The daily union., 1846-09-25

government, any other terms Of compromise, which,
IN the progress Of your discussions may appear TO
promise satisfactory adjustment ofthis important
question:
"Next came the existing negotiation which the
President found pending his accession TO office
"fhs negotiation, like all which had preceded 1t,
was based upon the principle OF compromising the
claims OF the parties, ard not Of demanding the
whole territory for the United States The hrst
protocol signed by Messrs. Calhoun and Pakenham,
on the 23d August last that IL instituted
to treat of the respective claims OF the two coun-
tries 10 the Oregon territory, with the view TO es.
tablish a permanent boundary between the two
countries westward Of the Rocky mountains to the
Pacific ocean," "
Thus it appears that tho American government
offered
LIST. In 1918, the parallel of forty-nine degrees
with the navigation of the Columbia conceded to
Great Britain.
I'd, That in 1924, our offer of forty-nine degrees
was repeated.
Sd. That in l826-'27, we again offered the forty
ninth parallel, with the perpetual free navigation of
the Columbia to Great Britain.
4th. That in 1881, Mr.. Livingston was instruct
ed by Gen Jackson to continue the negotiation on
the same general basis of compromise; and
5th. That in lSi3, our government once again
rendered the fOrty-ninth parallel "wilh the right Of
navigating the Columbia, )" and further expressed its
Willingness to propose receive any other terms
of compromise, appearing to promise satisfactory
adjustment of the question"
Such were the offers of compromise which, du-
ring almost thirty years, and up to the date of Mr..
Folks accession TO the presidency, the American
government had been pressing with all the resources
II diplomatic ability, upon the acceptance of Eng
land. How utterly ia pain all these offers had been
thus urged upon the acceptance Of England, may be
seen in the single fact, thNt when in 1912, Lord
ishburton arrived at Washington as a special and
extraordinary Envoy, furnished with full powers to
adjust all questions in dispute, the Oregon contro-
Versy was, with the consent Of the American nego-
,iator, struck out Of the programme of negotiation,
IS gtring no promise Of satisfactory adjustment
iiseH and likely 10 obstruct the settlement
y other questions, The Oregon question was
thus laid upon the shelf in lSl2 and lS43, as inca.
pable Of settlement pending the Outstanding .aalsri-
can o6er o. The 49 parallel tOih the perpetual napiga.
tion Of the Columbia, superadded to proposition on
The part Of our government to receive or offer any
ether terms Of satisfactory compromise And this
in substance the state Of the case when Mr..
Polk came into Office for it will not be pretended
that the negotiation opened between Mr.. Pakenham
and Mr.. Calhoun had varied the state of the aues-
ton, or brought it nearer to a solution. Through
all this period the British demand remained entirely
unchanged. The British diplomacy stood planted
lmmoveaby in its ancient foot prints along the line
Of the Columbia river from its intersection by the
10Th parallel to its mouth on the Pacific.
Contrast now, with this state Of the question, the
provisions of the existing treaty which the present
administration, though its policy has received
only the partial and divided support of the Senate,
has brought the British government to propose
and to ratify. BY that treaty the British gov
ernment, coming up to our ancient terms, and
adopting the 10Th parallel the boundary line, and
the strais of Fuca to the sea- comedies to us three
entire degrees of latitude on the Pacfc coast, in.
Guiding the sovereignty of the waters south Of the
middle Of the straits Of Fuca with its incalcusble
benefits, and placing in our hands the undisputed
sovereignty of territory always before steadfasty
claimed by Great Britain, and large enough to form
three American States of the largest class; while the
navigation of the Columbia river is conceded only
to few hundred British subjects, being the Hud-
son Bay Company and those trading with them; and
even this right Of navigation, thus restricted to
single company, is to terminate in 1852 On this
point there be real question, for prior TO the
ratification of the treaty by England on the 18th Of
June, lS46, Mr.. Buchanan informed Mr. McLane
that he had, on that day, communicated to Mr..
Pakenham the fact that the Senate advised the rat-
fcation of the treaty distinctly this construction Of
its provisions; and that he (Mr. Buchanan) had re-
quested Mr.. Pakenham to communicate this fact Of
fcially to Lord Aberdeen. Under these circum-
stances, the English government ratified the treaty.
and thus clearly barred all its right to contest that
construction.
How then stands the casei England has yielded
by the treaty three degrees of seacoast with an i'm
mense territory, and the invaluable sovereignty of
the straits of Fuca south of 49o which she had al
ways, and most steadfastly claimed. She has Weld
ed to US, after 1859, the exclusive navigation of the
Columbia river, from its mouth to the 49th degree
of north latitude while through the whole course Of
the negotiation she had made the right to navigate
that stream in perpetuity, and for British sub
ects, absolutely indispensable condition of compro-
uiise, anu hhhiy, eFeh Prlor to looS, She mas re-
striced her right Of navigation to few of her sub
jects. And to crown the whole statement let it not
be forgotten, tina, we have gained by the present
treaty from England the whole Of these conces-
sons in the face ofo previous offers to surrender them,
repeated, as we have stated, in 1918, 1927, and
l843.
So much for the provisions of the treaty negotiated
by the administration, under the great pressure
and embarrassment of limited and partial sup
port by the Senate. In view Of the ancient British
claim, and in view of our own repeated offers, this
treaty is a VAST CONCESSION of the English
government, which finds but one parallel or prece-
dent in all the records Of Englands far.sghtcd and
indomitable diplomacy. That single precedent is
found in the treaty Of 1888, which recognised the
independence Of America.
And now, what was the fact in the case
which brought about this English concessioni The
preamble with the word "amcable'' in it, which the
Senate preixed to the resolution Of notice. has been