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ss WHE ILY UNION.
Tobira. Se
VOLUME 10 0 SU,
°° - PUBLISHED BY RITCHIE AND HEISS~ AT TWO DOLLARS PER ANNUM... '
. SATURDAY, MAY 31, 1845.
- ‘ + NUMBER 4. .
~ WASHINGTON. ITy.
- 0 ) 9 FRIDAY MAY 93, 1845.
VIEWS ON OREGON—FROM THE OTHER ||
, SIDE OF THE WATER.
porate boetaciy gta
-, We lay. before our readers an article on “the |,
~ Oregon question,” from: the “London Examiner,” <
of April 26, received by the Britannia, and present-
“ing a view more nearly fair and correct ofthat most ‘
‘interesting subject than any other which we have |’
_as yet seen from the same quarter of the world. «It ;
affords us, too, the. greater pleasure, because it pro- |
ceeds from a- journal which is generally the, most
bitter of. all. the English papers in its denunciations
against our own country, and. particularly against :
the moral character of our people. This spirit, in-
deed, appears’ in, the concluding paragraph of the :
article which we now republish.» But. we are not:
disposed to cavil at these indications; and while we
admit the general. correctness of. the historical view «
~ which occupies the, greater portion of , the article, :
we shall take leave to make some remarks, upon one |
proposition, certainly the most essential ,in the case, !
and , which. we,- shall show. to be ‘improperly
stated ee Ge ae
: .The Examiner. says, Sthe maximum claim’ of ©
England, and the minimum of the United. States
is-the Columbia; the maximum of America and
the minimum of England is the forty-ninth par-
eae
_.. Now, if the-word -effer had been substituted for |
claim, this proposition would have been more nearly -
correct. The American government did offer, in the
spirit of compromise, to surrender its claims to all’
territories north of the forty-ninth parallel, provided :
that England should in. like manner surrender her '
claims to.all south of that line. _ Thig offer, the min- |
imum of the United States, ‘was ‘rejected by ‘the ;
Britis, who refused, by their maximum offer, to !
admit the possession by the United States of any .
territory north ‘and ‘west of the Columbia, except
the small detached portion in the angle between the
_strait of Fuca and the Pacific. “These offers ‘were |
severally withdrawn after their rejection; the plen- |
ipotentiaries of cach’ party, formally entering upon
the minutes of the conference in which they were :
refused their protests “against the offer of concession «
bemg even taken in’ any }
of their respective governments.”
: . 1
vey de
_ The’ distinction between offer aad claim will thus |
be seen to'involve important differences in the re- ‘
sults. Since these offers were made, (1827,) many
changes have taken place in the position of the two
‘nations with regard to Oregon.
>
in the negotiation now ‘supposed to be in progress.
The tone assumed by the portion of the‘ London |
press which ‘is considered as enjoying “the confi- :
dence of the ministry, is not, indeed; thus far caleit- :
Jated to ‘induce the expectation: that Great ‘Britain |
will recede from’ her maximum offer; atid certainly ;
,no true American would expect our government, :
‘while our fellow-citizens are removing to Oregon by :
thousands, to confine them within Jimits more re-
stricted than’ those“ for which: we contended when :
that: territory did not ex- ;
our whole population in
ceed two hundred.” ° - : ve
The Examiner proposes, as: a ‘fair’ partition of
the territory, that “the boundary should be the 49th
ny way to prejudice the claims |
POST eP eb teens
The etfects of these
have doubtless been appreciated by their ministers, |
i
vi sstoo il
parallel until it meets the Pacific and then the sea.”
With the : recollection’ of the quibbles which have
been introduced by British diplomatists into the con-
troversy respecting the northeastern boundary, we
trust that .in. any treaty which may be concluded '
with regard to Oregon,-such’ distinction may be
‘drawn in acords between ‘the strait of Fuca and the
Pacific ocean, as to leave no room for farther equivo-
‘cation. The minimum’ offer of the United States
‘comprehended all Americap territory, whether con-
tinent or‘ island, south of the: 49th parallel which
passes. through the southern portion of the grea
‘island of Quadra and Vancouver. ‘The portion ’of
‘that island south of the 49th parallel is small, but |
‘important as forming the northern side of the strait
-of Fuca, and on account of the many good harbors :
‘on its coast; though Nootka Sound, one of the best:
‘ports in that part of the world, lies in’ 49} degrees.
It is for our government to consider whether it would
be expedient to divide the island, and perhaps plant
‘the seeds of future disputes between the two coun-
tries. They will still further have to consider wheth-
er it would be proper to recede from the minimum on .
that point, in return for some equivalent from Great
Britain elsewhere... 0 |. : ~
_ We have taken some pains to point out to our!
fellow-citizens the true: distinction’ between our
‘claims and ‘our offers to Great,Britain, with regard to |
Oregon. ‘Since these offers were made great changes °
have occurred in the positions of the two nations to-
‘wards Oregon—changes which are. evidently ope-
rating in favor of the United States, both as to ;
title and a3. to the power of enforcing it. On-
the other hand; much ‘as we desire to preserve .
peace, which. was never .more important than+
now to .the welfare’ of, both nations, and of
the whole’ world, ~ yet: we wish» nono’ but:
an. honorable “peace. -Our honor and . interests }
are confided ‘to men. whose character: requires
‘no guaranty from 'us, who possess all the lights
which‘ are* required for a .safe™ conclusion of
the questions at issue,‘ and. whose conduct in the
-matter will in any case be subjected to the searching
tribunal of an enlightened people.’ To ‘that people, '
whatever may be their party divisions, whatever be
their sectional feelings, we now appeal. Let every
good citizen support the cause of our country, by
his exertions whenever they may be needed... Let.
us at the same time, for, the present, abstain from
trammelling and embarrassing the administration to
whom we have committed the management of, this
difficult and delicate question; They have no inter- ‘
ests distinct fromthose of their country. Mr. Polk
s . . . . . ot
will secure your peace if he can;.but nothing short :
of your essential rights, and an honorable peace, can
astisfy, you or cai satisfy himself, 9. Lo,
: set ul\: “Trem the London Examiner, April 25. °
seb THE OREGON QUESTION. oe 2 ss!
We do not recolict a speech which has given us more
pleasure than that by Lord Aberdeen of the 4th of April on
the Oregon question, It.shows that our foreign relations -
‘are confided toa mai who has the wisdom to detect and the
courage to despise the vanity and want of real pride, which
at present, much mon than ambition orrapacity, lead na-
tions to become’'instuments of mutual destruction. We
congratulate the courtry that our minister prefers justice,
moderation, and conmon sense to obstinacy or magnilo-
quence, and “keeping up a high. toné.”’ Six months more
ofthe “high tone” might have eccasioned events, which
wouldhave thrown lack the civilization of Europe for &@
century, At the same‘ime weno notagree with himif it -
be, which probably iti:not, his meaning, that the mainte
‘nance of national hone isthe only legitimate ground of
war.;. Cases may be sujposed of a benefit to be obtained, or
an evil to be averted, sogreat as to be worth thecertain ca-
lamities and even the risis of war, though peace might have |
vr
\
\
4
4
been. honorably preserved. This, however, isnot one of
them. The Oregon Territory is really valueless to England
and to America, The only use of it to England is av a hunt-
. ing ground, which enables the Hudson Bay. Company to
keep up its monopoly against the English people—a monop-
oly which occasions many species of furs to be twice, and
sometimes three times, as dear in London as in Leipsic. The
only use of it to America would be to make it an addition to
territories already far too large for good government or evert
for civilization. The emigrants of Oregon must pass through
And when they get there, what willbe the social
more than six times as large as England, and three thous. ‘
state of a few thousand familes, scattered througha territory
and miles from the. seat-of government?. They will mix
with the Indians, and sink into a degraded race of half-caste
barbarians. . I{she could obtain sovereignty over the whole
of the lands west ofthe Rocky mountains to-morrow, every
-wise American statesman must wish that the next day they
should sink into the sea. a
he only real point in dispute, therefore, is a point of hon-
or; the only real question is, what is the maximum which
either party can concede, or, which is the same, the mini
mum which cither party can honorably accept.
The Oregon Territory extends in length from latitude 42 ue
(the Mexican boundary) to 64.40, (the Russian;) being a dia-
tance of ahout 760 miles, and in breadth from the sea to the
Rocky mountains an average distance of 500 miles. So that
its whole contents are about 360,000 square miles; being more
than three times as large as Great Britain,and Ireland put
together, From the Rocky mountains eastward, for more .
than 1,000 miles, the 49th ‘parallel of latitude’ divides the
English possessions from those of the United States. So . »
that the Oregon district above 49 is contiguous io the Eng-
ligh territory, and below 49to the American. The climate
is warmer than that of the eastern coast, but colder than
that ofthe corresponding European latitudes, the lower
ortion resembling that of England, the higher that of Scot-
and. South of the Straits of St’ Juan de Fuca, in’ lat. 43,
there are no tolerable harbors; the only places of shelter are
Port Bulfinch and the Columbia; but both are bar harbors,
and at all times dangerous, and forthe greater part ‘of the
year inaccessible. Above that strait, and communicating
withit, the harbors are numerous and excellent, ip conse.
quence of the many large islands projected before the coast.
The soil is generally mountainous, rocky, and uncultiva.
ble, though there are some fertile alluvial bottoms. Of that
portion which is south of the straits of Fuca, not more than.
one-eighth or one-tenth is supposed to be reclaimable; and
to the north of them the cultivable proportion is still
less. . ‘ : aa
« The yery doubtfulfadvantages of governing this barren
region is claimed on four distinct grounds. 1. Discovery.
2. Contiguity. 3. Cession. '4. Settlement. We willtake ‘
them as faras we can separately. First,as to discovery.
It may have been seen by Drake in 1580, One narrative ofhis -
voyage says that he reached Jat. 49; the other that he did not
ascend beyond 43.. Butas no use was attempted tobe made
of this supposed discovery, it has been> very properly abans
doned ‘as @ sonrce oftitle. In 1592, Juan de Fuca, a Greek
inthe Spanish service, is supposed to have discovered the
strait which is called after him. In 1774, Juan Perez wae
despatched on a voyage of discovery by the Spanish govern-
ment. ‘Iie reach the 54th latitude, and is supposed to
have first seen Queen Charlottes island and Nootka Sound, =
in latitude 49.45. Inthe net year Herceta, also sent by the
Spanish government, sailed along the whole coast, reached
Vancouver's island, and saw the mouth of the Columbia,
which he named the River St. Roque. {n 1778, Captain
Cook explored the coast between latitude 70 and Nootka
Sound. In 1788, and the three following years, Captain
Gray, inthe American. ship the Columbia, passed and re-
passed along the whole coast up to Nootka Sound, and
first entered and named Bulfinch harbor and the Columbia.
river. In 1792, andthe three following years, Vanconver,
under the orders ofthe British government, surveyed the
coast, and one of his odicers rowed up the Columbia about
one hundred miles—that is nearly to the point at which its
“ropids renderit unnavigeble,, This completes the history of
the maritime discoveries. “. , aan
‘The progress of discovery overland was much slower. In
1805 Lewis and Clarke, sent hy the American government,
first crossed the Rocky mountains towards the south, em-
barked on one of the tributaries of the Columbia, were car-
ried down by the stream, and onthe 15th November, 1805,
reached its mouth.’ Jn the same year, orin the following
year, some servants of the Hudson Bay Company first cros%-
ed the Rocky monntains towards the north. and discovers
ed one of the northern branches of the Columbia,
Ou the whole, the title to the coast by discurery seems to
belong to Spain. Her government vessels were certsiniy
the first who surveyed it, perhaps the first who saw it. The
first who navigated the Columbia were Americans, Grey
ascending it, and Lewis and Clarke descending. We st
tach, however, little importance to the American discovers
ies. The title, such as it may be, which a nation acquins
by the discovery of a line of coast, is not interfered with by
a subsequent and more accurate survey by another nation
of the rivers which intersect it, so
x Ww come to the titles by contiguity and cessions
Originally the title by contiguity belonged solely to Franca
and to Spain—France having a claim to extend westward
from Canada and Louisiana, and Spain to advance northwatd
from California. -In 1763 France ceded Canada to Englan@,
and thus transferred to us her claim to advance westward,
towards the Pacific. In 1762 she ceded Louisiana to Spain -
which gave to Spain a double claim by contignity as far ee.
the northwestern point of Louisiana. ‘In 1781 the Russiane
began to oeeupy the northwest coast between lat. 66 and
the arctic circle, anda thirdtitle by contiguity arose, Russi
tyey . . tn . xo