Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1845-1851, 1846-06-03
q memtp- Ninth Gonaress.
In Senate, Nay ~, 1916.
Sscpcll Of yyr. Efel.fCn.

ii receE,tcr next, &c.
Mr. BENTON rose. and thus addressed tie Senate.
NJ. PresideHl-The bill before tse Senate proposes
to extend the sovereignty and jurisdiction of The Unit
cd States all territories west OF the Rock
mountains, without saying what is the extent ant
what the limits of this territory. THIS Is wrong
IN my opinion. We ought define the limits within
which our agents are 20 d. such acts as this bill con-
templates, otherwise commit To them the solution
ut questions which we find TO hard for ourselves.
This Indefinite extension of authority, a which
requires the utmost precision forces to speak, and
To give my opinion of the extent of terrific
ries beyond the Rocky mountains. | have delayed
doing thi, during tie whole session, not from any de-
sire conceal my opinions, (Which, in fact, were
told 10 all that asked for tlen) bit because thought
The business OF negotiation, of leg station to
settle these boundaries. waited for NEGOTIATION +:
but negotiation lays while events 90 forward and
now la the process Of acting upon measures
upon the adoption Of which il nav no logger lie in the
power either OF negotiation Of legislation
troll the events to which they may give rise. The
bill before us is without definition of the territory 70
be occupied. And why this vaguene~s in a case re-
quIrlng the utmost precIslon WHY not define the
boundaries of these ries Precisely because
we do not know item. And this presents case
which requires me to wait longer f,r negotiation
but to come forward with my opinions nd to do
what can TO prevent the evils of vague and indef-
mite legislation. Ny object VIII be TO show, if ca IN
the true extent and nature of our territorial claims
beyond the Rocky mountains, with a view TO Just and
wise decisions and, in doing So shall cudeavor 10
act upon the great maxim, Ask nothing but what IS
right-submit to hing that is wrong
1t is my ungraclouS task, In attempting upon
this maxim, to commence By exposing error at home.
and endeavoring to clear up great mistakes an
der which the public mind has labortd.
1t has been assumed for two years and the assurnn
ton has been made the cause of ali the Oregon ex-
element in the country. that we have dividing line
with Russia, made so by the convention of 1924
along the parallel of ffiy-four degrees forty Minutes
from the sea to tie Rocky mountains up to wLirl,
our title is good. This is great mistake. No such
line established and, 50 far as proposed
and discussed, it proposed and discussed rs
northern British, and northern American line
The public treaties VIII prove there IS no such line
documents will prove that far as ffty-four FORTY
from the sea TO the mountains, proposed as
northern boundary for any power, it was proposed
by us for the British and not for ourselves
To make myself ineligible in what shall say ON
this point 1t Is necessary to 90 back to The epoch of
the Russian convention of 1874 aud to recall the re-
collection OF crcuI out of which that c9nven
ton grew. The circumstances were the.e In the
year 1921 the Emperor Alexander, acting upon lead
ing idea of Russian policy GIN relation TO the north
Pacific ocean, from tie time of Peter the Great IN
dertook 20 treat that "a close sea- and 10 ex
ercise municipal authority great extent of It's
shores and waters. In September of that year The
Emperor issued decree, botomed upon this preten-
both shores of the north Pacific ocean. over
the high seas IN front of each coast to the ex
tent OF one hundred Italian miles, from BEHRING'S
Straits down 10 latitude fifty-one OH the American
coast and to foriyfve on the Asiatic and deUounc-
ing the penalties Of confscatlon upon all ships Of
whatsoever nation, that should approach tie coasts
within the inerdIcted distances. This was a very
startling decree Coming from feeble nation. il
would have been smiled at; coming from Russia if
gave nneasness TO all nations
Great Britain and tho United States, as having the
largest commerce the north Pacific ocean. and as
having large territorial claims the northwest coast
of America, were the first to take the alarm and n
send circumstances St Petersburg against the for
midabe ukase. They found themselves suddenly
thrown together, and standing side By side in this new
and portenOus contest with Russia They demonstrated
III concert, and here tie wise and pacific conJnct of
the Emperor Alexander displayed itself in the most
prompt and honorable manner. He immediately sus-
pended the ukase (Which in fact, had ined with
oct cxecutiOn,) and invited the United States and
Great Britain 10 unite with Russia in a convention to
settle anicably and in spirit Of mutual convenience
al The questions between item, and especially their
respective territorial claims on the northwest coas; of
America. This magnanimcus proposition was mme-
diately met by the two powers III 4 corresponding
spirit and, the ulase being voluntarily reiinqu;sLcd
by the Emperor, convention was quickly signed biz
Russia with each power, settling, so far as Russia
was concerned with each. all their territorial claims
In northwest America The Emperor Alexander had
proposed that IT should be Joint convention of the
three powerS-a tripartite conyention-setlinr the
claims OF each and OF all at the same time; and if
this wise suggestion had been followed all the snbse
quent and all the present difficulties between the Tn
tied States and Great Britain with respect to this ter
rtory would have been entirely avoided. Bat it was
not followed: an act OF our prevented it. Afier
Great Britain had consented, the non-colonzation
prime ple-the principle of noncoIonizaon in Amer
lea BY any European power-was PROMULGATED bv
mont md that a, ID
chose to treat separately with each power and 50 it
was done.
Great Britain and the United States treated sonar
ately with Russia. and with each other and each
agreements with Russia but TO none among
themselves. The agreements with Russia were COL
tanned in two conventions. signed nearly at the same
time, aud nearly IN the same words limiting tie Ter
ritorial claim Of Russia "a deg. 40 min confning
her to the and islands, and leaving the continent
out 10 the Rocky mountains. t. be divided between
the United States and Great Britain by agreement
between themselves. Tie Emperor finished IN his
business. and quit the concern In fact it would
seem, from the prompttude, moderation and fiirness
with which he adjusted al! differences both with the
United States and Great Britain that his only Object
OF issuing the alarming ukaSe Of 1921 was 10 br;ur
these powers to settlement acting upon the hon,elv
but wise maxim, that short settlements mske lon,
friends
These are the circumstances out Of which the Brit
ish and American conventions grew with Russia in
the years ISL and lS25- They public treaties.
open to all peTu~al, and mrc,iy WORTHY Of homo
read. viii read the tblrd ar,.c,. of eari-the ono
which applies to boundarics-and which viii confirm
all that have said. Tie article in the convention
with the United States is in these words
ART. ). IL - moreover agreed, that, hereafter there
shall not be formed by the the United Saf.s
or under the authority of the said States any establish
ment npon the northwest of America nor in any Of
the islands adjacent 10 the north of fftyfour degrccs
and forty minutes Of north latitude and that IN fe same
there shall be