Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1846-02-06

rights OF discovery, particularly Of that of
the mouth, sources, and course of river.
OF the principal Of contiguity, and Of every
other consideration whatever, cannot te
admitted by the United States. The offer
Of detached deiencpless territory, with a
single port, and the reciprocal offers Of
whatare called fee ports, cannot be view
ed hut as derisory. An amicable arrange
ment by way Of compromise cannot be ef.
iecIed without due regard to the claims
advanced by both parties and to the expe-
diency Of the dividing lines
An equitable division mus, have refer
ence not only to the extent Of territory,
but also to the other peculiar advantages al
taehed to each portion respectively.
From and including Fuca Straits, the
country extending northwardly abounds
with convenient sea-ports. From the 42d
degree Of latitude TO those Straits, there is
but one port Of any importance, the mouth
OF the river Coumbia; and this is of diff
cult and dangerous access, and cannot ad-
NIT ships OF war Of large size. 1t is i'm
portant only as Il port Of exports. As one
oi common resort lor supplies, or asylum.
IN case Of need, for the numberless Ameri-
can vessels engaged in the fisheries or
commerce Of the Pacific, it would be al
most useless, even if in the exclusive pos
session of the United States. Itmust also
b" observed that the navigabe channel OF
| the river iom its mouth to Puget's island,
Is, according to Vancouver, close along the
northern shore. Great Britain PROPOSES
that the river should he the boundary, and
that the United States should he conteat
with the possession of the port it offered.
in common with herself. 1t is really un-
Necessary to dwell on the consequences Of
such an arrangement. 1t is sufficient to
say that, in case of war between the two
countries, it would leave the United States
without single port, and give 10 Great
Britain the indsPutabe and exclusive con-
trol over those seas and their commerce.
Tho first and indispensable step towards
an amicabIe arrangement consists in the
investigation, not so much Of the superb
ority OF one claim over the other as Of the
question whether therebe sufficient grounds
to sustain the exclusive pretensions Of Ell
ther Government.
If the claim Of the United States to the
whole Of The contested territory can be
sustained against Great Britain, or if the
pretensions Of this Power can to their full
extent be maintained against the Unit. d
States, it must be, by either party assum-
ing that the other has no opposite claim Of
any kind whatever, that there are no doubt
iul and debatabe questions pending be-
tween the two countries, This, if true
and maintained, must necessarily lead TO
war, unless one of the two Powers should
yield what it considers as its absolute right.
Bat, if there be any such debatabe ques-
tons, the way is still open for negotiations;
and both Powers may recede from their ex-
treme pretensions, without any abandon
ment Of positive rights, without disgrace,
without mpairing national honor and dig
nifty.
1t has heen asserted that the title of the
United States to the whole Oregon terrific
ry was maintained by imeIragablp facts and
arguments. These must be sought for in
the correspondence lately published
They consst--first, Of the assertion of the
ancient claim OF Spain to the absolute So
vereignty over the whole northwest coast
of America as far north as the 6lst degree
of orthatitude. Secondly, of the cumu.
lated proofs which sustain the clans of the
United States 10 the various portions of the
territory, (whether in their own right, or as
derived from the acquisition Of louisiana
and the Spanish discoveries,) and of the
of the arguments adduced by
the other party. The first mentioned posi-
ton would, if it could be sustained, be suf.
6cient to prove, and is, as think, the only
one that could prove, the absolute and
right of the United States to the
whole contested territory.
1t is undoubtedly true that "Spain con-
sdered the northwest coast of America as
exclusively her own;" that This claim chad
been asserted by her, and maintained with
the most vigilant jealousy, ever since the
discovery Of the American continent, or
nearly three centuries, as far north as her +.
settlements or missions extended" There
were two ways OF examining the sound
- ,b,,. n, IN, a