The Washington union. [volume] (City of Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1859, 1859-01-01

he justice -
Our government should now without delay employ
sensible men, with liberal yews To make treaties with
them guarantying 10 them, and strictly maintaining for
them all those rights and privileges which may be grant
ed them consistently with our own absolute dominion
over the soil The country they inhabt be rendered
very valuable IN territorial and national point of view
II made Feiiectly accessible by the construction Of few
government military wagon roadsvz from the Dalles
northwardy pm the west of the Columbia to the parallel
OF Az from the same point ENTHUSIASTICALLY 10 the
neal waters OF the Missouri and sOutheastwardy M the
valley Of the Snake 10 Salt Lake City and then two
roads from Puget Sound eastwardly through the Nah
chess and Snoqualmoo passes respectively 10 ntersect
the road from the Daes 10 northern boundary Hall
amionl udiciousy expended on these roads would
open this entire part of the country TO rapid grafton
would render gold places the Wee matchee and
Weemass OF immense value, and would be true public
economy by the saving they would create la the future
transportation OF all supplies movements Of "a national
character
We have here, immediately adjoining us on the north,
neighbor somewhat famous for his encroaching pro-
oVes very apt to get all he can and to keep all
he gets. and though earnestly hope may always be
good friends still their example and the wisdom OF our
Washington should teach how prudent il is TO be al
ways prepared as the very best groundwork of eectual
diplomacy.
Beyond all question Congress has too long neglected
the interests OF her northwest Territories For more
than two years they have been sadded with an over
wheimng debt necessarily created by that neglect and
wisdom
prudence prevailed in national councils Justice de-
mands that this debt be cancelled at once and prudent
foresight can readily prevent the accumulation of any
iutnfe similar one. Our controversy with the Puget
Sound Agricultural Company, that bastard child of the
Hudson Bay Company still remains unsettled though
they exist nominally in midst, quasi HBperipa IN
apet9 and claim under the treaty of 1876 very large
amount OF money for the "iarms, lands Sc, belonging
to them though it is difficult to perceive how under the
conventions of 1918 and 1927 they can have any farms
or lands in this Territory beoHgag TO them, and the
SO as they are not incorporated but IN law no per-
son.. Our northwest boundary line with Great Britain
has for twelve years remained undetermined and is
derstood to be stumbling block with the present
missioners Our neighbo in this in every other in
stance claims everything, and that too, with degree
Of arrogance, assumption and want Of that would
be ridiculous We're it not insulting the parallel of
400 cuts through the island of Vancouver, and the
plain spirit and intention of the treaty of 1916 to
exclude that island by from our limits, and the
other islands, from their position would necessarily and
naturally appertan to the continent south of 49 This
question would appear ut the first glance to be of ri
fling Importance but such is not the fact the existence
of large places of gold asers river and its branches
north of 49, and the branches of the Yakima and
Columbia south of that parallel and the moral certainty
that rail track the continent will before many
years be constructed in the vicinity of that line, proba
bly, at first piles to avoid the snow at least by the
English invest this subject with degree of interest and
importance well worthy of the most careful consideration
of abest public men this western terminus will
eventually be the line of communication with the
Amoor river and with the great heart of Asiatic Russia
and Chinese Iartay great problems of commerce. which
twenty ago would have amazed the abes merchant
princes of the world solved almost by intuition,
and the nbest minds continually engaged in expand
ing the of the world. Great Britain has al
ways exercised fostering, parental her distant
territories and government should wisely profit by
the example. The most paramount national interests
que that this section of country should be carefully
guarded and placed in position to reap the full benefits
OF all future connection with the eastern world.
POTOMAC.
SrElLAooOM w T., Nov. l, 1858