The daily exchange. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1858-1861, 1859-09-24
THE 0GGUPATIoN OF SAN JUAN 1sIANn
By BH ,l5 The . a ,AA,MAERICANS-LORD PALmER, PAnER
STON'S OPINION OF THE DTFETt,1A4I q In TIr En-

m
From the London Post Government Or0on = g.,
we confess that we cannot view without oon i
apprehension and distrust the possible occnrrenne
| OF another boundary dispute between tbis coI
! and the United States of America Rv tbo Ia y
mail we learn that "Gen. Harvey has taken nos
session OF the island of San Juan or Bellevue az
!he brtlsh call 1T, which lies in Puget Sound and
| Is clalmed by both nations. The island is impor-
tant as 1t commands the entrance to Fraser river
we 90 not Know whether Mr. Buchanan whose
Term ol once Is ABOUT to expire is anxious to imi-
te ., raIner' we should say, to surpass the high
handed policy which Mr.. Polk nursned in 1ei5 70
wards this country. At that time the vaet regions
which extend from the back of the limited States
proper and Canada to the shores of the Pacific oro
comparatively OF little political or commercial i'm
portance. The discovery of gold had not then at
tracted the enterprise and cupdity of Eurona and
OF America to that part of the world and ali that
was known of the territory was to be collected
from the accounts of voyagers who had visited tba
coast and from the statements of the emnIoroo ar
the Hudsons Bay and Northwestern COMPANIES
VINO, In the pursuit of peltries had traversed this
huge hunting ground.
The treaty by which England recornized the indo
pendence of the United States did not marx ont tbo
boundaries of the two countries west of the Rocky
Mountains. The subject, however did NOT escana
the attention OF the British and American govern
ments. In the years 1885, 1922 and 1926 Lord
Castlereagh and Mr.. Canning eudeavored to decide
the claims of England and the United States to the
territory which bore the name of Oregon After
some discussion temporary arrangement was first
ed by which the subjects of the two countries were
10 10 nave kind of joint occupation of the territory
Lnree years alter "the Ashburton capitulation,"
by which England, without any consideration sur-
rendered to the United States a valuable district
and which now forms portion of the State of
Maine, Mr.. President Polk was pleased to assert
that 1.-THE title OF tho United States to the whole
territory OF Oregon was clear and unquestionable"
Lord Aberdeen, then Secretary of State forget
ting that the award of the King of the Netherlands
on the subject OF the Maine boundary had been con-
lr irrnn h,v+ h, III.
ton, offered to refer the Oregon dispute to arbitra
ton This offer was refused, angry and menacing
language was held in America towards ENGLAND
and war was mentioned in the British Parliament
as not improbable alternative. Lord Aberdeen.
however, gave way. The mouths of the Columbia
were ceded to the United States, and line follow
lug the parallel drawn from the Lake of the Woods
to the coast near Fucas Straits tswas determined nm
on as the future boundary of the dominiops of the
two countries This line has never been marked,
but at the present time detachment of royaI enoi
neers is engaged in surveying the country and fix
ing the boundary. The only persons who derived
benefit from the Oregon Convention were the share
holders of the Hudson's Bay Company, who were
quite willing to receive million ofdollars from the
United States for the surrender of British territory
the value ofwhich as hunting ground they had
long before exhausted.
The discovery of gold in California and British
columbia has, however, given a new interest to the
entire northwestern portions of North America:
and, 1t some ten fifteen wears ago the Cabinet at
Washington was determined to enforce its extreme
rights over territories then comparativrIV valne-
less no one can imagine that the occupation of an
island which commands the entrance of the Fraser
river, and therefore the gold regions of British
Columbia, is not an indication of that constant
policy of aggression which dates from the enuncia-
tinn of the celebrated Monroe doctrine. The Amer
leans have asserted that the line if extended be-
yond the continent would include not only this
island, but the mouth of Fraser river. II the as
sumption as to the mouth of Fraser river be cor
rect and 1t Is one which cannot be determined until
the astronomical line has been actually marked,
Tree access by means of a Tiyeran convention must
be accorded to the sub jects of this country But
the right of England to island which lies off the
coast must depend upon discovery and occupation
1t the title of England to the island of San Juan or
Bellevue, has to be determined, the convention of
the Escurlal, the ancient claims of Spain, and the
present rights of England will have to be consd-
cred. The boundary of the United States must of
necessity have termination the Pacific coast.
The whole territory Of New Albion, or New Gale
donia, called British Columbia, was first added
to the British Crown by Drake; formal possession
of the same territory next taken by Cooke and
Vancouver, and against this the Americans have
only to adduce the visit of Captain Gray, who mere
ly commanded a merchant vessel Wich in no sense
represented the nationality of the flag under which
he sailed. Knowing the sensitive jealousy of the
American people, we are afraid that English diplo-
macy may be incompetent to deal with that nation
ally aggressive spirit which has marked the
policy of the United States. The occupation of an
island the sovereignty of which is still sub judice
and which must form the subject of negotiation, is
an exercise of power to which the British govern
ment cannot tamely submit. We trust that the
matter will engage the early attention of the Foreign
Office, and that no concessions will be made which
are inconsistent with the dignity Of the country or
with the security of those gold regions which will
we believe. be the means of extending British ber-
ty, British institutions, and British commerce
on the Northwest coast of the Continent of North
America