The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1846-02-25


way the lands on this continent; and even that
discovery that landing upon the territory--un- /
less accompanied and followed by settlement, /
gave no title. Why, that was a very wise saving /
.efQaeel Eliz tbeth. What right had she herself
to give any portion of this territory any more
than the Pope Of Rome2
Coming dowa TO this pretended principle, that
ha discovery of the mouth Of a river gives title
to all The land watered by that river and its trbu
iares-and this is the ground on which we con
tend that the Mississippi valley, among the rest,
belongs to us--lhatttle is parcel of the rights
by which yon bold that seat, and by which all
property IS held. This charter of Charles |, to-
the Colony Of Massachusetts Bay, gives from 40i
10 AS degrees Of latitude, without reference to
any rivers. TIE kings Of England, following the
example of the Pope of Rome, underto, to
grantlands all over this continent, and upon such
terms as they thought proper. When they found
the mouth of river, and it was fer their interest
10 claim the territory watered BY that river, they
il. Louis XIV gave TO Frozart-and Il a,
is the title by which we still holl that county
he gave him no land, but gave him merely the
power to trade with the Mississippi river and Its
tributaries, because that river bad been discover
ed by French subjects many years before coming
from Canada.
All these titles are imperfect. Discovery is,
therefore no tide Of ITSELF Exploration comes
next. Fiat gives something more Of titc.--
Continuity and Contiguiiy both concur to give a,
title. Fhey are none Of them perfect in them
selves. There is nothing complete in the way
Of title, but actual possession; and that is the on
ly thing we now want to have aporlect, clear, in
dsputable, and uudoubtcd right 10 the territory
ofOregon. 1t is possession; 1t is occupation, if
you please Well, sir, we have made Two con-
ventions with Great Brtain---onc in 1918, one in
1S27-by which we have not agreed to anything
like joint occupation. Sir, in the days of Sir
John Falstaf, SO facetiousy alluded TO by The
gentleman from Ohio [Mr. Starkweatherl the
other day, he says, ga captain--these villains
will make the word captain as odious as the word
occupy, which was an excellent good word be-
foio it was i-sorted." Now this eoccupaion"
is as odious in some parts, as Sir John Falsaf
said the word ''occupy" was in his time, after ii
had been ''l-sorted" !" There is no occupation
now. Occupation is the thing we want Occu-
patton is what am for putting an end to that
convention for; because it says we shall not &C.
cupy that territory.
The gentleman from Georgia, in his personal
remarks to me, has thought proper to call upon
IlG W Sdg WuNs Ill 1910 utu d1lll i'll 100 ~, NdS
willing to agree to this convention with Great
Britain, while | now pretend to say we have a
right TO the whole of Oregon. Why, | viii tell
the gentleman and this House.
Mr.. King (Mr. A. yielding the hoo) explain
ed that he had asked the gentlemen why he did
not enter protest against the claim asserted by
Great Britain, if he believed we had the right to
the whole territory.
Mr.. Adams, continuing. | will eudearor to
answer the gentleman according to his own idea,
why did net enter protest. In the first in
stance, it was in a subordinate capacity that !
acted as Secretary of State, under most excel
lent man, whose memory | shall always retain
with veneration-James Monroe, the President
of the United States; and in the second place,
when held the Office of President Of the United
States did make the protest in the convention
ITSELF II the gentleman will read the convention
oyer again, he will see formal protest against
the claim of Great Britain. The thild article Of
the convention of 1918 is as follows:
"It is agreed that any country that may be
claimed by either party on the northwest coast of
America, westward of the Stony mountains, shall,
together with its harbors, bays and creeks, and
the navigation of all rivers within the same, be
free and open for the term OF ten years from the
date Of the signature Of the present convention,
TO the vessels, citizens and subjects of the two
powers: it being we'll understood that this agree
ment is not to be construed to the prejudice of
any claim which either of the two high contract
ing parties may have to any part of the said coun-
try; nor shall it be taken to affect the claims of
any other power or state to any part of the said
country: the only object Of the high contracting
parties, in that respect, being toprevent disputes
and differences among themselves"
Is that joint occupation? or separate occupa-
ton3 asked Mr.. A. No such thing 1t is non
occupation. The territory is TO be free and open
X to all the world--to the vessels, citizens and
aubects of the two powers forton years; and this
CONVENTION is expressly declared not to affect any
claim If either of the two high contracting par
ties, "nof'--please to observe this, for mean to
draw an argument from the wording bere--''nor
is It TO be taken to affect the claim of any other
pore" She only object".--now, sir, give my
answer to the gentleman from Georgia--"being
toprcVont disputes and differences among tic
contracting parties.
That is the object; and that being the only OBJ,
iect, and the article itself being confined to ten
years. is there not decided intimation that al
the end of that ten wears, differences would come
agam? Is there not a sufficiently clear protest
against any claim Great Britain may have? And
not only so, but reservation of the rights of any
other party? Who was that other party? Spain
was, and that is a very clear and explicit admis.
sion that Spain had right in that country whicI
was not to be affected
Well, this was in 1878. Now this convention
was stipulated for fen years; and desire th
committee to observe this very expression, show
ing that both parties understood that this question
IS TO their respective claims was not to be set
tied during the course Of that len years; but a
the expiration of that term, they would como u
amin II nnlLiILnl nlnrni ~ ell