Year: 1859

out the British realm, is the confidential
organ Of Lord Palmerston. He is suppos-
ed to inspire all its leaders touching upon
the prominent questions of the day. Stand
ing in such relation to him, we have read
with no little concern an article which ap-
peared 10 Its editorial columns on the 9th
instant, with respect to the San Juan uues-
tion, from which we make the following ex-
tract, and which is well calculated to excite
painful emotions in this country:


Three years after tho Ashburton capt..
ulation,' by which England, without any
consideration, surrendered to the United
States a valuable district, aud whicl now
forms portion Of the State of Maine, Mr..
President Polk was pleased to assert that
the title OF the United States to the whole
Territory of Oregon was clear and unqucs-
tionable.' Lord Aberdeen, then Secretary
Of State, forgetting that the award of the
King Of the Netherlands on the subject of
the Maine boundary had been contemptu-
ously ignored by the Cabinet at Washing
ton, offered to refer the Oregon dispute to
arbitration. This offer was refused, angry
and menacing language was held in Amer
ica towards England, and war was mem
toned 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 following the parallel drawn from
the Lake Of the Woods to the coast near
Fucas Straits was determined upon as the
future boundary Of the domniens Of the
two countries. q, This line has never been
marked, but at the present time a dctach-
ment of royal engineers is engaged in sur.
Veying the country and fixing the bound
ary.


The only persons who derived benefit
from the Oregon Convention we're the share
holders OF the HudsOn's Bay Company,
who were quite willing to receive a million
Of dollars from the United States for the
surrender of British territory tho value Of
which 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 if, some ten or fifteen years ago, the
Cabinet at Washington was determined to
enforce its extreme rights over territories
then comparatively valueless, no one can
imagine that the occupation OF an island
which commands the entrance to the Fra
ger river, and therefore the gold regions of
British Columbia, is not an indication of
that constant policy Of aggression rolieh dates
from the eHaneiatiOR of The celebrated Mon
roe dOetrine The Americans have asserted
that the line, if extended beyond the con-
tinent, would include not only this island
but the mouth OF Frazer river. If the u.s.
sumption as to the mouth of Frazer river.
be correct, and it is one which cannot be
determined until the astronomical line has
been actually marked, free access by means
Of riverian convention must be accorded
to the subjects Of this country. But the
right Of England to an island which lies of
the coast must depend upon discovery and
occupation. If the title of England to the
island of San Juan, or Bellevue, has to be
determined, the convention of the Escurial,
the ancient claims of SPAIN and the pres
ent rights of England will have to be con-
sidered. The boundary of The limited States
must of necessity hare termination on the
Pacific coast


"The whole Territory of New Albion,
or New Caledonia, now called British Col
umbia, was first added to the British Crown
by Drake; formal possession of the same
territory was next taken by Cooke and
Vancouver, and against this the Americans
have only to adduce the visit OF Captain
Gray, who merely commanded merchant
vessel which ii no sense represented the
nationality Of the flag under which he sail
ed. Knowing the sensitive Jealousy of the
American people, VIC are afraid that Eng
lish diplomacy may be incompetent to deal
with that nationally aggressive spirit
which bas ever marked the policy Of the
United States. The occupation Of an
island, the sovereignty of which is still sub
j'rdice, and which must form the subject Of
negotiation, is an exercise of power to
which the British government cannot tame
y 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 toi'h Tie security Of those gold
regions 1chi1 loiA, zee beliere, be The means of
extending British liberty, British institutions,
and British commerce on the Nothicea coast
of The continent of North America."


The unsubdued hostility of the venerable
British Premier to this country is distinctly
manifest in every line Of the preceding ar
ticle. 1t indicates that he is as remorseless
as q tiger, and that he is disposed to be as
reVengeful as a savage.


Lord Palmerston, it will be recollecied
was the British Secretary of War when
beauty and booty" were the watch-words
Of the army Of Packenham at New Or
leans Never did the functionary Of one
country cherish enmity against another
country so long and so cordially as he has
cherished deadly enmity to this. Nor has
be ever suffered suitable occasion to pass
without making a display Of it. He can
never recover from the modification to
which he was subjected by his temerity in
attempting the invasion Of Louisiana.
General jackson and the 9Th of Januarv