The banner. [volume] (Abbeville, S.C.) 1844-1847, 1846-04-15

H.
Iproceed, Mr.. Chairman, to inquire
whether VIC can now assert title the en-
tire Oregon territory consistently with
this standard of national honor. do
not propose to enter into any elaborate
and minute discussion Of the prctcntions
either of the United States or Great Bri-
tain; but l intend to show how that
matter has been regarded by our go
vernmcnt, from the year 1918 to 1916.
And whilst would scorn TO become the
advocate of the prc,cnsions Of Great
Britain against my own country, shall
briefly but frankly state them.
Sir, in that gallant old State Of which
am the humblcst Of representatives
State SO much misunderstood, so much
maligncd in this hall-our standard of
patriotism teaches us, in any contest
with her foes, right or wrong, to stand
by our country. But whilst no Carolini-
an will ever desert the standard of his
country, even when wrong, it is the du-
ty Of patriot to counsel her to be right
Our title, MIR. Chairman, to the val
ley Of the Columbia river, derived from
discovery; exploration, and settlement,
was asserted in 1918, during the admin
stration of Mr.. Monroe, before we had
acquired the right of Spain to the coun-
try west Of the Rocky mountains. 1t
was maintained by Mr.. Calhoun in an
argument, whilst Secretary Of State, the
force and clcarncss of which our present
distinguished Secretary has said he
would not impair by repeating it, Mr..
Buchanan; in his late correspondence
with the British minister, speaks Of this
title as existing prior to the treaty of
Florida in 1919, and independently Of
its provisions He insists that il was
perfect and complete, Independently of
the Spanish rights which we acquired
by that treaty. l think so, sir. But
our distinguished Secretary of State, not
content with perfect and complete title,
says: "Our acquisition of the rights of
Spain, then, under the Florida treaty,
whilst it cannot affect the prior title Of
the United States to the valley of the
Columbia, has rendered it more clear
and unquestionable before the world"
Now, sir, if our title was "po~fect and
complete" before we acquired the rights
of Spain, and has been rendered "more
clear and unquestionable' by our treaty
with Spain, it surely is good title, and
we ought not to surrender it:
What does he say of our title to the
country north of the forty-ninth degree
of latitude2 Why. sir, that it is recor-
ded in the Florida treaty; that Spain ac-
quired it by discovery, by the landing
on the coast of her navigators, from the
4lst to the 57th degree Of latitude, " on
all of which occasions they took posses
sion of the country in the name Of their
sovereign, according to prescribed re-
gulation celebrating mass, reading de-
clarations asserting the right of Spain to
the territory, and erecting crosses with
inscriptions to commemorate the event."
This, sir, is very fair statement of the
Spanish title. Spain undoubtedly made
very early explorations of the coast of
the Pacific ocean, and asserted title to the
country on that coast. And if discovery
alone, without settlement, could confer
title, should think we acquired by the
Florida treaty right to this territory,
which we ought never to have consent
ed to surrender to Great Britain or any
other power.
1t will not be denied, Mr.. Chairman,
that from Cooks voyage in l778, to the
convention of Nookta in 1890, Great
Britain steadily and earnestly contro-
verted the exclusive claim of Spain 10
the country on the northwest coast.
She maintained that it was vacant coun-
try, III which no nation had exclusive
rights or exclusive privileges. In 1890
MIR. Pitt pronounced the prctension Of
Spain to exclusive sovereignty "thc
most absurd and exorbitant that could
well be imagined" 1t is matter of his
tory that Great Britain in 1890 was pre-
pared to resort to war in resisting the
pretensions led to the convention of
Nookta in! 1890. By this convention
Spain yielded every demand-admitted
every right which Great Britain had as