The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-28

pIIOt
he sent by the yieeroy Of Mexico to dsoov
the strait OF Anian but owing toa mutny In the squad
ne he s IA den On d
Of latitude and sailed above twenty days In broad
and tina. SPp':ss o so Of sssD. .sn' he
ereety has pronounced this story Of fuea the
mposture for the ink scarcely dry which transmitted
postey this hAsty opinion when tbs strait the ses
and the sasges were recognised Mesres and others Il
the spotpoiped out BY the Old Greek pilot, 20 whom
signing to the strait lie discovered the name Of Juan
EinaS
That is high If not conclusive authority, pub
ished in London thirty years ago, under the eye OF
the British ministry, when II would have been cor
rected, doubtless, il erroneous; for IN all that re-
lates to her foreign policy Great Britain has no di-
visions. --. 81 ..r
Next was the expedition OF Vizcaino in 1903 He
explored as far as 43o, and then sailed for Madrid
for the purpose OF obtaining liberty to return and
establish settlements and garrisons upon the ter
ritory. He obtained this authority and re-
turned, having been promised by Spain means 10
sustain the settlements which he made and died in
1908, as he was about starting upon his enterprise.
From about this time, however, Spain for nearly a
century and half suspended the further prosecution
Of her explorations and discoveries. She was then
torn by intestine bpis aad cabinet inuigues,
and was at war, at times. with. almost every
nation Of Europe But after the peace OF
1863 her energies revived, and she resumed the ex-
ploration of the coast and for the purpose Of doing
menU, distinct department, called the marine de-
partment Of San Bias, was established in Mexico,
whichw especially charged with the exploring ma
king discoveries and taking possession Of this terrific
ry on the northwest coast showing her continued de-
Termination TO maintain her position, which had
not been changed there from 1903 to TIA no other
power having set up any claim or made any pre-.
tension whatever 10 any portion thereof. Al
this time Perez undertook his voyage, charged
70 proceed az far as GOO, and TO explore the coast
He did reach as high az $40, and anchored in the
bay afterwards ascertained to be Nootka. .,
| In IT'S Heceta and Quadra were directed TO
the Goth parallel, and thence TO sx pore southerly
and take possession. Heceta made land at 500, and
returning discovered but could not enter the Colum.
bia. Quadra reached $50, and returning explored
between asp and 42o. -. -.
Ia 1857 Martinez sent 10 ascertain the
character Of some Russian settlements which were
forming Prince Williams sound, at about
600, which Spain seems to have considered her
limits He returned and reported that such settle
ments were entertainments upon thu, Spanish terri
tory; and it was made the subject Of remonstrance
by Spain to the empress Of Russia, who returned for
answer that she had directed her subjects no,
to oncroach upon any part Of spanish America"
proving that this great power, holding adjoining
territory, recognised this as the possessions of
Spain. Martinez learned that two Russian
ships were htting out, and, he understood, des-
tined for Nootka, and hence his voyage to Noot<a,
unuer tnc o'uers OF MS government 10 take abeo-
lutte possession, and establish settlement and erect
fertilization, which he did and while there for
this purpose he seized and condemned the vessels
Of Meares, which difficulty led to the Nootka con-
vention. About this time the Columbia, command
ed by Captain Gray, Of Boston, on a trading voy.
age IN the Pacific permitted TO rcht in the island
Of Juan Fernandez; and the Spanish officer in
| charge Of the island was cashered because he did
| not seize her and her for trading where Spain
claimed the exclusive right--proving the jealousy
| with which Spain regarded any cncroach ments upon
that which she claimed before the world as her law
ful possession. Nor had any other power at this
time pretended to claim exercise any jurisdiction
whatever upon. this territory. . ~-.........
Spain had taken possession of the whole coast,
and had exercised every act Of sovereignty which
she was capable Of exercising a savage region.
Her officers had erected csosses--performed mass
es; had declared in the name Of the sovereign,
tina, they TOOK possession. ana shey aid not exc
cute complete chart Of the coast and territory all
the leading features were defined and had been
named by the directions Of the Spanish government,
who, believing that it improper to bestow
the names Of persons upon localities, had al
most exhausted the names Of the saints in her
calendar. In 1900 she held Louisiana, and this
whole territory was contiguous to her Louisiana,
Mex co, and California possessions This, then, was
the title of Spain in 1900: having discovered every
leading geographical feature in the country--having
explored il--procaimed her sovereignty over it,
expelled others from it, and having placed hersefin a
position before the world governor by the exer-
else Of every possible act Of sovereignty short of
tna occupation, which at that day impracticable
In 1890 Spain transferred Louisiana to US with
underlined western boundaries, and thus rested the
Spanish title at that time.
The claim of our government was az follows:
| In 1888, Gray and Kendrick, of Boston, under
sea letters from Congress, went upon a trading
voyage to the Pacific Gray discovered the Column
bia but could not enter it,. Both entered and sailed
linz ha tn If h. o,I
spent the following summer there and along the
neighboring coast.
In 1899 Capt. Gray returned in the ship Column
bia and sailed up the Columbia twenty miles.
| In 1903 France transferred to our government
Louisiana, with underlined westerly boundaries, as
she had received it from Spain; under which trans
fer, as well as the discovery Of the Columbia by
Capt. Gray, this territory was claimed; and Mr..
Jefferson, under the authority of Congress in 1905,
sent a company Of about fifty men, under Captains
Lewis and Clark, to explore and take possession.
| In 1905 Lewis and Clark entered upon this expe-
dition. They reached the mouth Of tho Columbia
in the autumn Of 1905; erected a building there,
| which they named Fort Clatsep; remained there
during the winter, and thence tracing the river up
wards, crossed the mountains, and returned to the
States. o.. .r ~. .. ......... ."
In 1908 Mr.. Henry, agent of the Missouri Fur
Company, erected trading establishments upon the
Lewis river; and in 1910 Mr. Astor, at the head Of
the Pacific Fur Company, erected Astoria, near the
mouth Of the Columbia. This was taken by the
British in 1913, during the last war, and was restored
under the treaty of Client in 1918; in 1919, Spain
insisting that the Oregon territory was not trans
ferred to France with Louisiana, assigned us ANY
rights she might have there above 400.
This presents the American claim, our govern
ment having fixed the dividing line on the north
with Russia at $40 40. ....
Great Britain, for discovery, relies upon the voy
age Of Sir Francis Drake, who visited the Pacific in
Is S-the voyage Of the great cifcumnayigator Capt
Cook, in l77S, who touched at Cape Fattery, near
the straits Of Fuca and anchored in Nootka--tha,
Of Meares in 1885, who sent boat into the straits
of Fuca, but did not enter--th,t of Vancouver in
l792--and the the discovery Of the head waters OF
Frazers river by Mackenzie in 1888
So far as Great Britain relied on the more perfect
discoveries Of her navigaors, it might be worthy Of
remark that this could not apply to John Meares,
who figured largely in the history Of her preten-
sions. This ubiquitous parsonage was at Nootka
land speculator and dealer in furs; at sea a
Portuguese captain, and smugger; in London
a lieutenant Of the British navy; and, as to his
extreme accuracy, he cruised along the northwest