The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-06

leys dispute arose between England apd
France 10 regard 10 their territorial rights, and
fhe treaty Of Paris, concluded on the I0sh Of
February, 1868, settled tho boundary between those
two nations; and so much Of the 7th section as re-
ates thereto, 10 in these words;
The confines between the dominions OF his Britannia
Majesty Ia that part Of the world tthe eontinsnt Of A,as
middle d IL. Tssr Mispp om iss ,susss 70 tss river
esrslls and from themes BY line drawn along the mid
70 tina sea- &C.
BY this treaty Great Britain obtained the Cana.
das, Florida, and portion Of louisiana she parted
with all her claims west Of the Mississippi, rsceiy.
ed lhe full benefit Of the doctrine Of continuity, and
is therefore estopped now from denying the Prinei-
pie.
BY the treary ofLouisisna, dated on the 30th Of
April, 1903, We succeeded TO all the rights which
France acquired under the treaty Of 1893, and
have the full benefit Of the doctrine Of continuity,
as England once had to any country lying west Of
the Mississippi, to which she had claims
Now will examine very briefly the title which
We have to that territory in our own proper right,
growing out Of discoveries and settlements by this
government and lis eilzens.
In June, 1853, Captain Robert Gray, Of Boston,
explored the eastern coast OF Queen Charotte's
island. In the summer Of 1871, no visited the coast
Of the north Pacific, between $40 and 900 Of north
latitude. In May, l792, he discovered Bulhnch's
the mouth Of the Columbia river, which Heceta
could not do when he made the attempt in IT'S;
and both Meares and Vancouver, after examination,
denied the existence Of such a river. The uibu-
tares OF this river drain the territory Of Oregon
from the i2d to the SD parallels Of latitude. In
leO4-U5, an expedition made under our
government by Lewis and Clark, who visited and
minutely explored that country. In 1911, settle
ments were made by the American Company al
Astoria, near the mouth Of the Columbia river, at
okenegan, six hundred miles above, and at Spoksu,
some hfty miles further up. They were captured
by Great Britain during the Of 1912, and were
restored under the treaty Of Ghent the 9th day Of
October, 1918. IL cannot be successfully contended
that the surrender did not restore TO all the
try Of which we were Invested by the capture; for
the latter was commensurate with tho former act
Uniting as We do the title Of Spain, who, by dis
ooyeTy and exploration, was between two and three
centuries In advance OF any other nation on the
northwest coast Of America, the title OF France,
together with the title acquired in own right by
discovery, exploration, and settlement, which ID
certainly good against the claim Of Great Britain
we have complete and perfect tiue To the soil and
sovereignty Of the country between 40 and $40 40
north latitude.
The talented member from tn. Boston district
Mr.. WRTHRorl facetiously alluded 10 Adams
will and the Mormon Testament in eonneXion with
the Oregon question. As the British ministers have
hitherto been unable to locate this vagrant claim
Of ttle-some Of them relying solely on the Nootka
sound treaty, aud others mainly on dlscovery-l
must request my friend at his earliest leisure to
consult, with bis usual industry and research, the
pages Of the Mormon Testament and OF Adams
will and II the British title TO Oregon ID not record
ed in one Of those time honored instruments IL may
be fairly presumed that It does not exist any
where.
will next proceed to examine the Nootka treaty,
signed at the Escurial, October %, 1870. between
Great Britain and Spain. In order To a full under
standing Of the spirit and meaning Of that eonven-
uon, and TO the position assumed by Great Britain
al the time, It is important that we examine the cir
eumstances which gave rise 10 It. The celebrated
John Meares, who, as stated heretofore, was mere
ly supercargo OF Portuguese vessel, sailing under
the Portuguese flag, was the prime mover, the
Alpha and Omega of the Of difficulty between
Spain and Great Britain, Of which this treaty was
the offspring.
visited NooIks sound, where they were captured in
1889, by Martinez, on behalf Of the Spanish gov
eminent
Spain having discovered and established fort
at Nootka sound, regarded Meares aggres-
sor and treated him such. Meares, Il will be
observed, was a mere adventurer, trading with the
natives not connected in any way with the govern
ment OF Portugal, under whose flag he sailed, or
with Great Britain, under whose flag he did not sail
Portugal took no notice Of the complaints Of Meases
not so with Great Britain, for she probably at that
time desiring controversy with SPAN, made 1t the
occasion or a most rancorous quarrel with thai gov
ernmeut Meares presented a memorial, setting
forthhi grievances, containing many neonsisienees
and palpable falsehoods.
| will here quote few passages, to show the fer
tile imagination Of the notorious John Meares, who
possessed the power to ampllfy fatos in most
eminent degree. Al page IA Of his voyage, on the
'15th NAV lT6S he saws:
~. - ,-,' -. i. -, -..au. .o,..,,.a "a r-.D,
"maqahs noo nov oniJ mos, Iessy So ha " t 500
Us sPot o. sou ~ W ~ ~ ,he nennls vs. in
might DC oon .or .ne . pa - "a L. bIs assi.,
tenaeu on rorI. and bls nrot.otion of the
anoe ia o 20 r.na,n a, NaotLs during our
aosen, - ~ ,.,at. rhI.h n. nal r.y,rled With an
ed with pair OF pistols, wnoh ne ~, - s VIZ" "
eye OIL sohei'uae e'ef 'i"e' e' ~
On the third page Of his memorial to the British
p.rl,,m.n, Msarea sevs.
"'i''''' ,-,,, W.T.
"Mr. Conett was directed 10 nx MS resp,enceW Noous
SOUND, ana, WIN tht 'ieW, W S.ee' 49, ~
the spot which your memorias had III the pre-
cedng year. as will appear oy copy OF MS ihsuueuoh
hereto annexed"
w. NOV, turn IN the Instructions piven by Meares
49,. l,.I NJ, IT,b A nr;I 1880. and End
TO Coinett, uatea Niacao, LIN fhPn' TO-, ou '1,
upon their perusa, that no sucn INSTRUCTIONS were
Given az sated by Meares his memorial to Pnrlia-
b. -. -, A., ~ & rat article If the Nootke
uicht' eS'i'6 ""