Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-09

he reoion drained BY the Columbia INeI.
much for The claims we have, in our own P'0PN'
right, 10 that region. rrrance
TO these we have added The claims oi -, ,rea-
and Spain. The former we ohlaineo py .n' LATER
~ of onisiana ratified in 1903; and lne la.le
~ he 1rea,v of Florida ratified in 1919. by lne
former we acquired all The rights when f lona9
had TO louisiana "to The extent il now mas lIool
in the hands of Spain, and that i haa 1ner
France possessed it, and such as u shouu 80.
,cr The ,rea,;cs subsequently, entered into ~ SPai
and other States" By The latter, his Cd.no,.c
Majesty seeded TO the United States all hls
claims, and preiensions" 10 The country Ei"s
Yves, Of The Rocky mountains, and N"i.h " d
line drawn on the l2d parallel OF lalItuoe, ilont a
point on The South bank OF The Arkansas, III ''l"'
parallel 10 The South Sea; that IS, 10 inc wl!ole
gion claimed by Spain West OF those MOUNTAINS
and North Of that line. ,dsn,,ed
The cession OF Louisiana gave Us uhu'. ~ ~
title West of the Mississippi eS'en9hns ~ NY
summit OF the Rocky mountains dnu nr ,,.;ns ~
Sou,h between that river and those mountains -
The possessions of Spain, the line between Which
and ours was afterwards determined ny lne u.at
of Florida. II also added much 10 Inc SlIens'ii "
our lille 10 The region beyond The ROCKY noun
,ains BIZ restoring 10 us the important INK q con-
tinuity Westward 10 the Pacific, when i'au peen
surrendered hy the treaty OF lI63-as VIII DC
hereafter shown. c,4,,;o, far
That continuity furnishes Just iouhdauo" 10,
a claim OF territory, in conDexlon WIN ,hoae -
discovery and occupation wonia seem u .,iI :,
llonable Il is admitted by al, 'na' nen.e i -
Them is limited by The precise spot discovered OF
occupied II IS evident that, in order 10 make
e,her available il must extend al least some dis
lance beyond ha, actually discovered or occu-
nied bul how far as an abstract question: IS
matter nj uncertainty II is subject IN each case
10 be Influenced By variety OF cons'ue' d''U.'s'
In the ease Of an island it has been usually main
iain,j in prac,ce 10 extend The claim oil discovery
or occpnancy 10 HE whole. So, likewise, ~ Inc
case of river. i, has been usual 70 eXieao 'iisil
10 The entire region drained by lt-more especial
Is in cases oi a discovery and scl'ieuieht a. .nI
mouth; and emphalicaliy SO V en- accompanies
By exploration of The river ana region 1iious"
which flows Such, il is believed, may PC az
fr,ned 10 be The opinion and practice III suc1 ca
ses since the discovery Of this continent. HoW
lar The claim OF. continuity may extend in other
case is less perfectly defined, and can be settled
only BY reference TO the circumstances al'ehdih?
each. When this continent was frs! discovered,
Spain claimed The whole, in virtue q M gran.
OF The Pope; but claim SO exlravaeaht ana
unreasonable was not acQucsced ~ 10y oihel
countries, and could not be long maintained
Other nations. especially England and France,
a, an early period, contested her claim They
6ued on, VOYAGES of discovery, and made settle
mems on the Eastern coasts OF North America.
They claimed for their settlements, usually, spe-
cliff. limits along The coasts or bays on which
they were formed, and generally region OF cor
responding width, extending across me ehlife
continent In the Pacific Ocean. Snch was lie
character OF The limits assigned by England IN
The charters which she granted 10 her former CO.
lonieS. now tie United States, when there was
no special reasons for varying from II.
How strong she regarded her CLAIM 10 the re-
zion convened by these charters, and extending
Westward Of her settlements, The war between
her and France, which was terminated by The irea-
~ OF Paris l1f3 furnishes striking illustration
That great contes, which ended so gloriousiy Tor
England and effected so great and SO durable
change on this continent commenced IN con-
dict between her claims and those OF France, rest
no on her side on This very right oi cunliSuly,
extending Westward from her settlements 10 The
Pacific Ocean, and on the part of France on The
same right, but extending 10 the region draIntu
hy The Mississippi and is waters, on The ground
ri settlement and exploration Their respective
claims which led 10 The war; first clastcd on the
Ohio river. the waters Of which the colonial
charters. in their Western extension, covered, but
which France had been nnquesionably Inc FIST
10 settle and explore. If The relative strength of
these difcrrn, claims may be tested BY the result
of that remarkable contest, that oil continuity
Westward must be pronounced lo be The stronger
of,bejwo England has had al least the advantage
OF the result, and would seem 10 be iorecIosed
against con,esiing the principe-pariicularly as
against US, who contributed So much 10 that re-
sul,. and on whom that contest and her exam
pies and pleiensions, from the first settlement oil
our county. have contributed to impress il 81
deeply and indelibly.
But The treaty Of 1863, which terminated that
memorable and evenilul struggle, yielded, rs ha
been stated. Inc claims and all tie chartered rights
81 the colonies beyond the Mississippi. The
seventh article establishes that river as the per
manent boundary between the possessions OF
Creal Britain and France on this continent So
much as relates TO the subject is in the following
words: "The confines between The dnmnions OF
his Britannia Majesty in that pari Of the world
(the continent Of America shall be fixed irrevo-
cably by line drawn along the middle ofthe river
Mississippi from its source 10 The river lhervlle;
and from thence, by line drawn along the mid
die OF this river and The lakes Maurpas and Pont-
chartrain, 10 The sea- &c.
This important stipulation, which thus es.a-
bIishes the Mississippi as the line "fred ureroca-
Av" between the dominions of the two countries
on this continent, in effect cx,nguishcd in favor
OF France whatever claim Great Britain may
have had 10 the region lying west OF The Missis-
sssippi 1t OF course could not affect the rights
Of Spain-lhe only other nation which had any
prelence OF claim west OF that river; but II pre-
vented the right of continuity previously claimed
BY Great Britain from extending beyond ii, and
transferred il 10 France. The treaty OF Louisi-
ana restored and vested in The United States al
The claims acquired by France and surrendered
by Great Britain, under the provisions OF mat
treaty, 10 the country west OF The MISSISSIPPI
and, among Others The one ID question:
Certain il is that France had The same Tisnt OF
continuity in virtue oil her possession OF Louisl-
ana and the extinguishment Of The right Of Eng
and, BY The treaty of 1863 10 the whole country
west of the Rocky mountains, and lying west OF
Louisiana. as agains, Spain. which Eng land had
10 The country westward Of The Allegheny moun-
tains. as against FTance-wilh this difference
thai Spain had nothing 10 oppose TO The claim OF
France. al the time, but The right Of discovery;
and even that, England has since denied: while
France had opposed 10 The right OF England, in
her case that of discovery, exploration, and sell
dement, II, therefore, not OF all surprising maj
France should claim the country west OF The
Rocky mountains, as may be inferred from her
maps on the same principle that Great Britain
had claimed and dispossessed her OF the regions
West al the Allegheny; OF that the United States,
should assert Inc same claim, and lake measures
Immediately alter 10 explore il. with view 10
occupation and settlement BnI. since then, We
have strengthened on title, by adding 10 our own
proper claims and those OF France The claims al
50 Of Spain b. The treaty OF Florida, as has been
stated.
The claims which We have acquired from her
between The Rocky mountains and The Pacific,
resi- on her priority Of discovery. Numerous
voyages Of discovery, commencing with that OF
aialdonada in 1928, and ending with that under
Galiano and Valdes in l192, were undertaken by
her authority, along the Northwestern coast Of
North America That they discovered and ex-
pored moi only The entire coast Of what IS no"
called Inc Oregon Territory, hui sill luther
North, is FAC, 100 well established 10 be coniro-
verted al This day. The voyages which they per-
formed will accordingly be passed over al present,
without being particularly alluded 10, with The
exception OF that Of Hecela. His discovery OF
the mouth OF The Columbia river la, beer already
referred 10. II was made on The oh OF Angus,
l775-many years anterior 10 The voyages OF
Meares and Vancouver, and was prior 10 Cook 5,
who did moi reach The Northwestern coast un''l
IT'S The claims il gave 10 Spain OF priority Of
discovery were transferred 10 US, with all others
1. H., Too nfE