American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-02-09
Mr.. Pakeahan to Mr.. buchanan.

WASHINGTON, Jan. l6. IS46.
With an anxious desire to contribute by eve
ry means in his power to Il satisfactory conclu
sion Of the question pending between the two
governments respecting Oregon, the undersign.
ed, her Britannia Ma esty's envoy exttaordina.
ny and minister plenpotentarv, has reflected
on the contents Of the note addressed to him
on the Sd inst, by the Secretary of State OF
the United States, in answer to that which the
undersigned had the honor to address to him
or the eth of last month.
The note of the undersigned proposed TO the
government Of the United States, that the
whole question Of an equitable partition of
the Oregon territory should be referred TO the
arbitration of some friendly sovereign or state.
In his answer, the Secretary of State in
formed the undersigned that his proposition
could not be accepted. That it did not pro-
pose to refer to arbitration the question of the
title to the Oregon territory claimed by the
two powers respectively. That in proposing
to refer to friendly sovereign or state merely
the partition or equitable division of the terri
tory between the two parties, it assumes the
fact that the title of Great Britain to portion
of the territory is valid, aud thus takes lor
granted the very question in dispute. That
under this proposition the very terms of sub
mission would contain an express acknoWledg-
ment of the right Of Great Britain to por-
ton of the territory, and would necessarily
preclude the United States from claiming the
whole territory before the arbitrator; and this
too, the Secretary of State goes on to observe
in the face of his note to the undersigned OF
30th August by which the President had as
serted in the most solemn form the title oil
the United States to the whole territory.
1t is not the purpose of the undersigned in
the present note to renew the discussion as to
the title of either party, Great Britain or the
United States, to the whole or to any part OF
the Oregon territory. He must, however, beg
leave, with reference to the observation which
he has Just quoted, to remind the United States
Secretary of State, that if the government OF
the United States have formally advanced q
claim o the whole of the Oregon territory, il
is no less certain that Great Britain has, in a
manner equally formal, declared that she, too,
has rights in the Oregon territory, ncompati-
BILE with the exclusive claim advanced by the
United States.
This declaration, arising from a conviction
equally sincere, will, the undersigned is pcrsua-
ded, be viewed with the same consideration by
the government of the United States, as they
expect that their own declaration should re-
ceive at the hands ofthe government of Great
Britain.
This promised, the object of the undersigned
in addressing to Mr. Buchanan the present
communication is to ascertain from him wheth-
er, supposing the British government to enter
tain no objection to such a course, it would
suit the views ofthe United States government
to refer to arbitration, not, as has already been
proposed the question of an equitable partition
Of the territory, but the question of title in eth
er Of the two powers to the whole territory,
subject ofcourse to the condition that ii neither
should be found, in the opinion of the arbi-
traitor, to possess a complete title to the
whole territory there should, in that case, be
assigned to each that portion ofterritory which
would, in the opinion of the arbtrating power,
be called for by Just appreciation of the res
pectiye claims of each.
The undersigned has suggested reference