The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-12

sue NhouBhl NECESSARY 10 give hS' 'ie ''6hS over II
resulting from conuguity, hundred and fifty year.
before these settlements in California were formed
She claimed and held it by the same right by which
Russia now claims and holds the vast deserts Of Sibe
ria; Brazil the whole interior Of the northern par
Of South America; and by which Great Britain
and, after her, the United States claimed and held
the whole valley of the Mississippi for two centuries
before there was single English settlement within
its limits If any Christian power, foreign TO Russia
should now undertake TO found colony in one Of the
unoccupied parts Of Siberia and, on being called "a
account for it, should reply that this region is toe
vast to be regarded as an aPPendage to Arehange OF
kamschatka, and that the world at large had righ
to treat il vacant territory would this explana
uOn be regarded as satisfactory Would not Russis
rejoin, al once, that she did not claim the unoccu
pied parts Of Siberia as an apPendage to Archange
or Kamschatka, but 10 the whole settled and occu
pied portion Of her territory Would she regard
any argument in support of the Pretensions Of the
intruder as valid, excepting the one which Greal
Britain employed in the Nootka afiair-the ultima
ratio Of empires and republics
Spain, we repeat, claimed and held her posses.
sions on the continent of North America, including
Oregon, by the combined rights Of discovery, con.
quest, occupation or settlement, and eontiguity.
While she retained her political importance and as
tendency in Christendom, her claim was universally
respected. Towards the close Of the last century,
when two hundred years Of corrupt and mbecile
government had Slapped all the foundations Of her
power when her bIosted and diseased body exhib-
tied but too clearly the premonitory symptoms of
the dissolution which was shortly to oyertake her,
in tho end oyertake every political crea-
ton that had its origin in unjust voleneeat that dis.
astrous period Other fallen fortunes when revolution
was already ranking at the heart other possessions
foreign and domestic, rival powers, and psrticu-
larry Great Britain, began to nibble at the extrem-
ties. 1t then that the Nootka affair took place,
to which we shall advert particularly hereafler-an
affair as little credtable in every view Of il TO Great
Britain, as perhaps any one in which she has ever
been engaged, and on which she now relies as the
sole foundation Of her claim TO withdraw the whole
of Oregon from the domain Of civilization, and
make it the abode Of wild beasts and their hunters
for this it will be Observed and not sovereignty is
her pretenson in regard TO that territory But with
out for the present. adverng to this transaction, is
sufficient TO say, that the title of Spain to her
North American possessions, including Oregon,
while she retained her political Importance was uni
versaly respected throughout Christendom. Ii was
only when she had sunk from her high estate-had
ceased, in fact to be the Spain she once had been
and stood before the world as the mere shadow of
great name-that her right to her colonial domin-
ions was, for the first time, seriously questioned,
and, pretty afer practically disproved by the
well-known unanswersble argument already alluded
to-too often the first and only resort Of nations,
well as the last.
Mr.. Rives, without pointing his remarks at an y
particular case speaks, in general terms, of the lab
surd and ridiculous" pretensons Of Spain to colo
NAL dominion. We confess that we are unable to
discern the propriety of these epithets. They were
probably suggested by the erroneous opinion that
Spain rested her claims upon the papal bull Of de-
marcation, the true character Of which Mr.. Rives
does not seem to understand, and which, as we
have shown above, was originally in substance,
and became, very shortly AFTER its publication, in
form, mere treaty Of limits between Spain and
Portugal. Spain rested her claim substantially on
conquest So far were they from being, in any re-
spect, a matter Of nero parade and boasting that
performance regularly went hand in hand with pre-
tension. r1er Claims wvre eurnO.ovd f-.. az they
were made, and that by miracles of military and
political achievement, which still remain-even af-
ter all the later wonders of the French revolution
unequalled in the annals of the world. What there
is 'absurd or ridiculous" in such pretensions, so
enforced, we are at loss 10 imagine. Considered
under the moral aspect, 1t is impossible to speak in
too strong terms of Reproduction of the Spanish con-
querors of the New World Humanity weeps
tears of blood at the recital Of their actions Eter-
nal justice-if there be any truth in the religion to
which they impiousy appealed as the authority for
their enormous crmes-must already have DOOM
ed them to a fearful retrbution. Absurd and
ridiculous their proceedings certainly were not.
The poor natives, we apprehend, found them sufi-
GENTLY serious. The whole affair is, in fact mag
nifcent blood-stained political tragedy, by the side
of which every other that has yet been represented
on the grand theatre Of universal history is COM
paratively colorless-by the side of which even the
imaginary creations Of the widest poetical fancy,
embodied in the literature of the middle ages-the
fabulous exploits of the Charlemagnes, Arthurs,
Orlandos, and Amadses-dwinde into common
business transactions We may well regard this
splendid spectacle with horror and pity, we'll as
admiration, but not with contempt or ridicule.
The right of Spain to her dominions in North
America, including Oregon rested, therefore, not as
is pretended, upon the papal bull of demarcation
but upon all the foundations usually regarded val
id in similar discretionary conquest occupation
or settlement, and contiguity. Those who depre'
cate the Spanish title, are able to give appear
ance of pausbity to their argument only by leav'
ing out Of view the great Christian kingdoms of New
Spain and New Mexico, and gratuitously suppo,
sing that Oregon was claimed as an appendage to o
few Jesuit missions in California, established hun.
| dred and fifty years after the claim had been made
and enforced. The claim to Oregon was founded in
its contguity, not to California, but to New Spair
and New Mexico. The right asserted, was, as W.
remarked before, the same by which Russia claims
| and holds Siberia--Brazil the vast and almost un
| I'D Mc,onotap,;a inte betw ee