The daily union., 1846-09-25
THE PRESIDENTS PART IN THE SETTLEMENT
OF THE OREGON QUESTION


other side of the Atlantic the recent Oregon treaty
regarded as an immense concession on the part Of Eng
land A glance at the leading facts Of the ease
sufRees to show that England, in proposing and rat
flying the Oregon treaty of 1896 has made con-
cession almost If not altogether, without parallel in
the annals of British diplomacy. For almost thirty
years, during long series of British administra-
tons, both whig and tory-through seven American
administrations the lives Of t0hois gene
ration of statesmen-from the first declarations OF
Lord Castleresgh, upon the subject, in 1918, up to
the letter Of Mr.. Pakenham, on the 29th Of July,
l645, rejecting and condemning our offer Of the
Iyorty-linih parallel as a partition line-through all
this long tract Of time--Great Britain steadfastly
and sternly claimed as her share in DIVISION the
whole of Oregon north Of the COIunbiI riosr. The
channel Of the Columbia river from the point of its in
tersection by the tortyninih parallel 10 It's mouth,
was her fixed and immulable boundary line Time
and sgan-in every negotiation-in 1918, in 1924 in
1857 in 1897, and in l845-she put that bound.
airy forward in spirit il not in terms, her uiima-
tup', and proclaimed, in the most solemn manner,
that she ''must never be expected to recede from
it," Such was the ancient traditional position of
British diplomacy upon the subject. In that posi-
ton it never wayered, nor showed sign of waver.
ing, for single moment. Every American offer
through the whole series Of negotiations which fell
short Of this position was-because il did so fall
short-inaexiby rejected Sooner than abate jot
Of the subsiapes Of this her pretension--for the
British offer 4 the small detached territory on the
straits of Fuea was justly termed by Mr.. Gallarin
"ehimercal and ilusory"-Great Britain putthe SOW
ereignty The whole territory sin abeyanee" stp.
uated for 'joint occupancy" or "non-occupancy, ("
and permitted that most extraordinary anomalous and
dangerous state Of things to continue for near thirty
years.
And what up to lS45 was the position on the sub
ject Of the American diplomacy Of seven success
sive adminisuatons' Asserting theoretically bet.
ter title than that OF England to The phois territory
American diplomacy, through all this time, never
dreamed Of acquiring the whole. 1t 0tni into III,
question on the idea of compromise; and it chose for
its general basis Of compromise and partition the line
of the forty-ninth parallel But on that line Il paper-
ed and leaned, before British pressure 10 the South. The
records fully establish this general fact
But in order to probe the matter to the bottom, to
put the whole fully before the country, and to
show clearly phai and hsw much the present admin
istration has done in obtaining from England the
proposal and ratification of the existing treaty. in
spite efs partial and limited suppori giren to il, poll
eyby the Senate, will state length the series of
American c6srs and British reflections, through the
successive negotiations prior to ls45, as we find
them quoted, and collated from the original docu-
ments in Mr.. Buchanans first instructions to Mr.
McLaRe under date of July l2th, Is45;l sr.
"The first negotiation was that of 1918, which
terminated in the convention of the Goth October
of that year. II was conducted by Messrs Gallatin
and Rush, as American plenipotentiaries, in ODE.
dence to instructions from Mr.. Adams, then S,ecre-
tary of State under Mr.. Monroes administration.
Our penipoentiaries inform that they offered to
compromise by adopting the parallel Of 49 degrees
as the dividing line between the two countries and
by surrendeFg to Great Britain the free navigation
Of the river (the Columbia, Of course, incuded)
which might be intersected by this line
"Ths negotiation resulted in the adoption of the
third article of the convention of the Goth October
1918, under which the United States SO far yielded
10 the claims of Great Britain as to agree that the
whole territory should be free and Open for the term
Of ten years from the date of the signature of the
present convention, to the vessels citizens and sub
jects Of the two powers
@ "The second negotiation on this subject during
the administration OF Mr. Monroe, was conducted
in 1924, by Mr.. Rush the American penipoten.
tiary, under the instructions of Mr.. Adams In the
mean time the United States had acquired the
Spanish title, embracing the whole territory in dis
pue, under the Florida treaty Of the 22d February
1919; and Mr.. Monroe had made his celebrated dec.
larauon to the world, that the American continent
should no longer be subject to colonization Not
wiihstanding this change in the relative position OF
the parties, Mr. Monroe, anxious to settle the con-
fctlDg claims of Russia Great Britain and the Uni
ted States to the territory the northwest coast Of
emerlca, and knowing that this could only be done
by compromise, authorized Mr.. Rush, through the
instructions from Mr. Adams, dated the 22d july,
1873, with a view to draw definite line of demar-
katon for the future, to spulate that no settlement
shall be made on the northwest coast or on any of
the islands thereto adjoining, by Russian subjects,
south of latitude 55 by citizens of the United States
north of latitude 81 degrees, by British subjects
either south of 81 or north of S. mention (says Mr.
Adams) the latitude of 81 the bound within which
we are willing to limit the future settlement of the
United States, because ii is not to be doubted that
the Columbia river branches as far north as 81
AS, however, the line already runs in latitude 40
degrees, to the Stony mountains should it be earn
esily insisted upon by Great Britain we will con-
sent to carry it in continuance til same parallel
TO the sea-
'Mr. Rush, with great ability, attempted to exc
cute his instructions. He first proposed 81 degrees
and afterwards 49 degrees; but In vain These
propositions were severally rejected by the British
plenipoentiaries, (Messrs Hnskisson and S,ratford
Canning, who proposed the 49th parallel as a per-
manent boundary between the two countries until It
should strike the northeasternmost branch of the
Columbia river, (McGillivray's) and thence down
the same to its junction with the ocean, the naviga-
ton OF the whole channel being perpetualy free to
the subjects and citizens of both parties' This
proposition was rejected by Mr.. Rush, and here the
negotiation ended.
The third negotiation on this subject took place
IN lS26-T during the administration Of Mr.. Adams
and was conducted by Mr.. Gallatn as American
pienlpotentiary, under instructions from Mr. Clay,
then Secretary of State. The third article of the
convention Of October, 1878, was about to expire
by Its own lmitatIon and most formal and seri-
Gus effort was then made finally to adjust this vexed
question; but it utterly failed. This negotiation dis
plays great research and ability on both sides Mr.
Galatin in behalf Of the United States, again offered
to compromise the question by adopting the 49th
parallel of latitude the dividing line between the
two ecu tries west ofthe Rocky mountains; and to
agree that the navigation Of the Columbia should b,
perPetually free to the subjects Of Great Britain ia
common with the citizens of the United States pro.
fdRh IA Aah. II ~