The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-08-12

I II,
tuny Of Perusng these dispatches at the Department
State. The Secretary Of State has been instructed
afford every facility for this purpose:
Washington, July n, 1916 80
To the President of the United States -
The Secretary Of State to whom referred the
resolution of the Senate Of the nth ultimo
the President [" to communicate the Senate COPY o.
all the correspondence which has taken place
this Government and that of Great Britain relative to the
Oregon Treaty together with the dispatches and in
structions forwarded Minister Mr. Nc Lsne and
full and complete copy of his dispatches and communal
cations this the subject not he
toorc communicated to the Senate respectfully reports
that no has taken place between this
to the Senate. sstsrs t..r
dent copies Of all the dispatches and instructions
warded to Minister, Mr. Nc Lane and also a full and
this government" on the subject Of the Oregon treaty
not heretofore communicated to Congress- He also
submits the copy of note from Lord Aberdeen to Mr.
LANE, dated on the 22d of May last. M
In regard to his own dispatches and instructions"
Mr. McLane the Secretary ID not OF any public
considerations which oppose their transmission to
the Senate. On the contrary deems eminently pro
per that entire copies of them all should be furnished
that body without further delay.
In regard to the dispatches of Mr. to this TO-
vernment serious question arises the propriety
communicating them to the Senate This question he
deems proper to to the President his deter
mnaton because its decision may involve
for all future time essentially affecting the ability of the
EXECUTIVE department. OIir
intercourse with foreign nations in such manner as best
to promote the public Interest
II is the primary duty Of foreign minister TO commu.
ncae freely to his government all that sees or hears
which have any hearing upon the interests of his
country, together with his opinions ami specula
tons upon passing events both at home or abroad con
nected with the objects Of his mission It is his
to seek information every source within his reach
and to place his own government in possession of ali
that he acquires such information is essential
BILE this government successfully perform its duties 10
the country in our present extended intercourse with
(Nvot wnu oet hot
close up the of Information against our diploma
tic agents abroad to deter them from freely commu
ncang all the Information in their possession could not
fail to prove seriously detrimental to the national in.
terests.
Mr. McLane has, in the fullest manner, performed his
duty in this respect His dispatches both numerous
and vouminous He has kept the department well adj.
vissd of all that was necessary for know in rea.
gon question has assumed in England No person how.
who peruses these dispatches suppose that
With the exception Of very small portions Of them they
were intended for publication that the probability Of
such an event had been contemplated by him..
T. under such circumstances, his conversations with
individuals In office and out Of Office, which, from their
very nature confidential should be published TO
the world, this would have strong tendency to oh.
.truct every avenue OF information against diploma.
great occasions, the possibility OF candid
to them of the intentions of TO- eign government or of
the real motives which might control the actions of It's
ministers, would be entirely out of the question Per-
intrused with the conduct of foreign affairs in
other countries would feel the necessity of observing
towards our diplomatic agents guarded silence dife
ent from the which might safely be pursued to-
wards the ministers of other powers The private and
confidential intercourse between ministers of different
countries which often leads to the important and
beneficial results would to exist in regard to the
ministers OF the United States In this manner Of
the great purposes OF sentng ministers abroad would be
defeated
Besides, the publication Of such communications, es
peciay IL coupled with the minister's unreserved com
ments made confdentally to his government would
place him position towards those whose confidence
he had thus been made ntal in violating which
M Tn
The publication Of such dispatches would exercise an
unhappy influence upon the conduct Of our diplomatic
they might then be induced either to communicate i'm
potant information, with their observations upon it, in
to official inspection or to refrain altogether from ma
king communications except such might be published
to the world without unpleasant consequences to them
70 exist IN tho dopartms mt for the use Of
the government in all future time, would be confined to
few individuals and in the last the government might
be deprived of the information avert
from the country or to promote the best interests of the
people in ns, T.s5 with iCrega nations
nature Of our institutions the greatest publicity ought
be given to the conduct Of ali public agents There
should be exception to this rule unless in cases where
the public interest imperatively demands it. Whether
this be such case Is respectfully presented for the de
cision OF the President.
Public considerations alone have induced the Secreta
ry of State to make these suggestions In performing
this duty he need scarcely say that every facility for
this purpose will most cheerfuly be afforded at the De-
parmen of State to any who may desire to De-
ruse the dispatches Of Mr. McLane. ~
All which is respectfully submitted by
List of accompanying papers
Mr.. Buchanan to Mr.. Nc Lane, July IL, ls45.
Same to same, Sept, 49, Is45.
same to same Nov. s. I945.
MIR. McLane to Mr. Buchanan, Dec. ], ls45. Extracts
MIR. Buchanan to Mr.. McLane, Dec. Is, 1916.
Same to same, Dec 40, l845.
same to same Jan. 80, 1916.
Mr.. McI.ane to Mr. Buchanan, Feb 8, 1916 Extract
MIR. Buchanan to Mr. McLane, Feb. &c, 1896 Extract
Same to same, March d. le46.
Same to same, with enclosure,) April %, 1886
Same to same, June g. 1876.
Same to same, June Is, lS46
Same to same, June ~ 1876.
Lord Aberdeen to Mr.. McLane, May %, 1916.
Mr. Buchanan to Mr.. McLano.
NO 81 DsPARrMErr OF STATE.
Sir Although the President not intend to trans.
fer the Oregon egotiaon from Washington to London
yet her Britannia Maestys ministers will doubess
afford you frequent opportunities of conversng upon the
subject 1t is proper that should be well informed of
the pressn, state Of the question For this purpose is
Of the propositions for its adjustment which have been
heretofore made and rejected by the respective govern
ments.
The first negotiation that of 1918, which termina-
ted in the convention of the goth October of that year
II was conducted by Messrs. Gallatn and Rush as
American pienpotentiaries in obedience to instructions
from Mr. Adams then secretary Of state under MIR Mon
roes administration Our plenpotentiaries inform us
that they did not on that occasion that the Uni
ted States had perfect right the country but insisted
that their claim at least good against Great Britain
They therefore, offered to compromise by adopting the
parallel of 49 degrees tho dividing line between the
two countries and by surrendering Great Britain the
free navigation Of the rivers he Columbia of course
incuded) which might be intersected by this line The
British plenipotentaries, (Messrs Robinson and Goul.
burn in answer did not make any formal proposition
for boundary, but inmaed that the river itself was
the most that could be adopted and that they
would not agree to any that did not give them the har
Dor at the mouth of the river in with the Uni
ted States But although they did not propose per.
manent boundary, they did make extraordinary
proposition to the American plenipoentiares which
was instantly and properly rejected This was no less
10 effect than that the United States should surrender to
Great Britain the exclusive sovereignty the whole
territory norh Of 40 degrees whilst that portion of
which lies between the 45t and tho 49ih parallels en-
bracing the mouth and nearly the whole course of the
Columbia river, should be free and open to the sub
jects and citizens Of the two States for
purpose oftrade and commerce. reservng the claims of
the respective parties not to the whole territory
this section OF II merely.
This negotiation resulted in the adoption of the third
article OF the convention of the 20th October 1878
der which the United States far yielded the claims
Of Great Britain as to agree that the whole territory
~ n nd Ope IN tnof noffon fom