Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-06-18

Senator state the American claim to the Let him
only state it. He does not attempt IT. He eschew
the fatal sound of Frazers river, and the forty British
posts upon it, but still wants the people to believe
is theirs, and go to for it, say war for any
attempt on our part take the British establishments
on Frazers river would be followed by quickly
and as Justly attempt to take their towns in
Canada. This is dreadful. We are the American
Senate acting in the eyes Of the present age and of
posterity, and upon a great responsibility. By our
acts war may be made and we are bound by every
sacred and every human obligation, TO make mis-
take in bringing about great calamity. War is
calamity in itself; war upon mistake Is double
calamity; but upon design, after the mistake is
detected is calamity for which there is 1t
rises to the magnitude Of the greatest crime. read
the treaties which showed the mistake. thought it
very probable the lyfour forties had read the
Russian treaties, and did not know what they read
produced the Biographies to instruct them in Frazers
river. for thought they were ignorant of it. did
all clearly, ntelligiby, indisputably. waited for
the result. In fact 1 waited long, and until delay
was dangerous, before | could venture to set them
right. knew the frailty of poor human nature, and
that instead of thanks, resentment would more pro-
badly be my reward. Well, it has come-a personal
attack mysel-reading mutilated scraps, furnished
by caterers to show me Inconsistent and then not able
to do it-not able to help ont their miserable decep
ton even by any words culled from my innumerabe
speeches, and mutated for the purpose, and then
misapplied. What said of islands applied TO
nents; what was said of the Columbia river applied
TO New Caledonia; what said Of the Oregon
river applied to Frazers river Miserable perversion
everywhere to turn me against myself and make me
a party to the deception of the people.
They quote ffty-four frty the continent as the
line for which the people must fight. | repeat, on
the continent must be careful about that; for if
omit the repetition the whole speech is Knocked
in the head. | am quoted against myself; l am
proved to admit it. Thus it has been to-day the
haS IF
line without continental repeated; Immediately he
fastens himself upon it, when all know that made
the distinction between islands and the continent
when spoke until it must have been wearisome to
the Senate. starting, if one had been in the room,
could now repeat the words Yes, have said fifty
four forty thousand times, perhaps ten thousand,
and always knowing what l meant-a line in the
ocean at the end Of an island, and that line made
by Russia with Great Britain as well with the
United States. But perhaps can tell the ffiy-four
forties something about that ine-l mean the actual
line at the end of the sland-of which they still seem
to be ignorant. They seem TO look upon it as real
adjustment of boundary nice and critical adjust
ment of title-a wise settlement of mutual rights up
on great deliberation. No such thing. No question
of right title considered about lt-all the
result of fur-tadng enterprise. Russian furtaders,
in the last century, settled upon the Prince of Wales
island, the south end of which supposed to be in
ty-Eve The Emperor Paul, in 1893, the year be-
fore his assassnation gave them charter to that
tent; and when the Emperor Alexander came to make
the treaties with Great Britain and the United States
in l824-25, he governed himself by the charter and
thus Russian fur company made that line, far
it is one, at the end of an island without caring
straw, and perhaps without caring fig, for the titles
of any power in the world. The coast was dere-
t lict and they settled upon it.
This is the origin of the line; for, after agreeing
upon fy-fve, as granted by the charter, it was ex
tended to fftyfour forty to cover point or leg Of
the island, running down twenty minutes SOUTH This
is the way that ftyfour forty to be established
at the end of Prince of Wales island-rather acct
dentally to become the exact and sacred measure
right, for which a nation must go TO But lit
tie more truth will make 1t more accidental STILL The
fact is, the Emperor Paul had recalled the traders TO
for misconduct they about to lose their estab
lishments; to prevent it. one of the rich partner
married his daughter to of the Emperor's cour
tiers and gave him her whole fortune in bills of
change on the future earnings of the company. Tn
Emperor Paul, all the world knows with the kind
est mpulsions, little capricous; he not on
y revoked the call of the traders but actually gav
them exclusive charter down to fty-ive; and tina
is the true history of fyfour forty, far it ha
s its aqueous existence at the end of Prince of Vale
island And this is in fact the line, and the histor
of the line, and the of the line which, limite
to island, fy-four forties extend five hundre
miles the continent, and then attach to 1t sacre
and involabe character as being the wise and exac
determination, upon great diplomatic consideration
of national boundary Was there ever anything s
ridiculous ever anything farcica ever anything
merting the rebuke of the people, thus misled
, deceived, at first by ignorance, and now by design
The Senator from Michigan reads from my oil
speeches show that the Spaniards claimed to sixty
one, and that pronounced their title better than tina
: of the English. Certainly did, but always conhne
to coasts and islands, where the ships sailed and al
e ways ending with the saying that neither Spain
It Great Britain had made permanent settlements; tina
the whole derelct, after the Nootka con
troyersy, from Cape Mendocino, in forty deg, to tn
Russian settlements, until Mr. Astor's settlement
s the mouth of the Columbia in 1911 and that tn
whole coast north of the Columbia, and south of tn
: Russians, is derelict to-day That being dcre
s lict at the time of the negotiations of 1924, the Unit
ed States and Great Britain went by the continent
and not by the coast divided the continent accordn
e to discovery and settlement and let the islands G
), with the division in front of which they lay.
/ The Senator picked hole, or thought he picked
hole, in word of mine, in one of my speeches, an
a very short word-the word SAL" l said all tn
statesmen of twenty and forty years ago left Frazer
river to Great Brtan and offered to divide by forty
y nine He denies the 'dh,'' and instances that MI
n Monroe's administration in 1923, offered ffiy-onC
n That is beautiful! l read you, in sundry places, tha
they offered fftyone first proposition, and upon
principle known be and to be rejected,
l. be followed Immediately by tie offer of forty-nlne
s which was DONE and in fact, good as agreed to
e Mr.. George Canning, the prime minister. Yes the
offered ityone, and upon objection to 1t offered fort
st nine but by leaving out the fory-nine the Senate
l. from Michigan undertakes to pick hole in my GH.
d If he had done it, it would have been nothlng bu
e he has not done it, and repeat and reafirm m
is assertion, and invite him to put all the caterers
re work to find an error in it if they affirm tina
e every American statesman of twenty or forty year
10 ago-Mr Jefferson and Mr.. Madison in 1907, MI
o Monroe and his cabinet in 1923, offered to divide
r Ifr- e, Irf