Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-16

mating the United States IN the Occupation VI nie
month of The Columbia territory 10 which nc
nation. unless il may have been SPAN, couid
with any show Of justice, dispute their riehl:I
They had acquired Thy discovery ana BY expo
ra,;on and were now in The act Of taking pos
session. Ii was in an enterprise undertaken lol
sncb purpose, that Thompson, in Fastening
from Canada 10 the mouth OF the Columbia de-
scended the North, arbitrarily assumed by Grea
Rr;,ain 10 be the main branch oil this RIVER
THE period was far TOO late TO impair the lille O.
either Spain or the United States by any such
proceeding. -
MED by a party from Astoria, under Mr.. DAVID
Stuart, who established post al the confluence
Of the Okinagan with The North branch oil tht
Columbia, about six hundred miles above Inc
mouth OF The latter.
In the next year QSl2) second trading pos
was established by party from Astoria, on Inc
Snokan. about six hundred and fifty miles iron
the ocean.
As,or;a by The British, the Americans had ex
tended their possessions up the Columbia sis
hundred and fifty miles. The mere intrusion O
the Northwest Company into this territory, and
the establishment OF two or three trading posts
in 1911 and 1912, on the head waters OF the river
car surely not interfere with, or impair The Span
;sb. merjcan title. What this company may
have done in the intermediate period until the 10Th
October lSl8-the date Of The firs,trealy of Joint
occupation.-is unknown 10 the undersigned, from
The in,penetrable mystery in which they have
yelled their proceedings. After the date OF This
treaty, neither Great Britain nor the U. States
could have performed any act affecting their
claims to the disputed territory.
To sum up the whole, then, Great Britain can
moi rest her claims 10 the northwest coast OF Anne
merca upon discovery. AS little will her single
claim by settlement al Nooka Sound avail her
Even Belsham, her own historian, fcry years
ago, declared ii 10 be certain, from The most au-
thenlic information, shat the Spanish nag flying
at Nootka was never struck, and that the terrific
~ has been virtually relinquished by Great BIZ
tain"
The agents of The Northwest Company, pene-
lralng The continent from Canada in 1906, es-
lablisled their first trading post West OF The
Rocky mountains, al FrazieT's lake in The 54ili
degree OF latitude; and this, with The trading
posts established by Thompson-io which The
undersigned has Just adrerted-and possibly
some others afterwards, previous To October 1918,
constitutes The claim OF Great Britain by actual
settlement.
Uron the whole--fIom the most careful and
ample examination which The undersigned has
been able 10 beslow upon the subject, he IS sa.
isfied that the Spanish American tllle, now htld
By The United States, embracing Inc Whole urri-
tory between the parallels OF IL deg. ana 81 DEG.
40 min is The hest tile in existence 10 lhls ehie
region: and that The claim oi Great BRIAN 10
apy portion of il has no sufficient founialion.-
Even British geographers have not doubted our
lille TO the territory in dispute There IS large
and splendid globe now in the Department OF
Slate recently received from London, and pub
lished bv Malby and Company, manufacturers
and publishers 10 The Society for the Diffusion oil
Useful knowledge" which assigns this territory
TO The United States.
Notwithstanding such was and still is Inc OPT
Mon Of The President, yet, III the splri Oh com
promise ami concession, and in Difference 10 'ne
action of his predecessors, the Undersigned, IN
obedience 10 his Instructions proposed u lss Dill
fish penipotentiary 10 settle the controversy oy
dividing the territory in dispute by The avn pafai-
lei Of latitude, offering at The same time, 10 maze
free 10 Great Britain any port or ports en- van
couyer's island, Souh OF this latitude, which inc
British Government might desire. Inc BRITISH
pcnipoienliary has correctly suggested mat inc
Tree navigation of the Columbia river was moi
embraced in This proposal 10 Great Britain; onl,
ON the other hand, the use OF free pori| on me
Southern extremity OF ms isidhu nav NO.
included in former oilers.
Such proposition as that which mas been
made. never would have been authorized by Inc
President, had this been new question.
Upon his accession TO office, ne found The pre-
Sent negotiation pending II had been Instituted
in The spirit and upon the principle Of comprc-
mise. It's object, as avowed by the nesotia'ors,
was no, TO demand The whole territory in dispute
for either country; but, in the language OF lhe
first protocol, ito treat OF the respective CLAIMS
of the two countries TO The Oregon territory, with
The view to establish permanent boundary be-
tween them Westward OF the Rocky mountains
to The Pacific ocean"
Placed in this position, and considering That
Presidents Monroe and Adams had, on former
occasions offered todivide the territory in dispute
BY the forly.ninth parallel OF latitude, nc felt II TO
be his duty not abruptly 10 arrest the negotiation;
but so far 10 yield his own opinion as once more
10 make a similar offer.
Not only respect for the conduct OF ms rrene-
cessors but sincere and anxious desire TO pro-
mole peace and harmony between the Two conn'
tries, influenced him 10 pursue this course Inc
Oregon question presents the only inlervenin"
cloud which nercepls the prospect Of long ca
reer of mutual friendship and beneficial commerce
between The two nations, and this cloud he desired
10 remove.
These are the reasons which acluated the Pre-
Britain.
And how has this proposition been received BY
The British plenpotentiary II has been rejected
without even reference 10 his own government
Nay, more, the British penPctentiary. to use ms
own language, strus,s that the American plehi-
poleniary will be prepared to offer some further
proposa for the settlement OF The oregon ques-
lion more consistent nth flirness and cqntiv, "nd
Nth The reasonable expectations 81 Tie BRUSH o.
rfr1tmc'it." 49,. ;.
Under such circumstances, The undersigned IS
instructed BY The President 10 say that ne owes II
10 his own country, and JUS, appreciation Of her
lille 10 The Oregon territory, 10 withdraw The pro-
po>ition 10 the Briti.h government which had been
made under his direction; and II is hereby accor-
dinghy Withdrawn.
In taking this necessary step, the President SUI
chershes the hope that this long pending con'Io-
versy may vel lie finally adjusted in such man
ncr as no, to disturb Tie peace or interrupt me
harmony now 50 happily subsisling between the
Two nations.
The undersigned avails himself &C..
The Right Hon. K. PAKEHHAM, &c.