Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1855-06-08
From the Buffalo Commercial Advertiser
John Ledyard, the American Traveller


Thomas Jefferson, one Of the most sagacious of
our statesmen, and philosopher well as states
man, was the discoverer of the Columbia river, In
the same sense in which the scientific world con-
sders Leverrier the discoverer of the planet Nep-
tune. 1t Is true that the planet was first seen by
DR.. Gale, through a telescope in a German obser-
vatory, but the young Mathematician of Paris had
previously demonstrated its existence, and indi-
Gated the part of the heavens towards which the
telescope should be directed to find it. This dis
covery of planet by purely mathematical pro-
cess Is one Of the most remarkable achievements
in the history Of science. BY process less won
derful but still indicative Of great sagacity, Mr.
Jefferson inferred the existence of q large river
emptying into the Pacific ocean, before the eyes of
any traveller had rested on the Columbia
II struck him that the snow-clad SUBMITS of tho
Rocky Mountains, which feed the sources of 80
mighty a river as the Missouri, must likewise shed
great quantity Of water from their western slope,
and that this would probably be gathered into ono
channel and form large river. The idea seemed
30 important that he impatient to have It's cor
rectness Immediately tested. Mr.. Jefferson was
then residing in Paris, as American Minister, and
on the arrival of Mr.. Ledyard, on his way to the
Nile, Jefferson persuaded him to change bis dest-
nation, and try fresher field of discovery on the
Western continent The proposal Of jefferson
touched chord in the ardent and adventurous
breast of Ledyard that could not fail to respond.
He furnished the traveller a passport to St. Pc
tersburg, and the necessary facilities for obtaining
the permission of the Empress Catherine to cross
the northern part of her doninions through Sibe-
ria to the Pacific.
He was then TO cross from Kamschatka or at
Behring's Straits, to the northwest coast of the
American continent, and then pass down the coast
till he reached the mouth of the great river which
Jefferson thought must empty in the Pacific In
about the same latitude with the mouth of the
Missouri. He was then to descend the newly dis
covered river to its sources, cross the Rocky
Mountains, and descend the Missouri to the French
settlements on the upper Mississippi Ledyard
was captvated by the project Of discovery thus
marked out by jefferson, Immediately adopted Il,
proceeded to ST. Petersburgh obtained the per.
mission which he sought of the Empress. and set
forth for the East. But he ives ovsrtaken and
arrested In Siberia, the.permission he had received
of the Empress was revoked, and he was conducted
out of the country as a spy.
Returning TO Paris, he resumed the plan Of ex-
ploring the sources Of the Nile which he had been
prevailed on by Jefferson TO abandon, but he did
not live to carry out his design. His es,ly death
deprived his country Of an ardent, adventurous
and enterprisng traveller whose explorations, had
his life been spared would have resulted In valua-
BILE additions to the stock Of geographical knowl-
edge.
The disappointment Of Mr.. Jefferson did not
shake his conviction Of the existence Of largo
river west of the Rocky Mountains debouching IN
to the Pacific. After he became President, he sent
a message to Congress recommending the explora-
ton, which he had planned TO, be conducted by
Lewis aud Clark, and which resulted In the dis
covery ofthe principal tributaries Of the Columbia,
its mouth having already become known.