The Somerset herald and farmers' and mechanics' register. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 183?-1852, 1846-04-14
Eeoat Ssyasetustou.
CORRESPONDENCE OF THE CUMBERLAND
CIVILIAN.


MIR. McDuffie, occupied the Senate to-
dav. with a speech on Oregon, worthy of
his palmiest davs. He was lacking in
nothing but physical Power-the intellec-
mal lamp burned IS brightly as in those
DAYS. when he was the eloquent and able
defender OF the great principles, upon
which the Wing parry is erected, and
while he proclaimed the sound and con-
scrva.;go doctrines, which he holds on
this momcntous question. 7. for moment
thought, he had returned to the faith from
which he had so long strayed.
lie said, one leading cause for the as
suIncd popularity Of the ultra claim in
Oregon, was that the friends of compro-
mise, OIL the Democratic sice of tic
Chamber, had refused to discuss the title
fully and frankly. The people, there
fore, had but one view Of the picture and
that. most exaggerated and highly col
ose,l one. Under these circumstances he
proposed TO review, the points upon
which the conflicting claims rested. lie
quoted from Vattel, 10 prove what | be-
leve is admitted, by all the acknowledg-
ed authorities on public law, that mere
discovery, without occupation conlers no
territorial rights. A nation has no night
10 appropriate to herself any privilege,
and unless it is followed up By settle
ment. the territory Is open TO all the
world. Mr.. Greenhow, who had been
introduced into the debate as authority,
admitted that the only discoveries that
were sustained bv contcmporaneous his
tors and official exposition were those Of
Perez and Heceta in l774 and l775, and
the first actual occupation took place in
1889. 1t was never designed by Spain
10 settle; her navigators were sent out to
examine the countries which three cen
turies before. had been apporiioned out
by Ferdinand. Great Britain undcrCapts.
Cook & Mcares, had also effected discov-
cries few wears after, not then knowing
what had been accomplished, by the Spa
nish narigatsrs, who took pains ta con-
ceal the results from the world. On this
elemcRt ef title then, they stood alike
In controversy, which occurred at that
period, the English Ministry and Press,
resisted the the farcical pretensions set
up by Spain. and openly claimed by vir-
ine OF the voyages, of Cook and Meares.
BH., Great Britain bad gone on and per-
fcc'ed a right: She established settle
mcnts upon Frazier's River, about the
49th parallel and has remained there ever
since She acquired no right by the
Nooika sound convention, and the intro
duclion Of it would mar other and stron-
ger clains.--rhe war of 90 had vitiated
that Treaty and the subsequent abandon
ineni Of Nootka, proved, ttat Spain ac-
knowledged an ownership in Great Bri-
tain. He was at a loss to discover upon
what basis, ne derided any rights from
Spain, who had thus relinquised her own
pretensions.
We had 10 rest npon stronger and
more substantial ground,-the discovery
of GRAY, the explorations of Lewis and
Clarke aud the settlements at Astoria,
these carried us 10 the 49th degree and
gave whatever advantages the Country
possessed. He said, war would cost
more than one hundred million per an
nun, and il one life was not lost or one
vessel captured, still it would be war Of
desolation, in consequence Of the inter-
rnptions and Injury to Commerce. He
thought treaty upon the 49ih degree,
allowing water privileges and other mi
nor considerations to Great Britain, would
be just and proper, and be therefore did
not hesitate TO say, before the world he
would vote for it, if sent in tomorrow.
lie drew striking picture, from Green
how's book of the Territory of Oregon,
which viii take the pains 10 quote, from
the edition upon my table, for the infor-
matlGn of my readers, that may see, up
on the authority OF the great Captain Of
the sd, 90 party, for what they would
rnvolVc this Nation in the calamities of
war. The county SIWh of 49 is thus
described +'J'he wet season occurs from
October to hPril, but 1le rains are never
3reqre 1t nor abundant Under such cir
cumstanccs, ii will be seen, that little en-
coUrsgement is offered, for the cultiva-
ti,n of this psTtcf Oregon The want
of wood must also prove just obstacle
10 settlement. The thermometer, as low
down as the 43d parallel, has been seen
a. freezing point ia the merning, and 90
degrees at noon, in the month OF August"
Such is the character OF the ueru best
portion Of Oregon, drawn teo by par
tial kaRd, such the Ell Dorado pictured by
the overneated brains, of the Aliens and
Hannegans> Now hear what MIR Green-
how says, about the disputed portion of
the territory, for which d,e people of the
United States would be hurried into a
collision with Great Britain by an un-
scrupulous laction-''ihe territory North
of the 49th parallel, is sterile land of Snow
clad Mountains, tortuons Rivers and
4Iakes frozea over, more than two-thirds
Of the wear. preseptinr scarcely a sinole