Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1846-02-12
The British Proposition.

! luO hVpVSitiUHs
The Courier g. Enquirer, after careful c,n.
ton of all its adyices by the Hbernia, concnd.
that the leading article in the London Time, or,s'
3D. ut, on the subject Of Oregon had an Official
igin, and that il shadows forth proposition Of co.
promise which has come out TO Mr. Pskenb,m
the Hibernia to be formally submitted to OH, D."
eminent The material portion Of tina. article a..
follows -
IAN equal line of partition would be a cop,;on.
ton from the Rocky Mountains not of tba, Gs.
which has already been fixed on as the commsnn. '
ment Of the boundary, but Of line one degree y.
the South Of it, drawn 10 the Southern zane m ~
outlet OF Juan de Fuca Straits. This womb :.
nearly as il is possible, be the divisional line ofi'
disputed district, and would give us create, s,'
tent of coast land to the North than we car. y
claim. But the 10th parallel Of North latitude b,,'
ing already been Fixed by the Convention of To,.
don as the commencement of the BOUNDARY sp,I
division is Of course out OF the question We oai.
notice it to show that our starting point is not oos
Of perfect equality. As the matter already stans,
a previous Convention has ratified certain n,in.;'
pie Of concession
1--WE have not claimed all that the circums,r,..
OF the case and the ambiguity Of right Womb
have justified US in claiming. And, knowing MI,
we feel that we are bound by our duty 10 our own
countrymen resident in those districts, to profess
against any wanton or careless compromise Of ,bs;,
interests We are no, solicitous to push our r;gb,
to It's extreme point We, therefore. will n,
claim for them, nor for ourselves, that capaeiop,
district between the Southeast bank of the Coum.
bia and the Rocky Mountains. We concede this
we concede il because we prefer settlement ,oa
litigation, compromise to contest, peace to war
We concede naked right for the retention of an
undeniable good. But we canno, acquiesce in tbe
surrender Of positive and long-enjoyed benefits
We think, then, that every purpose both.of honor
and interest would be answered, if the British Min.
ister, on whom, now devolyes the duty Of making
fresh proposals to the Government Of the United
States, rere 10 reHsv on has part The Offer mad, 10
England By Mr. G0Hatin in the Presideney and
under the direction Of hr adams That proposal
was to make the 10th degree Of North latitude as
far as the sea, as the boundary line, reserving 10
Great Britain Yancouver's Island, the harbor ofSt
Juan de Fuca, and the free navigation Of the Co
lumbia. This would be a concession as far as 50.
perhcial area Of the ground is concerned tWoud
leave the United States masters of the greater part
Of Oregon. But il would secure the principal ID.
vanages of the country, the free navigation Of The
Columbia, TO the servants Of the Hudson Bay Com
pany as well as harborage, and anchorage and SET
Elements for English vessels trading with China and
our possessions in Australia and New-Zealand 1.
would conoede all that the most successful war
could acquire-a sovereign country but barren do
ninion il would secure all the commercial bless.
ings Of an honorable compromise and rational
peace. II would not deprive the native Americans
OF any equitable advantage. bot would retain for
Engshnen that privilege to which they are justly
eniitled-the privilege of sharing the traffic between
North America and the English settlements in the
Pacific No impartial man can expect that an
English Minister would ever consent 10 transfer to
the United States the monopoly of the carrying
trade between Hudson's Bay and English colonies
in that sea.
We hope that no rules of diplomatic etiquette
will prevent our representative at Washington from
making some proposal of this kind. We hope also
that no false pride, or more ignoble sentiment will
preclude the Ministry of Washington from accept
ing IT, And if they do reject it as coming from u.s.
we do not see how, after such rejection, they can
refuse TO submit the question Of miles still left TO
the arbitration Of some neutral Power. To reject
an offer conceived in the spirit Of peace and mode.
alton, and at the same time to demur to the sug
gestion Of a reference, would be to deserve no.
less than 10 provoke the imputstion Of the most rep
rehensible obstinacy or the most insolent injustice"