The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-09

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the mass OF this House believe this book. ! sea
them go up and take their oath of office upon IL and
| many OF the southern members kiss the book IN To-
ken, suppose, of their respect for it, IL Is between
Christian nations that the foundation Of TUE TO
land is laid in the LIST chapter Of Genesis and Is IN
this book that title TO jurisdiction, ~ emsen do.
main, TO individual property had Its foundation-ah
! of which flow from other sources subsequent
TO that which the clerk read
Now will ask the clerk to read another passage
oftha book; and that's think the BIB verse OF the
I'd Psalm.
| The clerk read:
@ Ask Of and shall give hss the hssthen for thine
Inheritance and the uemo't parts Of the earth J'r my
| posssssion.p
If the clerk will read verse or two before that
which he has Just read il will be seen to whom It Is
said He will give them.
| The clerk read:
Yet have ny king upon my holy blu Of II. Zion n0,o
me, Thou ara my sou, ibis day have begotsn thee
Al" Ask OF and she'll gys thee the heather for thine
inheritance and tho uttsmOst parts Of the earth for thy
That Continued MIR. A. is the Parsonage to
whom the promise was made Of giving the heather
for his inheritance, and the utlermost parts Of the
earth for his possession. Now, the promise con-
tanned in that verse was understood by all commen-
tators upon the Bible and by the Christian nations
Of all denominations, certainly before the reforma.
ton Of Luther, to apply TO the Lord Jesus Christ.
i Then, sir, without entering into any long historical
detail, by the Christians and the Christian nations,
/ flor he spoke now Of international law) the Pope,
or the Bishop of Rome, was considered as the rep
resentativS OF Christ upon earh and this verse from
the Psalm promising the heather for his inheritance
and the uttermos parts Of the earth for his posses
sion, together with another at the close Of one
Of the Gospels (Which he would not detain the com.
mttee by asking the clerk To read AT the desk in
which the Lord Jesus Christ, after rising from the
dead said 10 his disciples, i'm substance) Ge forth
and preach to all nations my Gospel; and will be
with you to the end Of the world" From these
three several passages Of the Scriptures, the
Pope Of Rome asserted, and for many ages
it was admitted that he had, the power Of giving
to any king or sovereign to whom he pleased
the power Of going and subduing all barbarous
tons, and subduing and conquering all territory,
either not subdued at all, or subdued by barbarous
nations, for the purpose Of converting them TO
Christianity. At the time Of the discovery Of the
continents Of North and South America by Christie
pher Columbus, this was the law fnatons between
Christians, recognised, acknowledged, admitted;
and when Christopher Columbus came, under a
commission from Ferdinand and isabella, king and
T queen Of CASTLE, Leon, and Auagon-when he
came and made his discovery, which he did in Octo-
Der, 1892, in the next year, some time in the month
Of March or April 1893, the Pope Of Rome-at that
time authorized, according TO all international law
between Christians, to do it-gave to Ferdinand and
Isabella the whole continents OF North and South
America He authorized the drawing Of line from
pole to pole 100 leagues west Of the Azores islands
and Cape de Verde; and he gave the whole 100
leagues beyond from pole to POLE to Ferdinand and
Isabella, king and queen of CASTLE, Leon, and Ar
ragon. Now do intend to say that that is one Of
our ti,les' must say it, although think perhaps,
as little Of il as any member of this House. But it
was good tile when il given. IL was the I'M
derstandng, the faith, the belief OF all the Christian
nations Of Europe that the Pope had this power;
and il was acquiesced in by them all for time.
That same Pope at that time in the custom OF
giving away not only barbarous nations, but civil
lied nations. He dehroned sovereigns, put them
under interdict and accommodated them from in
tercourse with all other Christians; and il was sub
mitted to. And now, sir the government Of Great
Brtain--the nation Of Great ,Britain-holds the
island Of Ireland no other title. Three hundred
years before that time, Pope Adrian Of Rome gave,
by that came power, to Henry Of England the
island Of Ireland; and England has held it from
that day to this under that title, and no other.
That 10 no other, unless by conquest, (for il has
been in continued state of rebellion ever since and
Great Britain has been obliged to conquer il half
dozen times since; and now the question is whether
Ireland shall ever become an Independent kingdom.
IL we come 10 war with Great Britain, she will find
enough to do to maintain that island.) do not
think 1t Of very great value; though think it does
not go for nothing Now, that general authority
| given to man TO increase, multiply, and replensh
the earth, and ytbdus it, grant from the Crea-
tor to man as man; 1t was grant to every indivld-
ual of the human race in his individual capacity.
But them the portion of that belongs to the ndiyid-
ual, and was given thereby was a matter for the
whole human race to accommodate among them
selves. That is to say, in communities, commune
ties were to agree together what should be the etes
and bounds of that portion Of the earth given them
by the general grant from the Creator. When COM
munities were formed, it became matter of le-
gislation among them to whom any particular prop
erty-e. g., lot Of land on which to build house
should belong. Any territorial right whatever, as
between individuals was to be regulated by legisla-
~ ho tad h,v
consent by convention; and in that way the laws Of
nations, as they are called (Which nothing more
than the customs of nations, and the treaties and
conventions Of nations have regulated how every
spot, every inch Of land shall be occupied. And
among the rest, 1t is by these laws and regula-
Unconstitutional among communities and nterna-
nonal among nations-that you hold that seat, IRE
ferring to the Speakers seat) and do not, because
you have it, elevated to it by the laws of the coun-
ny, ana no other man can take, except by permits
sion. so long as your right continues .1
Well, sir, our title to Oregon stands on the same
Il foundation. When this discovery of Columbus
came to be matter of great importance among the
nations of the earth, other nations took into their
heads to plant colonies on this continent and then
came the question Of controversy between them
which never has been settled to this day. Our
question now with Great Britain in one of the con-
sequences Of that state Of things. There never has
been any agreement between the nations of the earth
how these points shall be settled.
There have been titles derived from treaty. from
agreement, from conquest there have been sources
from which they have derived title to territory. We
have been told here that title to the Columbia
river and all the territory that is drained by it, is in
consequence of discovery and exploration. Well,
sir, that has been partially agreement between
the nations that they will say they consider that
where nation discovers the mouth of river, and
explores that river to its source then that nation is
entitled and has been generally allowed, to maintain
their authority. But that is not the foundation Of
any Of our titles .. ... ..
Looking into Hazards State Papers, LIST volume,
find there charter from Charles Of England to
the colony of Massachusetts, Bay, Of the territory
between latitude 400 and Ago, and from sea to sea-
That was no longer ago than the time of Charles l.
tile to Virginia.-I forget now precisely between
what parallels of latitude it extended, but it COM
pretended this very territory from sea to sea;
and others of the charters Of the kings of England
\ gave that territory from sea to sea. Now what
LIE halA LaL Il Ill