ohio Statesman.
THE DOCUMENTS. CONNECTED I,
WITH THE OREGON TREATY. i

tnc THilauelpnu NOTttl American oil the
23d, publishes the documents connected
withsthos treaty by which we rendered UP
our claim tothes larger portion ef the dispu-
ted territory in Oregon. How tbey.were ob-
tained for that paper,is not stated, as the
seal Of secresy has not beenremoved by the
Senate. But it matters very little, the means
by which they were brought the light of day.
The people have right to their persuaI, and,
provided no dishonest act was committed in
getting possession of them, our PHILADELPHIA
cotemporaryis is entitled to praise for putting
them forth. f s Ms fe v
We have not room for heightened com
ment on these papers. Their contents cam
not operate to change the opinion already
expressed by us respecting the cesson of 50
much ofour territory 10 England, in the face
ofso many, so osolemn, and SO oft-repeatod
declarations on the part of our government
ofits intention to pursue course precisely
opposite in IFS character. 1t has bccn said,
that when the documents should be publish
ed, the President would stand justified be-
forethe country. they are now before the
world, and we can find nothing calculated
to produce so desirable result in any por-
tion of them, --unless the confirmation of our
worst fears as 10 the cbaracterof the treaty,
is to be SO regarded, ON the principle that
any certainty is better than doubt and suss
pense. .asis 81
Ii will be seen that there is no Limitation
as TO time, in the grant of the right of navi-
eating the Columbia River 10 the Hudson
Bay Company and these British subjects
who may trade with t--,hat is to say, to all
Britons who may have any direct interest in
the country. The privilege rnay last until
doomsday, if Englahd require it. This want
of defniteness ccniains the seeds of future
disputes, pefpaps of great wars; and thus we
have lost OUT territory without even secur-
ing the mere hope Of permanent peace, and
it was TO prevent wars and disputes that we
gave up six degrees ofcoast on what is fast
becoming the most important ocean Of the
world! Except that we have lost vastsec-
ltion ofcountry, the whole matter stands al
most where it did when the dispute com
menced. Is there, in The history of our d.
plomacy, any thing equalto SO wrotched
blundel?
The following isan extract from letter
written US on the subject Of the treaty, by a
distinguished gentlemen-in Washington, ai-
ter he bad persned the documents which we
now publish: at is a treaty by which we
yield everything that England asks of us,
and containing scarcely concession on her
part. Under the joint occupancy treaty of
1927, we had joint rights with England in
the whole of Oregon, but now we only have
joint occupant rights with her subactsin
less than one-half oft, The 3dariice says,
that in the future appropriations of the terri
tory south of the 49th parallel Of north lat-
tude,. as provided in the lst article of this
treaty, the possessory rights of the Hudson
Bay Company, and of all British subjects
who may be already in the occupation of
land or other property, lawfully acquired
within the said territory, shall be respected.
This, with the rights surrendered 10 the Pu;
get Sound Company, in the 4th article, and
the perpetual joint navigation Of the Colun-
ba, constitute one of the most slupendous
frauds, under the name of a,reaty, ever
pracIised upon the American people, by
those protesting American feelings, and to
be their representatives. What have we
left? Can any man say9 Must we not legis-
late over that portion ofthe territory south of
40, so as 10 promote all the rights of British
subjects?- Can we call even that portion of
territory ours? | look upon the matter as
placing us in the most disgraceful position
that great and powerful nation ever con-
sented TO be placed in; one from which we
shall never recover till we PROSTATE these
paper barriers, a recreant Senate has attemp-
tedto erect between us and, our rights
Just think of British forts, wiihtheir batteries
mounted, and manned with British subjects,
TO remain in The possession OF the Hudson
Bay Comsany, TO look US in tile face for all
,lme TO come, uponour own soil, south of
the COLUMBIA! Are VIC TO suffer ourselves
to be thus chained, Piometheus-like, to the |
rock, and a British vulture to feed upon our
There is Hercules that can aud
will tear our rights from such unworthy
hands, and preserve them by othermeans.
| begin 10 fear much the powers that ARE
claimed to belong to the treaty-making
branch Of the government. II begins well
to swallow up all other powers and make |
itself supreme. This was no question Of
boundary, in fact; if was aquestion whetherl
we owned the territory or Great Britain; and |
the two powers, through the treaty-making
power Of this country and that, have parii-
toned the country; they have really fixed
no boundary line, except that they have di-
vided the country by a line in part on the
49th parallel we have given to England
every military and commercial advantage
that she desired, and have palsied our own
rights and rendered them scarcely worth the
name.''