The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-04-24
VALUE OF OREGON.


10 his late admirable speech on the Or
eeon question, Mr.. McDuifie caused to b,
read from Mr.. Grecnhow's book on Ore
- ron-a book, II will be remembered, writ
ten for the express purpose Of sustaining
The American claim TO the Russian line
and Of showing the importance Of sustain
ia. our pre,ensions, by arms # necessary
10 every inch Of the disputed territory =
a, n,xcd extract, describing the territory
south Of the 49lh parallel, and which IS uni,
\ .tsally conceded TO be the bcs, part Of
Ofcgon:
1.-THE wet season, as IN the country near.
pr 10 the Pacific, extends from October 10
[Aprll but the rains are neither frequent
|lof abundant, and they rarely occur al any
uther period OF the year, "a linc farming
country } In the southern valleys there
l. little SNOW, farther north il Is more com.
mon, but ii seldom lcs long, except on he
eleighis.
Under such circumstances, II viii be
Eeen tia, lille encouragement, Is offered
Ior The cultivation of tins part If Oregon.
Tile want Of wood must also prove great
obstacle to the settlement, as this lndi>pen.
able article can only be procured from a
.rca, dis ance up the north branch Of tie
Columbia, or from the Pacific region, with
winch Tue Ps~~~eos Of communication
Through the mountains arc ncu aud al.
tuh.
The country further cast between the
Blue mountains, and the Rocky mountains,
pppears to be, except 10 u very few small
Detached spots, absolutely unnhabilable
of those who depend on agriculture for
Fob.isience. Ii IS in fact a collection of
are rocky mountain chains, separated by
Peep gorges, through which floss the
rcams produced by the melting Of the
knows on The SUBMITS for IN the lover
grounds rain seldom falls OF any time. Ga
lie borders Of tho Lewis, aud some Of the
ktfeams falling into II, are yalcy aud ptai.
pcs, producing grass for cattle bu, all the
attempts 10 cultivate the esculcut ycgeta.
les have fiilod, chiefly, as is believed
Pom the great difference ia the tcmpcra.
arc between the day aud the succeeding
light, especially in the summer, which IS
commonly not less han 80, and often ex.
Eecds 80 degrees Of Fuhrenheti's Ihermo.
jhelcr.
II note appended TO t.esu descriptions
|re the following observations The
Thermometer was seen by Wyeth AT Fort
l.'l IN the Lewis, near the i3J parallel Of
|airulc. nj the freezing point IN the nor.
In.', and At % degrees Of Fdhfcnhril, IA
| be middle Of the day in August. fro,ts
ccur at this place IN nearly every day IL
Pie year"
This, tho reader viii remember, ia Dc
|erpiion, by the Official Historian, Of that
PARTON Of the Oregon territory which hes
|outh Of the 4oth parallel, and about The
|lilc to which, consequently, there IS no
Eispule. /, may well be- asked, if this be
| he most delightful poftioa Of the North
Western FL Dorado, what must be the
temptations 10 emigration and settlement
presented by the region farther North
|by that portion lying between the parallels
Fl 10 and 81, which is in controversy be.
laecE the United States and Great Bat.
|a'q, ahd for the right of possession 10 which
|hey are arning for battle : Mr.. Green.
how describes II thus:
" The territory north Of the i0,h paral.
RI Of latitude, and northwest Of lha, drain.
r. by the Columbia river, has been called
New Caledonia by the British fur traders.
wao FIRST established posts in II beyond the
~ parallel, 10 lS0G. II is a sterile land
~ snow'clad mountains, lofluous rivers and
axes II zon over more than ,wo.thrds ni
Fhe year; presenting scarcely single spot
n which any of the vegetables used a. food
|Oy civilized people can produced. The
waters, Ike those Of the country farther
Eoalh' however, abound in fish, which with
|0erle', form the principal supper, of the
|ballve population"
The American people arc remarkable,
VIC are aware, for their migratory habits
-'of Their strange propensity, even when
surrounded by the comforts Of life, to "rull
W Stakes" in pursuit Of some imaginary
advantages in regions far remote from the
sPo' OF their birth and from tho scenes Of
'ne'r childish sports, and Of their maturer
enloymcnts. But, Notwithstanding, with
~, Their rowing predictions, we doubt
Hne'her The picture Of stcrlhty and DESC
,au'n drawn by Mr.. GTecnhow could tempt
'"e mos, adventurous of them TO undertake
journey through an almost unreasonable
"naefness, IN order TO reach this {" Land
o. ffomlse." Even Daniel Boone, who
."'suactvely fled from the sound Of the set
"e,s axe, would, instead, have worshpped
'he bod Iermiaus," which Mr.. Benton,
tlaay geara ago. wisely suggested, should
~ ~ erected on the summit of the Rocky
a''nn'ains, as tho extreme limits of our
IVhiederaey. Is country like this, un.
""abhable even by hunters. worth pos.
ss'1S'Dg and if moi, is il worth fighting
"f, even If our title 10 il were as " clenr
ana unqncsilonable," as, in our opinion, il
" obscuTe aad doubtful Suraiy thara IN "A