The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-25

the proud and powerful front she did IN the days OF
Ferdinand and Isabella; suppose, in addition to her
anquestoned prior discovery ofihe northwest coast
Of America and settlement at Nootka sound, she
had added the discovery and entrance Of the Column
fba RIVER suppose that Spain had performed the act
which our government performed by the expiora-
1 ton Of Lewis and Clarke of the whole country
II drained by the Columbia river, from It's highest
sources 10 It's mouth and had followed up that ex
pofation by actual settlement and OCCUPATION. is
there, ask senator here ,or an Intelligent man
anywhere, who would hesitate 10 pronounce that
her title TO the whole valley of the Columbia and
yanceayera island was clear and psqaestisnable
Take smother case Suppose that Great Britain,
win all that boosted military and naval superiority
20 often aitnssuted TO hcrion tina floor had by her
treaties with Spain acquired quit claim 10 all the
rights, claims, and pretensions" of Spain on the
lnasthwe eat coast Of meros, and Great Britain had
superadded TO this such discovery "a was made by
Gray, the exploration such as was made by Lssis
4 and Ciarke, and such settlement was made by
Aston and other American citizens and suppose, in
addsoeaj TO eli this the United States had by the
ittTealy o6Ghsas stipulasd to Surrender Great
Hate war, and had under this stipulation actually re-
stored 70 Great Britain Astoria, ss one ofthe places
captured: ask Is there member Of the Senate il
there man in merica, or an intelligent man any
d. where, who doubts that The whole country drained
by the Columbia, from its utmost sources TO its
mouth, would have belonged TO Great Britain, and
that her u,le TO 1t was clear and unquestionablei
think not ~ -lr'' .,-As.. lN." ...'L
/ IL then, lam correct in supposing that in the
two cases have put, this territory would have be-
Ionged to Spain in the case, and Great Brit
ain IN the other, how does il come TO pass that un-
der precisely similar facts the title TO said territory
does not absolutely vest IN the United Statesi For
one pretends TO deny that all the "rghts, claims,
and preensions" of Spain to her possessions the
northwest coast of America passed to the United
States by the treaty Of 1919, commonly called the
Florida treaty; one pretends to doubt the pror
ty, in point OF me Of the discovery and sailing up
the Columbia river by Captain Gray; no one can
Z deny the authorized exploration Of the Columbia
{ river by Lewis and Clarke; one deny the
settlement Of Astoria by American citizens, and Its
restoration under treaty stpulsons after the war
How, then, they deny that our title to the
whole of this portion Of the territory is clear and
G unquestionablel These are my views in regard to
the country drained by the Columbia river to which
believe have a perfect title. | believe, also.
Q that the Spanish settlement at Nootka sound and
the subsequent transfer Of her interest 10 u.s. give US
r title 10 Vancouver's island.
In regard to that portion of the territory drained
by Frazers river, the title is not clear; but my
opinion is that ours is the best in existence This
opinion is founded upon the discovery Of the great
river Columbia; the early discovery Of that part OF
e the northwest coast by Spain, who subsequently,
transferred to US; the uniform assertion Of British
8 statesmen and ministers, up to the commencement
whatever it was, was derived from the convention
2 Of Nootka sound; and from the great controlling
fact that every page Of her history, general and Po-
0 liuca shows that IN all her movements in regard
0 to the northwest coast she was influenced
e solely by commercial considerations, and not
i with view to the establishment of s her
= sovereignty over that portion Of this continent
, While, on the other hand, the history of Spain,
4 under whom, in part, we claim, shows that she
Oh made discovery witha view tothe extension Of her
hat.
; was acquesced in by all Europe for three centuries
ri Mckenzie British subject, discovered Frazer's
river in 1885, and the first settlement made by
British subject west Of the Rocky mountains, was
e made by Simon Frazer in 1906. The true question
in regard this part of the territory is whether
z Great Britain claims it by discovery in 1892, and
. settlement in 1896 or, as her own statesmen, until
e within a very recent period, have uniformly con-
It tended, by the treaty Of Nootka sound' '-.
+ But sir other topics have been introduced into
:. this discussion, some of which propose to notice
Instead ofthe calm and temperate tone usually en-
ployed in the discussion of questions involving de-
ductions from historical facts, the correct interpre
taton of treaties, and the true construction Of title
f deeds, senator's have given the reIns to their i'm
asinations and put their fancies to the torture 10
give us the most vivid description Of the blessings
of peace; while the other, war has reared his
grim -vsaged front, and we have, in no measured
J. terms, all the horrors of war in the most appalling
n tones the lghtnings fash and the thunder's roar
r ruined commerce, deranged currency, desolated
fields sacked cities, burnt villages, and an undone
country. And if all this not sufficient to deter
j, US from giving this notice, my friend from Mary
# land, lMr Johnson locomotives the last field on
G which the expiring liberty and prosperity of his
d country made glorious but fatal stand-not for
J. the purpose of collecting memorials of his coun
trys glory; not for the purpose of performing the
rights of sculpture to the dead, or administering
n the last melancholy consolation TO the dying;
e.. A. ,fc ina,
o the authors Of this war. In pursuit of this object
. he finds broken-hearted widow, frantic with grief
for the loss Of her husband, perhaps, like Rachel
of DID, weeping for her children, and refusing to be
comforted, because they were not; and, instead Of
endeavoring to whisper peace into her bosom, and
i to bind up the sorrows of broken heart by re-
f minding her that the dead rested in honorable
graves, he brings her. with disheveled hair and re-
proachfu tongue, to my friend from Illinois, to up
braid him with having been the cause OF her anguish,
: and the staying of her husband in pursuit Of a
G false notion of national honor Mr.. President, i
certainly could not receive any pleasure from the
contemplation of such a picture as was exhibited
s by the senator from Maryland Certainly sir, j
, would much rather see that gallant, faithful sol
e ders wife such as she was when loveliness and
beauty were around her rs light, enjoying hus
bands love, and partakng in the general prosperity
Of the country; but if believed as the senator from
Illinois protested TO do that the honor of my coun
Q try was involved in this question, would incur the
= risk Of widowing every wife and orphanng every
: child in the republic sooner than surrender it, So
much for the picture drawn by the senator from
, Maryland, for the PURPOSES presume, Of rendering
e the notice agreeable to the country.
: The senator from South Carolina, too, with his
o acknowledged ability, but in the gloomy spirit Of
f apprehension so forcibly exhibited by the senator
t from Maryland, pursues this dismal picture of war;
e bloodshed, havoc, Generalization, desoation, and
DEATH and adds other horrors to the dreadful scence
SO powerfully portrayed by the fancy, and with all
. possible respect must say) by the imagination Of
n senator from South Carolina, by the aid Of those
great philosophical powers by which he is SO pe:
culiarly distinguished, not only brings to light all
the terrible and disastrous effects Of this war, pen
denk beo but he looks to the end Efnem respiei is
!. his maxim His view of the effects Of this war,
4 like the disturbed dream Of Clarence,
; twas heightened after life" . ...- u
This war is to be Of ten years. duration. For that
disnna nerind all the in all the arts that