Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1846-06-10

ton dated Odd July, 1923, he describes the country
as the northwest coast He says:
"a Russian charter gave TO the American company the
northwest coast Of America from % degrees to Behins
| straits"
He further says, in letter to Mr. Middleton:
"You authorized 10 propose article o The same
import Tor the of yeas o' the signature Of nt
convention between the United Sta Great Bain and
Russia"
lie says, in the same letter to Mr.. Rushi
"If the British Northwest and iudson's Bay Company
have any posts The coast suggested in the article IN the
Quarterly Review, above cited the third Article OF the
Of the 2Oh October, 1918, is applicable 10 lhcm
Mr. Middleton is authorized to propose article Of similar
import he inserted in int convention between the
United States Great Britain and Russia for tenn Of ten
years signature You authorized TO make the
proposal 10 The British government; aud, with view
draw a defute line Of demacaton Tor the future, 10
shall hereafter be made the
northwest coast any Of the Islands adjoining, by Rus.
sian subjects south of latitude 80 deg; by citizens the
United States north OF latitude 81 deg or by Biitish
either south Of 81 deg oil north OF % deg
For it showed says the honorable Senator from
Missouri in speech in 1912, " that the British had
no rights OH the northwest coast" 1t was not until
we discovered the Columbia that she renewed her
claim to any territory the northwest coast ''Our
title good against England throughout the coast
dc.
This language is conclusive 1t is obvious that the
whole northwest coast, Oregon, is referred to- and
the parties claiming it recognized the United
States, Great Britain and Russia. division of their
respective pretensons proposed by east and west
lines thus separating the region into three districts
lying respectively north south of one another.
There is difference i'll the description of their
claims Insuar or continental, they are all the same
III their eastern extension.
These proofs that the descriptive appelaton north
ireSt coast applied generally 10 the country north
of California. and west OF the Rocky mountains,
might be multiplied almost indefinitely but it is not
necessary the examples already given establishing
the fact beyond controversy If therefore, the homo
rable Senator from Missouri seeks to conne the cpl
tibet northwest coast to the narrow region within sight
and sound of the surgcs Of the ocean, he seeks
structon and contraction inconsistent with the hlso
cal geography of the country well with the rights
and intentions of the parties. Our northwest coast
which is now our Oregon, by the arrangement with
Russia cannot extend north of $40 40 min. and her
northwest coast cannot extend south of that line.
The longitudinal extent of either is question that
does concern the other Our claim In that drec-
ton Is from the Pacific TO the Rocky mountains.
Russia, since her treaty with us, has entered into
convention with England, by which she restricts her
claim TO an extent of ten marine leagues from tine
coast Before that, she free to carry her title to
the Rocky mountains, the eastern boundary of the
nOrthtcest coast. This subsequent arrangement ne-
her affects rights nor our duties, and 54 deg AZ
min. is yet the barrier, beyond which pass
What would be the condition Of the parties if us
STA had formed no convention with England What
right should then have to say, that the Russian
pretenslons do not extend the whole of the
try of the northwest coast, but limitel to ten
marine leagues from it None whatever. And how
subsequent convention between other parties
regulate prior instrument, to which party
When we made an arrangement with Russia, our
country Of the northwest coast stretched TO tie Rocky
mountains We promised that power that we would
not pass the parallel of 81 deg 40 min in our north
ward progress. What right have to say that Rus
hut
we meant, that that power did not assert any claim
over the country designated by them The northwest
coast for her, says the honorable Senator, the IS
lands adjacent TO 1t while for US, 1t is the whole
country to the Rocky mountains Our duties are to
be judged by existing circumstances, and not by sub
sequent arrangements between different parties w 18th
the motives OF Russia, or the consideration which
England gave her for the ccssion, have
Had the former power ceded her whole claim to the
latter, our obligations would have remained the
The benefit being transferred to England instead of
being held by Russia, 81 deg. 40 min. we said to
Russia is line In the country of the northwest
coast And there hope we shalt BE- found
But, if the honorab Senator from Missouri should
succeed in the establishment OF his position, that we
not bounded the north by this parallel Of 81 deg
40 min., do not that the little band is in any
worse condition, or the pretenslons Of the country
at all dmnshed-for the former to be intimately
connected with the latter; but quite the contrary.
In that event we should fall back upon our original
Spanish title, and carry our claim to the parallel of
I'll deg Our arrangement with Russia agree
ment TO take less than the claim could rghtfully
urge, the grantees of the Spanish government.
The honorable Senator, in the farther prosecution
of his argument, that we have no claim to ilty-four
forty says that offered that line to Russia, her
southern boundary and to England her northern.
He then refers to the proposition made by Mr. Rush,
who offered 81 deg. northern boundary, and
says We now seek to 60 Jam up 10 81 40, after the
offer of 81, which refused by England
Why sir, all this history of the negotiation is well
known, and must confess | do not see its bearing
upon the peculiar views presented by the Senator.
He is seeking to show the inconsistency Of the Amerl
government in urging claim to "a 40, after
having offered to accept the parallel of 5l deg our
northern boundary But why select this offer for this
purpose We have made a much more favorable one
for England, which she has more than once refused.
We have offered 40 deg, and late the last
If these changes proofs of inconsistency, the last
being the greatest, furnishes the strongest evidence
of it. | repeat, sir, What new view is present by
going back to the offer Of Mr. Rush in 1923, when
that of Mr.. Buchanan III 1916, yielded two degrees
more of latitude
But there was not the slightest inconss tcncy them
nor is there now 1'is branch OF the subject has been
~I.,auy fully debated, and have no disposition to
the discussion. These offers were all offers of
compromise, made in spirit Of concession and not
the assertion OF a claim; and when rejected the
party making them at full liberty to urge It's
whole title uncmbarrassed by these efforts at conc LA
ton, and without being obnoxious to the charge of
inconsistency. And this was recognized and distinctly
stated to the British government by Mr. Gallatn in
1927, who said, that 50 his government did not hold
itself bound hereafter in consequence of any proposal
which 1T had made for line of separation between
the territories OF the two nations beyond the Rocky
mountains, but would consider itself at liberty to
contend for the full extent of the claims Of the United
States" Here, sir, the American government, in
1877 maintained that the offers thus made and rejected
did not reach to the extent of their full claims but