Litchfield enquirer., 1846-02-26

owh barty. There has been . cunssant u.rag
alo 6ctWcrn these ahiagOnisiial principle
ever sinee they came into pOwer. Nhtn u
former he's the ascenaency, thetnegOiiatinI
Is carried forward Un the only ground which
can bring the dispute IN peaceful issue, Il
wit, compromise when the last, that ba
sis is totally abandoned, and the Admins
ton go for "the whole Of Oregon or nene.'
In short, we are trying an ehiirc new exper
iment In diplomacy. The Administration
in their motives of action, have mixed ~
foreign affairs" with domestic affairs
We arc trying to see how diplomacy and
party politics will jump together. In the
case Of such On imbecile power as Mexico
II may do, but when yon are dealing with
such,a character as John Bull, it is quite
ano.mrr affair. shall watch the progress
of this novelty with deep interest.
Having thus presented 10 the conside-
ration Of the committee the prominent
features of the negotiation between the
twp bowers, / turn TO a topic which
should have been made prominenl1n this
debate, and which has attracted compa-
ratively little attention.. | refer 10 the
question oftitles II is said that we can
reuiIy and truly advance pretenSions of
title 10 the whole of Oregon. IL 50, / go
for the notice in any form, no matter
how unqualified. II is with surprise,
have seen many honorable members rise
oDthis floor and make eloquent and able
appeals TO this commi;tee in opposition
10 the notice, and yet declare their belief
that we had the better title to the whole
Of Oregon. regard every speech of this
character as futile and nugatory. Til;
American people will never consent 10
surrender an inch, If they are convinced
that we really own Oregon up TO 81 40.
If such is the state of the case, would
abrogate the convention TO. morrow. We
must then look into this question, and en-
deavor to ascertain the true state of the
title. What! methinks hear some one
cxclaimDarc you about TO 20 over to the
British side of the argument! No. sir,
shall endeavor to place myself on truly
American ground-on the maxim which
has been sanctioned by our wiscst AMI
best men--"io claim" in our intercourse
with foreign powers, nothing except
what is clearly right, and submit to no,h-
ing which is clearly wrong" How can
we ascertain what is "clearly right" in
regard TO this matter, unless we enquire
into the tile ! affirm tits not only pro.
per to institute the enquiry. but our duty
toprosecute it with nll the integrity and
impar,iality' of the judicial character
We are placed in very trying situation
obliged to judgs in our own cause, and
liable to he swayed from the path OF rec
titude and honor by passion, prejudice,
and scif.interest.| Let then moderation
and a sense Of justice characterize our
consultations, and then we may hope for
a peaceful ! sue. At any rate, we shall
have conscience and the blessing Of
Heaven on our side, and should the result
be an appeal 10 arms-the ultima ratio
reipubIicH-then a united, patriotic,
and just people could not fait 10 come
iriumphantty cut of the contest. i.'
If ittbe admitted that both parties have
just pretentions. of title to some part of
tho territory, the tits plain neither par
~ can claim, AZ matter Of strict right,
that It should be- divided by any precise
line. 1t is wild, savage,' and, In n great
degree. uninhabited' country We can
see on this hypothesis that Great Britain
owns one part, and We the other; but
where the line should be drawn can only
be determined by estimating, as we'll as
we can. the value of the respective pre-
tensions of the two Governments, which
is merely q matter of opinion, and the
case mist inevitably be settled by COM
promise, ii settled peacefully. II the A.
incrican Government have title to all that
part oftiIe territor, drained by the waters
Of the Columbia riycr, aud the British
Government to that part Grained by Fra.
GERS river, then it Is certail that the 49th
parallel is not the trueline. III such case
the true line would commence as high ip
MS The SGD parallel. and would run liz a
sonlhwesierly direction on the high lands
dividing The Writer'S Of the two rivers,and
would strike the coast at some point be-
tween the mouth Of the Columbia and the
month OF Frazer's river. insist, there
fore, that the 10th parallel can only be
proposed as n compromise line, and
must confess it has ever seemed to me 10
constitute n proper basis for the adjust
mcnt Of the differences between the two
Governments unless, indeed, we can
properly take the ground that Great Bril-
tain hns no claim whatever to any part of
the territory. IA. '..
Whether we should attempt 10 exclude
that power wholly from Oregon, depends,
in my Judgment, on the force and effec,
which we are authorized to give to the
Spanish title which we acquired by the
treaty. OF Florida in 1919. There is no
pretcnce that we have any claim what
ever to the territory above the parallel
40, excep, by virtue Of our Spanish title,
on which some remarks should be made.
l.. II consists in mere naked discovery
without exploration, unless it be coast
wise, and withou, settlements. 1t Is GER
tain. that Spain never made any thing like
u settlement in any part of the territory
except at Nootka, which she, as Mr.. Blu.
chanan admits. abandoned in l795. BE.
sides, settlement u. Nootka would have
given Spain Vancouver's Island only
A settlement on an island, says Mr. Cal.
houn, gives the party making it a claim
to the whole island upon the principle Of
continuity. but certainly not to CONT
nent adjoining. But / suppose the settle
ment OF a continent would carry with i,
adjament islands, upon the ground that
th. principal takes with il all accesso.