Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-03-13
2ste1Deauoaou asopaetteat4


that "Lord Castlereagh admitted, in Inc mosl a' ~
pie extent our right TO be reinstated, anu ~ ~
Inc marry in possession while treating OF me title.
I'm The British government expressly neny
thai by the restoration OF Astoria, they ever
meant ITO admit the validity OF the Title OF Inc go
yernmeDt of the United States 10 that settlement.
On The contrary, they say it was done only De-
cause they were determined 10 give The mos. iioe.
raj construction 10 the treaty OF Client, that ho
even shadow Of reflection might be cast upon
the good faith Of The British government. ANY
they say, upon the authority OF mr. bdoo', W."
he communicated yerbaliyio our government 'ila
The restora alton of Astoria was not 10 be consuei
ed as admitting title in the United States Nei'hei
the British admission 10 Mr. Rush, or Mr. baSol
statement is witnessed by protocols tney oo'i
stand upon the individual assertion OF Inc t"e
gentlemen. and are, of course, equally entitleu tc
credit So The gentleman from Illinois MI
Dougassl will see that ne is not sustained ID M
position thai, it we terminate the convention, we
will be admitted TO be the party in possession Dy
the British government and SO continue until we
are displaced.
In 1924 another abortive attempt al negotiation
was made. In this negotiation, Mr.. GallatIn re-
newed The offer made in 1918 OF the 49th parallel
with The additional provision, that II The SAID iihe
should cross any of the branches OF Inc Column
bia al points from which they are navlsaole 10y
boats to the main stream, the navigation oil sucf
branches and the main stream shall be perpetual
" free and common 10 The people OF both nations
The British refused 10 accede 10 this offer; ou
at The same time expressed their willingness lo
weld 10 the United States, in addition 10 Wha
they had al first offered detained territory, COM
prising the peninsula between The Pacific and The
Straits oil Fuca from Bulfnchs harbor 10 Hoods
canal; and 10 siipulaie that no works should al
any time be erected al The mouth or on the banks
ofihe Columbia calculated 10 obstruct The Tree ma
vigation oftha river BY either party. This offer
the United States refused 10 accept.
In 1927, after another Intellectual attempt al a
permanent settlement, convention was conclu-
ded which provided for the indefinite extension OF
AL The provisions OF the third article OF that
convention and also that either party light ter
inmate il at any lime it nigh, think tit, by giving
one years notice after the 20th Of October 1928.
IT took, however, The precaulion of providing ex-
pressly that "nOthing contained IN kt,s contention,
~ IN TIC Mird article Of The contention NJ Tie 20ih
If Ofi6tcr, 1878 herein c0ntinRed ial forcc shall
bc Construed 10 impair or IN ann ma1,Her 01cci Inc
ciaims ichith either Of lie contracting parties nay
hare 10 any part 81 The country reacard Of he
SionlD or Rocky mountains"
In the late negotiation, the British minister, in
addition 10 what had already been offered or The
part Of Great Britain, offered TO undertake 10 make
free 10 The United States any port or ports which
they might desire, either on the main land or on
VancouvcI's island south OF latitude 80 degrees,
or To refer the whole matter 10 arbitration. Both
OF these propositions declined By our gov
eminent, and, in turn, we offered again the 49ih
parallel 10 The Pacific, and al the same time TO
make free to Great Britain any port or ports on
Vancouver's island, south OF this parallel, which
the British government might desire. This offer
was declined, Withdrawn by our Secretary, and
The negotiation ended. Now, sir, | insist that all
OF these negotiations proceeded upon the idea
that England had rights in Oregon
On the point thar, in all our negotiations, we
have admitted that Great Britain had rights in
Oregon, which we are 'precluded by those nego-
iaions from now DENYING, as IL IS very lmpor-
TAM one desire 10 add word. | think this is
shown by the character of The negotiations nd
the treaties themselves but that there may be no
doubt abou; ii, refer TO The understanding OF the
gentleman (Mr. Adams, who was more promi-
nentiy connected with them than any other man
first, as Secretary o State in 1918 and 1874 and
as President OF the United States in 1927. Upon
this subject, al the last session OF Congress, he
said: ave had agreed 10 suspend final deci-
sion on this subject by The convention OF 1918, q
years ago. Why had we come TO that conclusion
at that time Because we did think there was
some substance in the claim oflhe British govern
menr, and that il was fair and honorable propo-
sition 10 her 10 compromise-to give up our
claim as far as the 18th degree rather than fight
for it,
maintain, Mr.. Chairman, that by our treaty
with Russia, and by our laying claim 10 par
OF Oregon before we acquired The Spanish title,
we are estopped from asserting that Spain had
good title. For il she had, our claim before
we acquired it, was pTetence tile, which ma
ton with honor could not assert and after we had
acquired il, il good, we could not have surrender
ed TO Russia more than 6 deg. OF the territory
without dishonor. admit, that as prop TO our
title, the Spanish title is oil some avail but by IL
| self il is OF none.
We have thus seen (said Mr.. b. the character
or the country in dispute; thai, under the law OF
nations, discovery unless followed up, In rea-
sonablc time by permanent settlement conicrs no
title; and that, when thus perfected. il does no,
give title 10 an unlimited extent Of country, but
| only 10 so much as may be necessary and proper
] for a settlement in national point OF view and
| thai, from considerations OF obvious convenience
and properly, the discovery and settlement OF
river gives title TO all the country drained by II.
And 10 this connection We have seen that Spain
| first discovered the Northwest coast of America,
| as high up as the Glst degree, more than six de-
/ erees within the Russian dominions, as ascer-
| lained in treaty with Us, made since We ac-
| ouiycd The Spanish title and also with Grea, Bri-
tain that she did not perfect her title by perma-
ncnt settlement within reasonable time, and lhal
she conveyed such title as she bad 10 us IN 1917;
| thai the United States extended the discovery Of
| The Columbia river, before made BY Spain on the
sea and discovered, for the first time, liz sources,
/ and navieaed il to The ocean that their citizens
made settlements upon il, which were taken from
them during the late war by the British, and re-
stored alter The peace We have seen further,
that England first discovered overland Ffa7iers
"a I'D fhn
coast, followed in the track OF Spanish and Anne
riean navigalors, extensively surveying. But il
does not appear that she made any new discove
RES or made any settlements any where prior
to similar settlements by Americans, unless
Meares, al Nootka Sound, may be considered
SUCH and that all OF The settlements made prior
1918, either by the English or the Americans,
were mere trading posts.
Under the head Of coniignttu, we have seen
that we hold the territory adjoining Oregon from
the 42d degree 10 The 49th degree, and Great Britain
Nor,h of 40 degrees and that we hold The only
practicable pass across the mountains. And in
| this connection that Oregon is important TO us IN
a commercial point OF view, and not al all so to
England, and above all that we must settle il, and
that England cannot.
By trcaiv. we have seen that The United States
ACQUIRED from France, in 1903, certainly all The
territory West the Mississippi and East OF The
Rocky mountains above the Spanish possessions,
and probably all West and also, that by the
treaty Of 1917, we acquired all the Spanish tile
such as il was. We have further seen that we
have agreed upon boundary line with Russia,
since we acquired the Spanish title more than
six degrees South of the point 10 which Spanish
discoveries extend We have also seen that by
the Nootka Sound Convention, Spain made con-
cessons of rights 10 England; and that il is IN
dispute whether that Convention still survives.
That the United States laid claim 10 the country
before we acquired the Spanish title, and negotia-
led with England about our respective claims
And above all, that in our various negotiations
with England relative to Oregon, both before
and since we acquired The Spanish little, We
have admitted, by the very character OF the ,rea-
ties themselves, that she had rights there, in refer
ence 10 which both nations have made offers Of