Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1846-03-12

known but as long 0s 'hIs rigA 10 col
onizc Oregon shall Iemain common 10 both
Powers, the United States have nothing I,
npprcl,cnd from the competition.
, The ncg,,i,a,ion Oh ,ha, subject betn ecr
the two Guye, ninents have been carried on
nn both s,des, with perfect candor. The
views ond inirniioDs of both parties wer.
inDinally communicated without reserve.
The conviction on the part "f America that
the country must ultimately be occupied aud
settled by bcr agricultural cmigrsnts wa,
used ns AN arsumen, why. 10 case Of d.
vsion Of the territory. the greater share
should he allotted to the United States. The
following quotation. from the Amegcan state.
uent al the case of December, le26, proves
that this expectation was fairly 0vowcd al
the time
II the present state Of occupancy ia urg-
cd on the part Of Great Britain. the probabll.
~ of The manner ~ winch the territory west
ot the Rmky Munninins must b. settled he.
longs also essentially lothe .ubjfci. Under
Whatever nominal sovereignty that country
nny be placed. aud Whatever Its ullmal"
destInies may BE-. i, rs nearly reduced ,o II
cer'niniy that II wrl be- almost exclusively
p""plrd by the surplus population of The u.
aud the expense incident to emigration,
hnbld The expectation of nny beng pruciica.
bile from that quarter hut on n comparatively
small scale. Allowing The rate OF III
crrn-c 10 be- the game IN the United States
and in the North American British p"sscs-
sInns, the difference IN the actual popula-
ton 81 both il such that the progressive rate
which would within forty Yeas add three
millions TO these, woulL within the same
time give a positive Increase ot more than
twenty millions TO the United States, and II
circumstances, arising from localities aud
h'b's have given superior facilities Ia Brit.
lsh subjects Of extending their commerce
with the natives, md Ia that expansion which
has The appearance only, of occupancy, the
slower bui sure progress and extension OF an
agricultural population w,ll he regulated by
distance, by natural obstacles, aud by its own
amount
There was no rxnggrratlon in TINT com
para'ive view the superiority of the pro
grcssvc increase 0i population in the United
States was. on the contrary, undrrralcd.-
The essential difference ~, that migration
from the United States to Oregon IS the re.
Sull 1T purely natural causes, whilst England,
IN order To colonize that country, must re.
sort 10 artificial means. Thrnun,ber of Amer.
Ican cnigran' may not, during the first next
ensuing years be as great as seems tn be an-
ticipa,cd. II will at first be hunted by the
amount OF provisions with which the earlier
settlers can supply ihcm during the frs,
yenr, and TIL they can raise a crop them.
selves 4; and The rapldIty with which q new
country may be settled II also lcssenrd where
maize cannot be protiiably cultivated.
Whether NOR" or less prompt the result
is nevertheless indubl,ablc. The SNOWFALL
sooner ar later becomes an avalanche where
The cultIva,or Of the soil has once made
permanent establishment, game and hunters
disappear within few years the fur.irade
will have died IT'S natural death, and no vcs-
iige shall remain, at least ,Ouih OF Fuca's
straits. of thnrtemporary occupancy, OF those
vested British interests, which the British
government is now bound to protect. When
the whole territory shall have thus fallen in
the possession OF an agricultural industrious
population. the question recurs, by what
principle will then the right Of sovereignty
all along kept IN nbcyance be determined?
The answe. is obvious. In conformity
wit h natural law, with that right Of occupan.
cy for which Great Bnlain has always con.
tended, the occuplers of the land, thc inhabi
ian's of the county, from whatever quarter
they may have come, will be of right as well
rs ~ fact the sole legitimate sovcreigns Of
Oregon. Whenever sufficiently numerous,
they will decide whether it suits them best
To be an independent nation or an integral
part Of our great Republic. There canno,
be the slightest apprehension that they will
choosc to become a dependant colony: for
~ ~ ths, Al nj, h,r %.
ing on the American shores Of the Pacific,
aud will not stand ~ need Of protection a.
gninst either their Russian or Mexican
ncighbors. Viewed rs an abstract PROPOSE
,ion; MIR. Jcferson's opinion appears correct,
that It will be best for both the Atlantic and
tn" Pacific American nations, whilst enter.
'alning the most friendly relations. to remain
independent rather than to be united under
The same government. Bm, this conclusion (
Is premature: and The decision must be left I
10 postcrlty.
There is point on which wish no, 10 be I
The prolonga,ion, IN le27,
pf the convention Of 1918, was evidently in
end"d as tcmpurary mrasure, since II was
made revocab!c nt the will Of .uhe, pariy.-
The plenipoten''ares of the two Powers had
been unable Ia agree on the terms of n def. \
ute arrangement, or even defining with pre-.
'ision the conditions on winch the convcn ID
ION OF 1918 might be continued for deter.
nlna,c period. II will be seen. by reference
% The protocols aud correspondence, that. al.
hongh II was generally admitted that neither
nriy ought, during such cOutluuancc to cx.
rclSe any exclusive sovereignty over the
errltory, the American P"nlpo,entiary de-
Tined to agree To any convention Containing
u express provision TO that effect, or accom-.
nnied by The insertion ~ the protocol of n .
cclnration for the same purpose by the Brit.
'l pleDipuicniiaries. Tho reason was not
My because an exclusive right over Astoria
nj It's dependencies vas claimed by The
'nited States, but principally because II was
nIIcipnted that. IN order to have in fact an
hIhorIfy equal To that exercised by the IIud-
N Bay Company. II would become necessary
" The United States To perform acts which
'c British Government NIGH, contend 10 BE- ,
'rbidden by such express provision ar dec
ration. Tho Consequences was, that the
1vcnil"n Tecogniscs some CERTAIN rights.
nd imposes no positive restrictions but only
'cd as may be- supposed 10 be- implied ~ the
ao.c whIch declares rha, nothing Contained
u should be construed 10 impair, or affect
'e cia'ms ~ either party. The probability
at It might become necessary Tor the
mted States Ga establish n territorial or some
NJ ~ 'gtgcraa.ciH over their own citizens :