Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1846-03-12


r..us, "pcn"d wsgon.road eighteen hundred
w,tes In length, through an ard or nonniain'
nns region. aud made settlements on or near
the shares Of the Pacific. w,,aou, any guar.
anty for the possession q! tho land improved
by their labms. Even the attempt 10 cntry
on an inland trade with the Indians of Ore.
r"U has been defeated by tho refusal TO al.
l"w q drawback Of the high duties, Imposed
oW the importation Of foreign gouds nh-o
iW-ly necessary for that conInerco. TINS
the fur trade has remained engros-rd by the
!iudson Bay Co,npany missionaries were,
III very late, almos, the only citizens of tho
iJn,,rd States To be- fonnd in Oregon the
United States during the whole uf that pc.
rad. have derived o other advantage from
the convention than The reservation Of their
rights, aud the express provision thnt these
should IN no way be affected by the continn.
Nnce of the British factories ~ the territory.
And, now that the tide of migration has
turned IN their favor, they are suddenly 10.
vtrd 10 assume n hp-iile position 20 cudnre
tho rnlami,irs and to run the chances mad
con>rqurncps III war, IN order Ia gain nn ob
j"cl which natural aud irresistible causes, II
,rr.n,t,rd 10 operatv, Cannot tail ultimately to
~ a,Ein.
NC "pp'N""'E '" wv '''''"'y
within the Acknowledged limits have gener-
silly been recommended by the President. -
A vrry ,nnterale appropriation will be- sui-
Krirn, Ia improve the mot difficult portions
t,hr road ! and bock-h"u-es, or other trn'-
rNney ~uks, erected IN proper places aud
at convenient distances, aud garrlsnned by n
pnr,,on of the intended additional forrr, " III
pr,,-c, aud facilitate the progress oi the en-
ho tl,..
va-t extent oi prairics, destitute Of TIMBER,
which intervene between the western boun-
Diary of the State of Missouri aud the country
bordering on the Stony Mountains, il seems
lm,ossiblc that there should not be fou nd
some more favored spots whore settlements
may be formed. II ,h"Ac were selected for
military posts, and dona,inns Of land were
made I" actual settlers IN their vicinity. a
series of villages, though probably not n
continuity of settlements, would soon orisc
through the whole length Of the mad.-
The most important plnce, that which is most
wanted, either ne place Of rest Tor the eml-
grants or for military purposes is one in the i'm.
mediate vicinity of the Stony Mountains. Re.
ports speak favornbly of the fertility OF the
soil in some Of The valleys Of the upper wa.
ters. within our l,,niis-"f Bears river, Of the
MI t>NOtuub, uHu rbVIie " UTiNeIV
branches of the river Platte. There, ais, :,
the seat ofIn-,lce NIGH, be placed of The new
territory, whose courts should have superior
jurisdiction over Oregon. The measures
which the United States hnve n right Ia car
~ INTO effect within the territory at Oregon,
in conformity with the convention, hive
ulr"sdy br"n pointed out.
u mny no, be possible 10 calculate, with
4 Al. f.
yrns of the Uniiad States who, aided by
thrr" vnri"u. measures, will within any glv-
"n period. remove TO the territory beyond
the Stony Mountains II Is certain that tins
number Will annually Increase, and keep
pace with the rapid Increase of the popua-
tio, "f the Western States. II cannot be
d',,btrd tha, ultimately. aud at M very dis.
iant imr, they will have possession of n u
TIM, is worth being occupied N the territory
On what pr,nciplr. then, will the right of
sovereignty W. ,lrrid"d?
II mny, howe, yer. be- n.krd ~L'fhcr. ifl
thi. be tho inevitable consequence Of the
r"o' 'inuHnce m the conveniion, England
will no, herself give notice that il shall
b~ abr"gn'ed. II might he snficicn, to-
answer 'hN W" must wait till that no
tice shall have been given. and the sub
.. quenl measures winch England means
4" adopt shall have becn made known to Us,
b"tor" we assume rashly II hostile position.
Th" United States mny govern themselves
although they may irrltate Great Britain,
,hev ran""' control the acts Of her govern
ment. The British Government will do
whatever II may think proper but for the
c"ns' qurnc"s that may ensure It will be a
lone responsible. Should the abrogn,lon OF
the convention on her part b" followed by
aggressive m"asures'; should she assume ex.
rinsive posscssinn over Oregon or any part
of u, a. u is now proposed that the United
States should do. America will then be plac-
cd in n d, fenslve position; the war, If any
should .n-ue, will be one unprovoked oy her,
n war purely Of defence, winch will be not
only sustained, but approved by the unani-
nous voice oi the nation. We may however.
b. permitted To examine whnt motive could
nnpci England. what interest she might have.
"n''er ~ nnnnlling the convention or in a.
doptiRg aggressive measures.
" h.n u Is recoInIne nded that the United
States should give notice OF the abrogaiion
of the convention, II Is with the avuwcd oh.
lect Of adopting measures forbidden by the
aud which Great Britain has UNI. l
Iostniy declared she would resist. But, nc.
cor1ing to the view OF the subject uniformly 1
lnken by her. from The first tune she assert. II
I'd the rights she cInins To this day, the sim.
pie abr"ga,ion of her convention with the II
United States will produce M Effect what
ever on the rights, relations aud postum OF |
he two Powers. Great Britain, from the
late nj least II Cooks third Voyage, and
,rlor to the Nootku convention, did deny the
Exclusive claim of SPAN, aud assert that her
ubjects had, in cotaa,on with those of other
states, the right freely to trad" with the ma.
ives and to settle in nuy part of the North
western coast of Americs, Dot slrendy occupi h
ID by the subjects ot Spain. The Nootka
convention was nothing more than the ac-
nIescence, on the part Of Spaia, in the
iams thus asserted by Great Britain. lenv.
aE the sovereignty in abeysnce. And the
os~eniion between tho United States aad
sreat Britain is nothiug more or lcss thaa
"npo<sSy recognition of the same priseipie. Il 1
q far as the two parties were conceraed.- - 4
England tiad, prior tn that convention, fuiy 4 i,
dmn'rd iast the United States posscssrd I
he same rights as were claimed by hcr.-i
The abr"gai,oa Of tho convcntion by her
'il' l"av" these rights precisely in the same 4
''u"',"n a. they anw stand. and as they stood i
r'"r Ia the cnnvcn'mn. II cannot. there. N
Irc b. I"rr' v"d Whist possible bep"f til could i
:. Sn" :" Great Bt,n from her abrogn.