Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-14

there and the citizens and subjects Of both have made
settlements there Has England attempted threatened to
expe citizens from any portion Of tho territory now
pied by them Has she advanced amy sesnsons often
sve to national dignity Nothing Of alt this On the
tray she abides in all things by the arrangements which
have existed by mutual consent for years. and
il is our Government, not hers which seeks change them
But it is said that have "a clear and unqnesionable
right to the whole Of Oregon, and that this sDeg title must
be asserted and enforced, for which purpose expressly
the convention oon occupancy proposedo be atrogated
The entire of the past proceedings Of Government
the subject is utterly inconsistent with theory
of clear and unquesonabe right the tco OF Oregon,
which IN its origin upon better foundation than the
fiat Of party convenele not member Of which, in all
probability seriously investigated the title they thus dog
matcaIy proclaimed If title to the whole Of Oregon be
thus clear and unquesonaJ how has it happened that the
American Government has four several times and in the
instance with the sanction Of Mr. Polk himself proposed to
yield to Great Britain nearly one-half of it have
complete ercsiue claim the whole Of Oregon how again
has it happened that by formal conventions that Of 1915
and of 1897 have far recognised that the claims of
Great Britain not without foundation, at least to
agree to hold the territory in with her for nde
mite period The truth is it is impossible look at the long
and able discussions which have been carried between the
two Governments the subject for more than quarter OF
century, and at glance that the United States have
never hitherto consderedtheir right to Oregon, oho
free from difficulties and embarssnenis, that the claims Of
Great Britain unfounded, in every particular, to
justify in treating them idle pretensons Mr. Gal
latin who has borne able and distinguished part in these
discussions has just given his testimony the nation that
there questions of doubtful and deJatabe character
which have been felt embaass the establishment Of
title, in the latitude in which it is put forth The
whole official correspondence Of the other eminent and dsn
gushed citizen, Mr Rush, by whom the defence of the
American claims earnedy and faithfully conducted at
London, bears testimony to the same fact.
From what quarter of the horizon them has this new and
clear light broken in upon question which the American
Government and its most experienced and able ministers have
hitherto considered at least doubtful and de-
batable We in the country have anxiousy sought norma
ton the subject from every which accessible
We believe with General Jackson that sound pre-
cep of national honor in relations with foreign Powers
to "ash nothing that is not clearly right" well as to
submit nothing that is wrong We desired therefore,
before the public sanction rrevocaby given
intended to enforce rights and involving the hazard Of
last appeal of nations understand correctly the and
extent Of those rights and the foundation upon which they
rest We turned naturally the able correspondence of
Secretaries of State, Mr. Calhoun and Mr. Buchanan which
accompanies the Presidents Message have known
any documents of that character be generally read
- be anxiousy and carefully considered. 1t may
be without its to let you know the impression they have
made upon the minds Of the people, far have been able
collect from free intercourse with intelligent of both
parties in my neighborhood
The lucid and admirably drawn letter Of Mr. Calhoun
Mr. Pakenham, containing his statement and view Of the
American claims has made powerful impression upon the
of the country He title mainly upon
the undsputed prior discovery entry, and exploration Ito
certain dsance) of the mouth and channel of the Columbia
river by hardy and gallant countyman Capt Gray
l792 followed by the equally undspued prior discovery md
exploration Of Of its and upper branches and
tracing its from the Rocky Mountains to the Pacific
Ocean, in the great national enterprise conducted with such
hardhood and bravery by Messr Lewis and
Clarke in 1905 and 1906 and that again followed by the prior
settlements made in the country by citizens and
pecialy the establishment founded by the American Fur Com
pany in 1911, under the sagacious lead Of Mr. Asto at
place the mouth of the Columbia ve which thence
named after him. with similar establishments hundred
and SIX hundred and fifty miles higher up the river and
finally the formal restoration in 1918 Of Astoria (which had
been taken by part of the British naval force in the war Of
1872 under stipulation of the treaty of peace which pro-
ded that all territories places and possessions taken by
either party from the other during the war; should be
In seeing claims placed upon such tangible and solid
grounds these, with much cleaess and force the pub
lie judgment fortified in honest of our right
the extent to which these grounds fairly carried it. Candid
and rejecting felt, too, that title thus sustained
founded in just and sound prncplehe actual and pema
nen incorporation Of labor and enterprise with the
subject claimedhe principle which property itself
owes its origin and institution There nothing fancifu
bitray, constructive, symbolca, title derived No mo
mentary saying Of massno transitoy rearing Of
desoate and abandoned horeo stand lieu of actual
and bona de appropriation to give title to regions and
continents by idle mockeres and play dog the
'nangr against the enterprise Of all the of mankind
The title however, thus clearly established in the argu-
ment Of Mr. Calhoun, it must be borne in mind title
the whole of Oregon II is tile he himself describes
it. to the portion of the territory drained by the Columbia
river and its tributaries The whole of Oregon now I'M
derstood, comprehends the entire country from the Rocky
$40 40 of north latitude The Columbia river enters the
ocean little above the 10th degree Of north latitude. Its
for hundred miles from the is nearly due
and west and then Of its principal branches BEARS
upward course the southwest having its the
age Of north latitude while the other branch bears the north
and portbeas having its source very far in tbenieror and
said the $50 Of north latitude The effect Of Mr.
Calhouns view Of title then, would be give large
extent of inland country corresponding with the basin Of the
Columbia and its tributaries with such limited and reason
able portion of the coast shove and below the mouth of the
river might be considered fairly appurcnant to the owner
ship Of the mouth large portion of the coast between the
42d and SO 40 Of north latitude, and all the miami
try north and east Of the valley Of the Columbia