The Cadiz sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 184?-1851, 1846-01-14


The l6ih October, 1918, had transferred all that
they could Transferable private property of the
company--to the (Brtish) Northwest Company;l
but it will scarcely be coniendcd that such anar-
raugement could impair the sovereign rights Of
he United States TO the territory. Accordingly, /
the American flag was still kept flying over the
fort til.the LIST OF December, 1913, when il was
captured by his Mojeslys sloop-ol.war Rackoon,
aud the British Gag was then substituted.
That it was moi restored 10 the United States
with certain well authenticated reservations
fully appears from the act of restoration ITSELF
nearing date 9th October, 1918. This is as alb
solute and Unconditional as the English language
can make it. That This was The intention of Lord
Caslereagh, clearly appears from his previous ad-
mission to Mr.. Rush Of the right of the Ameri-
cans 10 he reinslaed and TO be the party in pos
session while treating ON the title. If BRUSH mi
nsters afterwards. in dispatches to their own
gents, the c0nens of which wee not commu-
njcated 10 The government of the United States,
thought proper 10 protest against our title, these
were, in effect, but mere mental reservations,
(which could not affect the validity of their own
solemn and unconditional act of restoration.
But the British pleuipotentiary, notwthstand-
ling the American discovery of the Columbia byI
Captain Gray, and the exploration Of Lewis and
Clark of several of its branches, from their sour
ces in the Rocky mountains, as well as its main
channel to the ocean, contends that because
Thompson, British subject in the employment
Iof the Northwest Company, vas the first who
Inavinaed the northern branch of that river, the
British government acquired certain rights against
Ilhe United States, the extent of which he does
not undertake to specify. In other words, that
latter one nation had discovered and explored d.
great river, aud several tributaries, and made sci
! rmcnis on IFS banks, another nation, if ii conId
find a single branch on It's head waters which
n d not been accurately explored, might apPro
Iprale to itself this branch, together with the adj
Iilccnt territory. If ihIs could have been done,
it would have produced perpetual strife and col
lsions among the nations after the discovery OF
! America. 1t would have violated the wise prln-
Iciples consecraed by the practice of nations,
which gives the valley drained by river and its
branches to the nation which had first discover
ed and appropriated its mouth.
\ But, for another reason, this alleged discove-
ry of Thompson has no merits whatever. HIS
lIiourneV was undertaken on behalf of the North
west company for the mere purpose of antIclpa
r ting the United States in the occupation ot the
mouth of the Coumbia-a territory TO which no
nation, unless it may have been Spain, could,
f with any show of justice, dispute their right
j, They had acquired it by discovery and explora-
Ition, and were now in the act of taking possess
sion. 1t was an enterprise undertaken for such
/ "a purpose, that Thompson, in Fastening from Ca.
NADIA to the mouth of Columbia, descended the
north, arbitrarily assumed by Great Britain to ue
the main, branch of this river. The period was
Ic,r Into tn rnDair tho titIo Of oitbor
S the United States by any such proceeding.
Mr.. Thompson, on his return, was accompani-
: ed by party from Astoria, under Mr.. David
a Stuart, who established post at the confluence
i Of the Oakinagan with the north branch of the
: Columbia, about six hundred miles above the
J Imouth of the latter.
: In the next year, (lSl2) a second trading post
Il was established by party from Astoria, on the
@ Spokan, about six hundred and fifty miles from
IS the ocean.
Il 1t thus appears that, previous to the capture o
e Astoria by the British, the Americans had ex
tended their possessions up the Columbia si1
t hundred end fifty miles. The mere intrusion o
e the Northwest Company into this territory, ant
q the establishment Of two or three trading posts
l. in 1911 and 1912, on the head waters of the ri
y yer, can surely not interfere with, or impair the
n Spanish,Amcrcan title. What this compan,
u may have done in the intermediate period unit
II the 2Oth October, lSlS-the date Of the frs
treaty Of Joint occnpatiou--is is unknown to th
It undersigned, from the impeueuabe mystery il
H. which they have yelled their proceedings. Al
Ie ter the date of this treaty, neither Great Britain
o nor the United States could have performed an
act affecting their cIaims TO the disputed territory
VI To sum up the whole, then, Great Britain can
Il, not rest her claims to the northwest coast of a
-, ~ merica upon discovery. AS little will her singI
- >" claim by settlement at Nootka Sound avail hel
IT.. Even Belsham, her own historian, forty year
earo. declared it TO be celtan, from the most au
y, VI rhentic information, 'that the Spanish flag Ayin
y; nj Nootka was never struck, and that the terrific
y Try has been virtually abandoned by Great Br
- tuin.'
" The agents Of the Northwest Company, penc
- tratng the continent from Canada, in 1906, e.
bo ablshed their first trading post west of ii
~ Rocky Mountains, at Frazer's Lake, in the 54t
y, degree of latitude; and this, with the tradjn
a. posts established by Thompson--to which ii
-, undersigned has just adverted and possb
~ some others aGerwurd, previous TO Octobo
:! 1918, constitutes the claim of Great Britain
Iactual settlement
IL, Upon the whole: From the most careful an
~ ample examination which the unders gned hi
~ been able to besow on the subject, he is salsl
~ y, ed that the Spanish-American title, now he
-, ~ 5y the United States, embracing the whole teri
." tory between 42 deg. and 81 deg. 40 min, is Il
best tile in existence to this entire region; al
y, that the clam of Great Britain to any portion
q" it has no sufficient undaton. Even British g
~ ographers have not doubted our right 10 the ie
=" rory in dispute. There is large and splend
- globe now in the Department Of Stale, recent
received from London, and published by Mall
de and Company. smannfacturers and pnblishers