IMAGE EVALUATION
TEST TARGET (MT-3)
A
f4^
1.0
I.I
liS
121 12.5
|50
K
■ 40
2.2
2.0
1.8
1.25 ||U |i.6
^ —
6"
►
s^
vl
7
'^wV
/»
<^
>s
y
Photographic
Sdences
Corporation
23 ^VrST MAIN STRiET
WEBiTER.N.Y. M5S0
(716) 872-4503
-«S>'
-^^
CIHM/ICMH
Microfiche
Series.
CIHIVr/JCMH
Collection de
microfiches.
Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian de microreproductions historiques
Technical and Bibliographic Notes/Notes techniques et bibliographiques
The institute has attempted to obtain the best
original copy available for filniing. Features of this
copy which may be bibliographically unique,
which may alter any of the images in the
reproduction, or which may significantly change
the usual method of filming, are checked below.
n
n
n
n
D
Coloured covers/
Couverture de couleur
I I Covers damaged/
Couverture endommag^e
Covers restored and/or laminated/
Couverture restaur^e et/ou pellicul6e
□ Cover title missing/
Le titre de couverture manque
I I Coloured maps/
D
Cartes gdographiques en couleur
Coloured ink (i.e. other than blue or black)/
Encre de couleur (i.e. autre que bleue ou noire)
Coloured plates and/or illustrations/
Planches et/ou illustrations en couleur
Bound with other material/
Relid avec d'autres documents
Tight binding may cause shadows or distortion
along interior margin/
Le reliure serr^e peut causer de I'ombre ou de la
distortion le long de la marge intirieure
Blank leaves added during restoration may
appear within the text. Whenever possible, these
have been omitted from filming/
II se peut que certaines pages blanches ajoutdes
lors d'une restauration apparaissent dans le texte,
mais, lorsque cela dtait possibl^^, ces pages n'ont
pas M film^es.
Additional comments:/
Commentaires suppl6mentaires;
L'Institut a microfilm^ le meillour exemplaire
qu'il lui a 6t6 possible de se procurer. Les details
de cet exemplaire qui sont peut-dtre uniques du
point de vue bibliographique, qui peuvent modifier
une image reproduite, ou qui peuvent exiger une
modification dans la m6thode normale de filmage
sont indiquds ci-dessous.
□ Coloured pages/
Pages de couleur
□ Pages damaged/
Pages endommagdes
r~~j Pages restored and/or laminated/
D
D
D
Pages restaur^es et/ou pellicul^es
Pages discoloured, stained or foxei
Pages ddcniordes, tachet6es ou pinu^es
Pages detached/
Pages d6tach6es
Showthrough>
Transparence
rTlf Pages discoloured, stained or foxed/
I I Pages detached/
r~p\ Showthrough/
I I Quality of print varies/
Quality indgale de Timpression
Includes supplementary material/
Comprend du materiel supplementaire
Only edition available/
Seule Edition disponible
Pages wholly or partially obscured by errata
slips, tissues, etc., have been refilmed to
ensure the best possible image/
Les pages totalement ou partiellement
obscurcies par un feuillet d'errata, une pelure,
etc., ont 6t6 film^es i nouveau de fa^on d
obtenir la meilleure image possible.
Tl
to
Tl
P'
o\
fll
O
b<
tt\
■i<
oi
fii
sii
oi
Tl
s^
Tl
w
M
di
er
bt
rl|
re
This item is filmed at the reduction ratio checked below/
Ce document est filmd au taux de reduction indiquA ci-dessous.
10X
14X
18X
22X
26X
30X
J.
12X
16X
20X
24X
28X
32X
itaiis
i du
odifier
' une
mage
Th« copy filfn«d h«r« hat bMn r«produc«d thanks
to tha ganaroaity of:
Library Division
Provincial Archives of British Columbia
Tha imagas appaaring hara ara tha bast quality
posalbia consldaring tha condition and laglblllty
of tha original copy and In kaaping with tha
filming contract spaclflcations.
Original coplas in printad papar covars ara filmad
baginning with tha front covar and anding on
tha last paga with a printad or illustratad impras-
slon. or tha back covar whan appropriota. All
othar original coplas arj filmad baginning on tha
first paga with a printad or illustratad impras-
sion, and anding on tha last paga with a printad
or illustratad imprassion.
Tha last racordad frama on each microfiche
shall contain tha symbol — »> (meaning "CON-
TINUED"), or tha symbol V (meaning "END"),
whichever applies.
Maps, plates, charts, etc.. may be filmed at
different reduction ratios. Thosa too large to be
entirely included in one exposure ara filmed
beginning in the upper left hand corner, left to
right and top to bottom, as many frames as
required. The following diagrams illustrate the
method:
L'exemplaira film* fut raproduit grica I '-.:
ginArosltA da:
Library Division
Provincial Archives of British Columbia
Lea imagaa auivantas ont At* raproduites avac la
plus grand soln. compta tenu de la condition at
de la nattet* de l'exemplaira film*, et en
conformit* avac las conditions du contrat de
filmaga.
Les exemplairas origmaux dont la couverture en
papier est ImprimAe sont filmAs en commenpant
par la premier plat et en terminant soit par la
darnlAre paga qui comporta une empreinta
d'impression ou d'illustration. soit par la second
plat, salon la cas. Tous les autras exemplairas
originaux sont filmAs en commengant par la
premiere page qui comporte une empreinte
d'impression ou d'illustratior at en terminant par
la derniAre pege qui comporte une telle
empreinte.
Un des symboles suivants apparaitra sur la
darniire image de cheque microfiche, selon le
cas: le symbols — »• signifie "A SUIVRE ". le
symbols V signifie "FIN".
Les cartes, planches, tableaux, etc.. peuvent Atre
film«s A des taux da reduction diff«rents.
Lorsque le document est trop grand pour dtre
reproduit en un seul clichA, il est film* A partir
de Tangle supArieur gauche, de gauche A droite.
et de haut en bas. en prenant le nombre
d'images nAcessaire. Les diagrammes suivants
illustrent la mAthode.
}rrata
to
pelure,
in A
n
32X
1
2
3
1
2
3
4
5
6
t'^jf^
HO
IN
SPEECH
OF
HON. J. D. CUMMINS, OF OHIO,
ON
THE OREGON QUESTION.
DELIVERED
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1846.
WASHINGTON:
Printed at the office of blair and rives.
1846.
Ouoe
THE OREGON QUESTION
I
T'tie Rcaolution for tcrmin.ilinf: the Joint occu-
|irin<y of Orc;;on !)<!ii)<i; mi(l<r ronHuicration in
('ommittce of t!ie Whole House —
Mr. CUMMINS addressed the committee as
follows:
Mr. CiiAinMAN: The resnlulinn rrportcd by the
''ommittce on Foreign Ilrlatinns, nnd now under
'■ojisidoniiion, involves one very plain and distinct
proposition: Shall we, or shall we not, f^ive to Great
Britain tiic twelve months' notice, provided for by
the iil article of the convention of 1827, to termi-
(ifitc tiie joint use «f the two countries in the Ore-
f.'on territory? The rii^ht tr) 2;ive tliis notice is not
denied; it is n part of the convention itself; hut
the policy and expediency of ^riviiif; it now, and
the form in which it shall be ;^iven, if given at all,
crtnstitute the grounds of the present discussion
and differences of opinion.
The wide range which has been given to this
<lebate, and the momentous consequences which
have lieen so fearfully and eloquently predicted and
[lortrayed by gentlemen who oppose the resolu-
tion, if we can believe them to be sincere in what
thfy .say, should at least admonish the friends of
fhi.s measure to give to it that careful and candid
fonsideration which its importance demands, be-
fore it is adopted. If the giving of this notice will
le^d to an equitable and final adjustment of the
rights and claims of the two Governments in Ore-
gon, and the establishment of their territorial boun-
daries there — as I hope and believe it will — then
sir, the sooner it is given, the better. Most ques-
tionn diBcussed and passed upon in this Chamber,
1 ^'O.^'dl
arc of a domestic character, affecting only the
rights and interests of our own people. They
arc also of a temporary character, for the acts of
one Congress can be altered or repealed by the
next, as the friends of this or that cour.sc of policy
may be in power. Not so with Oregon. It is
stri'-tly a national question, between two separate
and independent sovereignties; it is a territorial
question, and therefore preeminent and lasting in
its n.iture; for, sir, the lines once run, the strikes
driven, and the monuments erected there, they must
unalterably remain as the landmarks of division
between the Republic and the Monarchy, the citi-
zen and the subject, the hereditary sceptre and the
ballot-box.
Mr. Chairman, the remarks which 1 shall make
on this subject will, in part, be in reply to the argu-
ments of the gentleman from South Carolina, [Mr.
Tloi.MEs,] who appears to mo to be the standard-
bearer of the opposition, and the defender of the
faith of *^ masterly inarlirily'' in this end of the
Capitol. In my judgment, he hasassuiiied as bold,
strong, and untenable ground.^ in favor of the claims
and pretensions of Britain, and against the rights
of the United States in Oirgon, as has the British
Ministry, or any of her diplomatic agents or politi-
cal journals assumed, since this question first came
under di.icussion between the two Govemmenta.
In his argument, that gentleman propounds im-
portant inquiries: Where is Oregon? — What 's i^'
— Of what value is it to us? I do not suppose that
the gentleman is a disciple of Diogenes, and now
for the first time has emerged from his philosophic
till), to lif'liolil mill ciintrniiiliUc Or(;;()n. N<>, sir.
Orcfjnii is to him an old, niiil, iim would now apiu'iir,
nil iiiiwc'lcoino iiciniiiiniaiici'.
I'ut, .sir, wliciv i.s On i^on, and wliat is it? On;-
pnii i.H llial part of llir rs'oriii Antciii'aii continoir
\vliifli iit'S iiciwfci) til'; iMrxii'iin line, on iIk; 4:2(1
parallel of iiorlli liitimdf, and the ISiiwsian Imp, on
the parallt'I of.)}" '10' north laiiiudi;. It i.s hoimilcd
on the W('!*t by the I'licifir ocraii, and on the ta.st
by the Riiiky Mouniains — upon whieh iine it i.s,
the greater part of liir way, (loieriniiiou.s with the
other territories of the United Suites. It enilmiee.s
nhoiit nine huiidn d inile.s of the western coa.st of
tiiis coiitiiu'iit horderiii^ on the I'aeifie oicaii, is
<:f nil averau'e width ot' ahoiit six liimdred miles,
niid contains nhout four hundred thoitsand sr]uare
niile.s of territory. In extent, it enilirares more
territory tiiai) the "Old Thirteen Stairs'' on the
Atl.intic .slojie. Its elimati' is nmeh niihh'r, and
more genial than the <limaic in the .same lati-
tude on the Atlantic; its soil is t'ertilr. il.s streams
pure, its forests are aluindaiilly supplied with
the choicest timl)i;r; and, in short, it possrsst s
the elements of a gre:it and valuaiile country.
If wc do our duty in preserving and luainlam-
iiig our just rights ihrre, Oregon is tiestined to
be the home of millions of luijipy and prosper-
ous freemen, whose Ialjor.'< will he rewarded by
• he exuberant fertility of its valleys, and whose
llocks and herds will f<ed upon its ihousaud liilU.
A.s a means of our military del"enee, it. is a tower
of strength, boili by land and s<'a. It skirls one
whole fwnt of this Re|.ul)!ic, and hems us in on
the west, and entirely shiit.s us out from the Piicific.
It (Virnishes a!)undaiit .'supplies of timber, of which
to construct navies, and ^reat, capacious, and safe
bays nnd harbors, in which they can float in safe-
ty. To any country possessing skill, industry,
nnd enterprise, the possession of Oregon will give
the military ami ni.irine control and .sujvremncy of
the Pacific ocean and its islands, of China, the i
East Indies, and the western const of South Ame-
rica.
Should Oregon fall into the hands of Britain,
what security svould ymi have on your wesiini
frontier.'' What wouKl become of your exlensive
nnd valuidjh whale fislurics in 'he Pacific.' What
would become of your Cliiiia trade, now ,so pros-
perously carried on, and yearly iiicresising.- llow
would you resi.sl iht; milit-ary control that IJriiain
would necessarily exercise over Mexico, California,
GuRtcmala, Chili, Peru, the whole western coapt of
South America, the S'luili Sen isinnds, nnd the fn-
diaii tribes.' Sir, you v.-oiild be compelled to abandon
the whole to her dominion and power. But, sir,
of whnt value is Oregon to us in a commercial point
of view.' In my judgment, it is more important to
our commercial interests than any acquisition we
have ever heretofore made or can ever hereafter
make. There is not liow any maritime nation in
the successful possession or enjoyment of any part
of the Pacific coast from Bhering's Slrait.i to the
Cape of Good Hope. The whole remains yet
coini>arntivcly unoccupied .ind open to the first na-
tion that may secure it. Look upon your mni)s,
and what is our po.sition with icfi r( nee to tnat
quarter of the globe? This continent lies between
Uie Atlantic and Pacific oceans: it lies nearly equi-
distant and in the direct route between the continent
of F.urope nnd .^sia; and across this continent at
the same point must and will ere long be carried
the trade and merchandise pns.sing between Euro|)e
and yVsia. Let us, then, .siciire our just ri!,'hts in
Ores;on, and our territory will t xtend acro.ss thi.'i
coniinent, from sea to sea: on the east wiihio ihn c
thousand miles of Iviropc, on thj' wchI within foiii
thousanil mile.s of Asia. We h.ive now the com
mand of the coast on the (jnlf of Mexico, the Al-
laiilic fnun the llio CJraiide to tlie St. John's, ;»
distance of more than twelve hundred miles. l]\
rivers and lakes we have water communication
along our northern and northeastern borders foi-
IwcKe hundred iniles. Oiei:iui will jivc^ us the;
command of iiiii<; hundred miles of the Pacific
coasts, and will enable us to command the com-
merc(! of that ocenn.
liCt Government but do its duty, let it quiet our
title to Oregon, and (xlend our lasvs and jurisdic-
tion over tiiat country for the protection of our set-
tlers there, and the industry and energy of the
pioneers will! will make their homes in the Colum-
bia valley will do the rest; they will subdue the
fi>re.Hi.s and convert them into harvest fields; they
will (lot the faei' of the country with thriving towns
and villages, and the waters of the streams of Ore-
gon will propel the machinery of our ingenious
nnd enterprisiiii;- artisans and manufacturer.s. The
enterprise of our merchants will build up commer-
eial cities on the magnificent, deep, iiiul safe har-
liors on the Pacific eoast iKu-th of the mouth of the
(Columbia, in which their shifiH and .«tenmers, to un
almost indefinite extent, can float in the greatest
security.
How long will it be before (he commerce of the
Atlantic and the Pacific will be connected ncrosa
the continent by the avenues of trade? How long
will it be before the iron arms of railroads wifl
stretch from sen to sea ? I have no doubt but there
are thousands now living who will witness the con-
summation of that magnificent project. Sir, it i»
practicable, and the magnitude of tlie interests de-
pendant upon it arc too great to be permitted to lio
dormant. The distance across this continent is va-
riously estiuial<;d at from .veveuieen hundred to two
thousaiid miles: take the greatest distance, and add
to it one thousand miles for curvitures and devia-
tions of a railroad, and you have a distance of
three ihousaml miles. Cannot that distance bp
overcome? Why, sir, ihe.'e are now in the United
States, completed and in successful operation, over
four thousnmrmiles of railroad, nnd as much more
projected, and large portions of it in an advanced
slate of completion. Do gentlemen doubt this?
The liistory of llu! past progress of our country
must remove all doubt on that subject. At the
treat'/ of peace in 1783, when our national indc-
l)endence was acknowledged and peace restored,
whai was our condiiion ? This Government waa
then feeble, its means exhausted, without com-
merce and almost without interiKil resources, nnd
with a populniion of nbout three millions. Whnt
is it now? What has it grown to be hi sixty-
three years? Its population is i-ow about twenty
millions. Its commercial marine is fully equal to
that of Great Britain, and more than double that
of all the other commercial Governments of Eu-
rope. For statistics, I avail myself of th«^ compi-
lutton of Oiioliiery which is suid to be correct; and
■what does i
2,4'}f»,<l(l() t.
leaviii'.'; out
What is till
( ioverniiier
'j:<!t,(l()(l In
Sweden. I 1
in L'J'.t:<,.v
ted States.
Mississipi
It was iinix
keel-boals \
Wh.it is
I'car upon I
of comnier
the commi
li'W Indian
now' Yo
alone l'(Mir
Tiage of HI),
of the v;i!i
Rtruction il
steamers o
ihrou'j'h w
VVestcni v
If this, s
venrs, star
eility, and
il be with
with our <
next quail
where snli
by the sii:l
n'j:e, the er
of the Pae
become th'
nnd harbo
whose snili
jestic ;;teaii
bosom oft
the trade c
without a
does Grea
nnd comm
not yield i
long as sli(
of it. W
severed in
sinus to til
himbia,ai
The reaso
I'or south
mouth of
p;crous by
harbors li^
claim, am
have sect
country, '
lively val
reach the
in a I'riti:
tir )iroliili
Wiih (
roads wi
world thf
coiuinerc
Europe t
close con
the East
continrnl i\t
t; lie rurricd
iOtn Eiimpr
ii.si ri!;lit.s in
acrosx thin
within thnc
wiihiii ('oiii
)W th«> coin
;ico, tilt At-
t. JiiIiii'h, i\
mill's. l]\
iniiinii'atidii
bonlrrs fiti
S'lyc IIS the
the riicifii-
d tlie coni-
t quifl oiir
11(1 jiiiisdic-
n ol (Mir set-
cruy of thr
theCohini-
Nuhdiie till
fields; tlipy
iviiiii: towns
nnis of Ore-
r iiiKTiiious
iiHTs. The
lip coninur-
ul .siife liar-
loiitli of the
imci-.s, toui>
llie greutcst
[lerre of the
ctcd across
How ioii^T
ilroads wifl
l)t but there
ess the con-
. Sir, it ia
nterests de-
nittod to lie
titient is va-
(Ired to two
[•e, and add
and devia-
distancc of
listanee h?
the United
•ation, over
much more
n advanced
Jo\ibt this?
nr country
n. At tlie
ional inde-
p restored,
iiment was
houl com-
lurces, and
Ts. What
; m sixty-
)iit Iweniy
y equal to
ouhic that
nts of Eu-
thfi com pi -
»rrect;and
f "whnt does it show ? Foreisn tonnaije of Enffhuid,
'},4'}(t,(l(»0 ti>ns; of Iht: United Stales, 'j,4 I7,(l(l(» tons,
IfaviiiLV (lilt ilie tciniiMfie of our l.ikcs and rivers.
What is the comiiierciiil tonnaire of ollu-r I'jiro|iean
< iovcniiiients.'' I'Vanco has (!'}r>,(l(l(t tons; Russia,
'J:<<>,(M)() tons: [■)( nmaiU, '.^ry/Mrr. Ifolland, -'U.QHI;
Svvcdcn. I lH.0x!5; TiirKfy, l,?>t»a, amountiii-^ in all
to l,',".t.'{,r»Hi, oralioiuoiie-hiilf of that of the Uni-
ted Sillies. What, sir, wa.s the coininerci; of the
Mississi|>|ii and its trilmlaries only forty years ii;;o.'
1 1 was unknown to the world. A few canoes and
keel-lioHts were padilled and |)olcd aloriL' its shores.
What is it now? Unndreds of tloatinir jialaces
hear iipon its liosoiii more than ^ti()(l,(l()(),0(l(j worth
cf eoinrncrcial c(nnnio(liiies annually. What was
the commerce of your lakes forty years atjo ? A
i'W liidinn traders ahniy; the shores. Wiiat is it
HOW' You have upon Lakes Krie and j\Ii(hi;,'aii
alone (uiir hundred commercial vessels, with a lon-
riajje of H(),(HMI tons, earryini;: annually a commerre
of the value of 51,, ')l)0, 00(1, and in |>roi!r( ss ofcini-
structioii ihirly-four vessels more; of wtiich ten are '
ste;imers of the first clas.'?. The.>ioarc the avenues
ihrou^'h which the a<?ricullurai prodiicts of the
Western valley pnss to market. ;
If this, sir, has heen our pro'/ress in sixty-three
vears, siartini: tVom a state of conifiarative imhe- '
•■ility, and with hut (Uie sea ojieii to us, what will
It lie with the trade of tiie Pacific opened to us,
with our pre.«;ent means of advancement, in the
next fiuarter of a century to come ? That country,
when; solitude now reii^ns almost uul'roken save
l.iy the si<ihiii2^ of the winds, the whoop of tlie sav-
a'^e, the crack of the hunter's rifle, or the dashin<!:
<if the Pacific waves upon its shores, will then liave
liecome the home of (Mvili/.ed men. From its fiorts
and harhois will ^n forth a commercial marine,
whose sails will whiten every wave, ami wliose ma-
jestic .'UeaiiH'rs will ride triumphant on the traimuil
liosom of that ;j;reat ocean. We cannot expect tlial '
the trade connnand('d l>y that ocean will he yielded
without a strui;;::le hy a(lver-<e Powers. Full W(;ll
does Crreat Hritain understand the military streiiijth '
and commercial important! of Oreijon. She will
not v'ield it, rii^lit or wromj, to her natural rival, so
loni,' as she can hy any means rf tain it or any part
of it. Why has she so lonij and obstinately per- 1
severed in the assertion of her untounded preten- ,
sions to the wli(dt> of the country north of the Co- '
himbia, and to a Joint rii^ht to the use of that river?
The reason is obvious. There is not a i^ood har- :
hor south of the Columbia, tihI navi<,^atioii at the ■.
mouth of that stn^am is rendered un-^aft! and dan-
gerous by bars, shoals, and ('urrents. All the ^ood
harbors lie north of the (.'olum!)ia. Yield her that
claim, atid it is all that she, wants. She will then 1
have secured to In^rself the stronir places of the
country, and rendered the balance of it compara-
tively valueless to us. Our products c<)uld not ilu'ii
reach the ocean safely, exi'Cjtt throu^^h Uritish ports
in a P.rilisli province, atui subject to be incumbered
nr prohibited by such duties as she may impose.
With Oresron impioved, and connected by rail-
roads with the Atlamic, we will furnish to the
world the ijreat desidera'.um so loni; sou<j;ht I'or by
commercial nations — a direct communication from
Kiu'ope to Asia; and we will then Im- brouirht in
close communiiMtion with the (Commerce of ('liina,
Uic Eaat ladies, the v.-est coast of S(iuth Americii,
and the Pacific isles. Ciin Piii lin siil Q|,0()0 miles
iiround Cjipc I lorn, or •JT.IHH) iiroui!d the ('ape of
(iood I fo|ie, and succ(rsi'iil|\' i'i.|ii|ii le with us in
that trade whicli we can reach tVoni the wi stern
coast, by sl",ui) vessels, in 4000.' |[er\oyaL,'e will
NMpiire some ei'ihl iiionilis; ouis, scarcely so many
weeks. Who then will have the carrying' trade?
I'rilain will be compelled either to open a ]iass;i'ie
across the Isthmus of Darii 11, trade ihrou'/h our
works, permit us to have the carryimr trad(> or
be driven from the market. Sir, that ocean trcni of
India trade has been acfpiired and enjoyed by • ach
coiumerciid natiiui, successively, fr(uii the .rliest
a:res of the world. Cartha'.re. ( Jreece, Rome, Ven-
ice, Pisa, Ifeiioa, PortiUiral. Holland, have each, ii)
their turn, enjoyeil ii. Ivii^land now has it. Our
dcsiinv now oilers it to us. Will we ai-cept it?
Will we adopt and carry out such ji.sl and piiuleiit
measures of policy as will secure to us this irnal
and valuable field for c(uniii( rci.il ( nterprisc ? This
le:i(!s us to the c(nisidciatioii of another branch of
this subject.
The next rjuestion which |nTsents itself to our
consideration is: to whom does Oreiron, in whoh;
or in part, beloni:.' To t\\v Unit((l Slates or to
(freat I'ritainr What are our rii;lils in, and our
title to, Orei!:on? And what are the pr( tensions
and claims ofdiciit IJriiain tolhes:iiu( ? Iiv what
evidence are the riiihts, claims, imkI pr( tensions
of the parlies, respecliv( ly, yup|>(>rled or iirovtd?
And here nirain I must quote t'nuw ihe speech of the
ijentleman from South Carolina, [Mr. lioi.MF.s.]
who savs: " 1 deny, in toio, any rii:lit, any claim
' to that territorv, <>r to (tiuj juirt or pami ihere-
' of, that does not apply with etpial Hu'ce and etii-
' cienev to ilie power ol" Cinal liriiaiir, and if I do
' not, by as fiiir reasonini: as I can brinsr, deinon-
' strate this position, I am wiiiiii'^ to ijive up now
'and forever any claim to lou:ic:d powers.'' Thi:i
makes llie issue between the parlies, and pre.'!ent^^
the Iirilish vicv/ of the (|uesiio!i, in sul>st:inc(', and
almost in (Uv same wvu'ds. in which it was present-
ed by Messrs. Hopkins and Athlin',Moii. British
i'lenijiotenliaries, on the Itiih day of December,
lR."2f), when ne^otiatiiii: upmi, and (liscussinLr, the
British title to Oreijon, with the proper iiullioiitie.i
of the United Slates. They s;iy: '• Great Britain
' claims no exclusive sovereiiriity over any portion
' of that territory. Her ))resent claim, not in ro-
' spect to any |ia'i-l, but to the whole, is limited to a
' ritrht of joint occnpancy in common with other
' States, leavinir the ri^ht of exclusive sovereignly
' in abe^'aace." Every Briiisli Minister and diido-
matisl, from that lime to the present, has c(nilend-
ed tor the same [losilirni, that she h;i(l a Joint ri;jht
with the United Slates to the whole of Or(.\;ron, but
that neither Government had a s( parate rii^lit to
any ]iart thereof To this pro]iosilion I cannot
yield my assent. It is iiotTny ]iurpose, however,
to arjjue the title lo the whole of f>reu:on — time will
not permit, nor is it necessary for my present pur-
]iose. I propos(>, however, to show that we have
a clear, perfect, and unencumbertal title to the soil
and sovereii^nty of a part of Orei^on. If I succeed,
l>y lair and le>i;itimate proofs and ar;imients, in do-
ing; so, I shall have met and overthrown the ])osition
of the irtaitleinMU from South Carolina, and, with
it, the iK'Sition assumed by Britain, for they are
identical.
6
For tlic ptifjinsrs of nir nri^mnnnt, I Brlnct ilial i
rtiirl of ilic OiTi;(iii Ifiriti'i-y wliii'h liis soiilii nf'
Nootkii Snninl: tli;il is, mh imii Ii tlicrcot'aH In .s Ih;-
twf'ci) till' Mixicaii liiii' nt iIk' 4"Jil luiriillfl nf liili- 1
hiHc iinil Nuiitkn, wliicli i.s in I.iIiIikIp 41)'-' .'(.'>' , Ixiin;
T^'A'.V , (ir ill inn I (Ivr liuinlicd iiiiIcm ,\luiii; llic I'arifii-
coa.st. Mr. <.*liiiiniiaii, that we iiiny have n cltjir i
atiil (listint't vi)!\v oI'iIk' (|tirHtiiiii, allnw nx: to |)rt'- {
inisc, liy utaliiiir lli' fai't, llial up to tlio year IHO.'i,
there were five several :sover( iu'H ;iiiil iiKlependeiit
G<ivermiienlM wliiili eliimed to liave riirlit.-^ and iii-
tci'esls ill Orc'^oii; to wil: I'"iajiee, S|iaiii, lliiHsia,
Great IJrilaiii, and the United States. The I'laiin-
ftiit.s are now r<'dneed to t'le two ia.^t named. How,
wlieii, tnid hy whom, the riijhts of l-'raiiee, S|i!iiii,
find Russia were e\liii.:rnislied, and wlm becanif
possessed of tliem, I shall uliow in the pro^res.s of
my remaik'.s.
Our title to Oregon is of two kinds — first, that
wliich wo have in our ri::ht, liy diseovery, explo-
ration, and settlement; and seeomlly, that which
we have liy purchase from other (iovernmeiits, hy
whieli we have eonsolidated in the United Sttiles
nil the oiitstandin'.r claims to Oregon, except thu
pretensions to title liy IJriiain, thi' present nilvcrse
f.laiinnnt. 1 shall speak lirst of our h'reiadi title.
And what is it.- After the discovery of this ronti-
tineiit liy ('nhimlHis, in 1 ll>-i, CJreat l.ritain iuiil
Trance hotli aci|M:ied territorial ri<4:lits, inid plant-
ed Colonies upon it. 'I'he nriii.-~li p(i:sessions wrrc
on the Atlantic coast, nov,- eomposiiii; a part of the
Stales of this Confederacy, ( xtendin:; hy tlieir <diar-
lers from .sea to sea, and upon Hudson's May. The
French possessions were upon the .Mississippi and
in C;inada, alsi exiendini.; ind'li;iittly ucst and
northwest.
Tiiese claims ii'-'ssarily eonflicied. In 1714,
France and Kii.land c,incluili 1 a treaty of peace at
Utrecht, which ti>rmiii ited the wai then rasiini,' he-
tweeii them, and seltKd all their ditiereiices in Fu-
rope ixnd America. I5y the tenth article oC tiiat
treaty, it was le^reed that eommissioners should he
appointed to run ami eslahlish a division line he
tweeii their terriloiia! posse.'-sion- in Xortli Amer-
ica. Commissioners were apiioinied, who estah-
lished thai lii-e — c.imineiicir.tr on the coast of Lah-
raiior, tind ninninu' southwest to the Lake of the
Woods, npoii the 4'.)ih pamllel of latitude?, and
thence exlendin:^ west nlonw that piu-allel indefi-
nitely, which of course exieiids to tin- Pacifii- oi'ean.
This line divided the territories occupied liy the
Hudson's Hay ('ompany e'li the norili fro.m the
Canadas, and the Mississippi and l^ouisiana pos-
Bessions of France on the souili; aiid so lara.s these
Govermnenls were < onecrned, est ihlished ii line of
ecparalion hetween ihein, i,nvliii; to France all Hril-
ain's claims soiiih, and to Mritam all Franco's claim
north, of 4!P; south of which line Great Britain
could not c;o, or acquire any t< rrilorial ri:.;hts, after
that time, without, the consent of h'rancc, nor could
France aeipiire any territori d ri;;hts north of it,
without Hritain'.s cmiseiit. On the ri^d day of Feb-
ruary, IHO.'l, a treaty was concluded between tiie
United States and Franci',l)y which, for a valuable
consideration, h' ranee sold and ceded to the United
State.s all her i\lississij)pi and Louisiana posses-
fiions, upon this or the otlier side of ilie Ilocky
Mountains, and also maile us a party to the teiitli
article of the treaty of Utrecht, so tar us tliis terri-
tory is concerned, Tiic 4;>th panillrl became ilu.
H une to us, as ai^ainst the cl.uins of I5ritiin,as it
had before that time bei n to Fr.tiiee. ( ireal llritiun
does not pretend to h.ive iiad any valid < laiins west
of the Rocky moiintiiin.s in 171 i; she could ac(|Uiri
none .south or4!>'^afier that, asauTiinsi I'liince, un-
til lHd.'J, when we purchased, nor since that time,
a.s ti;;;iin.sl the United Stales, i\h the purchasers of
Fremdi rijjhl.i. This treaty, iinlependeni of terri
lori.il rights acijuired by it id' l''iance, mt^jht suc-
cessfully be ple)\d in bar to any llritish claims south
of 4!)'^, and would iheref .re estalilish the position
assumed, that we intve a clear, nil' iicuinbered, atid
indisputable title to so much of Oreiroii as is south
of 4!)^. Hut, Mr. Chairman, I lixed my point at
Nooika, a little north of 4I>", lo which 1 propose
to examine our tith;. And for tliat purjiose 1 shall
next conHider our Sjianish title. And what, sir, is
that title.' Spain was no party to tlu' tenth article
of the treaty ,of Utrci la, and was not thcrtlor<
airectcd or bound by it.
On the :2'2(1 day of February, \»\\), a Irealv wa.i
made III Wtishin^ton b(t\\een the United Slate.-
air.i Spain, by wliirli the iviiit; of t pain " soldiind
' ceded lo the United Slates all Spanisli riijhts and
' |>reteiisions east and north of the 4'.'d parallel of
'north latitude, and I'or himself, his heirs, iiii.l
• sue 'essois, he. renounced all claim to said terri-
' tories forever." 'J'his treaty of purchase fixed
the 4:2d parallel of latitude tvs the noitheni boniid-
ary of Sptinish, now Mexican, toid the southern
boundary of the U'nittd States territory, and t;av(
to the United .States ail Spain's riy:hts in Oret;oii,
and (Ml the Pacific north of the 4f2d dei;re(^ of lali-
tude. What were the ri^jhts of Sjiaiii thus sidd
and transferred to the United States,' I will brielly
stiite lliem. Shortly after the discovery of thi.-
eoiitineiit, in 14'J~*, Cortez, for Spain, eoni(ucn d
Mexico, and Sjiain estaldished her Government
thereunder ti viceroyalty. Wiitn riuthin;; inon
remained in Mexico for Spanish eompiest, she be-
ijan to extend her search and exploralioiis north-
ward aloiiij the Pacific coast for new countries to
con(|U(;raiid seitle. I shall pass over many of tlu
earlier and more obscure dj.^eoveries of Spain on
the I'arific, coast, and mention those only which
are well defined, and upon which title can lie predi-
cated, and from wh.'-.;li terriiurial ri^i^hts can he de-
rived.
In l.'i4"J, Cahrillo was sent, wi'.h two vessels, bv
the viceroy of Mexico^ \\ ith instrNactions to explore
the coast northward, as far as p(\ssible, in search
of new countries. This expediliiMi continued its
cxplonition.s about one yetu", (Jabrillo died on the
voyas^e, and the command dt volvcd upon l^'erelo,
who (ixaniined the coast as far noi-th as the 4.'Jd
jiarallel. In 1592, the viceroy of Mexico, still in
lent on northern discov(;rics, sent Juan de Fucu, a
distiiii;ui.Nliril na"'iii;ator, to explore the northwist
coast and to discover the Straits of Annitin, (now
Fucti,) whicii wer(;.su}>posed lo coimeci jthe Pacific
with the .'Vtlaniic ocean. He sailed noi^h until In
reached a point between the 4Hlli and 49ili jiarai-
lels of latiti d', when Ik; came into a !ar^e inlet ol
the sea, in which he sailed, niakiny: explorations,
as he says, for twenty days. This was the Strait
of Fiica, which yet bi;ars the name ol'thal naviga-
tor, who, beyond all doubt, fir.-it discovered the
existence anil entrance to that strait. In 1G03,
'izcnino,
ir roast
774 Pere.
•4> on ill! <
iHtructioi
itiuidi , ;i
(jy, in the
le countr
ailed nori
ia return
3', he en
luBri,lriid
lay is nov
be fii'st na
Oinid, an
he name
In I77."»,
Vfis si'iit n
tuiiid of
Xuinine t
)n his III
>Uces, an
Gii;:,;'nd
hat he luu
if the sain
vcre fouii
vlleli he a
'Oti sailtd
m Uuadr.
ned the CI
e| south, i
he mouth
t by renin
In thi'f--a
A'ho lii'd s:
.he schooii
IS the .")Hil
loiilhward
Hero, two
■jy Mexico
equipped, 1
'or Spain,
^et'lement
3n the Glh
(bund it en
1784; pos.ci
a|)d a settle
there until
At this
Pacific coi
that coast,
sole and e:
This clain
full exien
doubted bl
agiinst an
country.
H.ad Spi
1819, by V
iihpaired t
that slu' III
1790, of w
aOer. It i
dial title .s
0(1 r Spani
and which
h|<;hcr iij)
lifesciit pi
1
•allrl lirc'uiif till, 'i/miiin, n .Spanmli iwivigalor, rnrcfully surveyed
ol' lint nil, as It IP cuist mI" (.'ulifiiriiin Id tin; 37lli imrallcl. In
ilii' ('i<iililart|mri
r\iiisi I'lancc, mi-
siiK'c that tiiiir.
In; jiurrlia.si'rH nl
|i(ii(|i>iii (if tt rn
aiii'f, niijjlit Hu<'-
iInIi cluiiiis.siiuili
f. < ircat IJriiiiiii 771 IVn/. was d( siiaulitii liy the viirroy dl'Mfx-
valid < l.iiins w<'.-<i vo im aiM;X|ilnriiij; tX(><;dilii)ii to llii' iiurili, wiili
imiiirii.ni.s to |ini(;«((l In tin (lOtli def;rcf ni' mirili
itiiudi , and tn t'Xplnru the coawt Riiulli to Moutt:-
ay, III ilii: .'ITtli dc^nxf, and to Uikt; po.s.vcssinii of
It iciuiitiy ill tlic name of ihcKin^ of S|);iiii. He
ail( (1 liortli to tli( ri'Uh dt.i^icc of laiiuuk, and on
is ntuiii siaitli !d(iii<; ilic coaHl, in Iniitiidi' 4!)"
3', lit' cnK red a ra|iaciou.s hay, luid remained
lisii tlie |M).sitiuii lj£ic,in.>diii;; wiili tlif niiiive.'-, fur sonu' time. Tiiis
fncuiiil)i:red,iiiid lay is now lalled Nootku Sound, and Perez w.t.s
eijon a.s in soiiili \xt fir.st iiavi^Nilor who ever saw or diHcovered thi.i
(ed my |ioiiii at ound, and at that time he took poiiisciitiioii of it in
vliieli 1 propose lu- iiaiiif ofliis .sovereif^n.
It purpose I siiall 111 177.'), Urimo Ilccela, in the service of Spain,
\iid what, sir, i.'^ vBs sent nnn'.i on an expioriiij; expedition in eom-
th(; tenth urlielf iinnd of the shi[i Santin;,'(S with inslniclioiijj to
as not thcrcfon xuniinc the coast to the (joth parallil of latitude.
)n his noiihward V(iyuj;e he landed at various
1!), .1 troalv wa« )Uee.«, and took |io:<scbsi('ii iu the num<' of lii.s
United Slale.s Gn;,', I'lid i:recled enisscs with inscriptions staling;
t pain " sold and hot lio had visited the places and taken pos.s(ssioii
anish rii^hts and if the same in the name of his sovereif,Mi, which
• 4rid paialii I of vere found liy Vancouver, a British navigator,
his heirs, and vjien he afterwards visited the .sume place .s. Ile-
ni to said terri- '.atii .sailtd north to the fjOlh parallel, and landed
pnrciiase fixed )n Uiiadra and Vancouver's Island, and exuni-
noithern lioiind- ned the coast of the continent from the 4^th paral-
iid the soulherii e) south, and disi-o\ered ihe current issuing frnni
riiory, and ;,'av< he miniih of ihc Columhia rivi r, hut did not enter
iy;lils in ()rei;oii, t Ly reason of the rapid i uncut, which drove him
2d de!.cree of laii- ;ack.
Spain thus .sold In the Fame year, Seiiors Quadra and Muiinlle,
•s.' I will hrielly vh<> had sailed' iu com)>aiiy witii llecctn, on hoard
iscovery of tlii.- .he sclioouerSaiitiai;o \isiied the coast i\s fir north
pain, con(|ucred IS the oHih parallel, and then explored il.e coast
ler Goveriimeiit iouthward to Califuniia. In Hfy, Martinez imd
n rioiliiuL; inon Hero, two Spanish comuKinders, were desjiatched
on(|iiest, she he- jy Mexico, in command of two vessels armed and
'orations north- equipped, with orders to take possession of Nootka
.ew countries to 'or Spain, and to erect and arm a fort, and make a
ver many of the settlement therein the name of the Kin^^of Sjiain.
ics of Spain on Dn the Cili May, 1789, Martinez entered the sound,
lose only which round it entirely unoccupied, us Perez had left iiiu
lie can lie prcili- 17H4; pos.ce.s.sion was taken, a fort eroded, armed,
i,i,'lits can he dt;- apd a settlement made, and tlie Spanish flag floated
there until 17'J5.
two vessels, hv At tliis time Russia had six .settlements on the
■tioiis to explore Pacific coast, and French ships had also vi.-:^ited
ssiMe, in search that coast. At this time, also, Spain claimed the'
Ml continued ii.taoh' and exclu.sive sovereignty of tlie Paciric coast,
rillo died oil the This claim was too broad to he admitted to the
ed upon Kerelo, full extent it was made; hut it cannot w '1 be
loriii as ihc 4;jil doubted but, at that lime, Spain's claim was good
Mixico, still in agiinst any |jretcnsions of Great Britain in that
luande Fucu, a country.
'(• ihe uorthwi.'-i Had Spain, iu any manner, before the treaty of
f Anniaii,(no\v 1819, by which we acquired her title to Oregon,
lueciUiie Pacific impaired tluit title.' It is not claimed by nritain
d iioi^ii until he that sh? had, except by the Nootka coineiiiioii of
and 49iii jiani- 1790, of which I shall liave occasion to speak liere-
) a 'urge inlet ol after. It is not pretended that we have impaired
ig explorutions, that title since we acquired it from Spain. This is
*T> " -■■ I .vv,. .,,.- , —m.'^ ....... ^ ,, V- n.-..!! i_*ii (_u. iL 11 <f IJI >.^[ flLIII . J, Ilia ii>
s was the Strait olir Spanish title, which yet stands unimpaired,
; of that naviga- and wliich can with great force be carried much
■' 'ereil tin hjghcr up the c — "'
In 1()03. present purpose
ii»*»j^.i- «... ...... 41 ..v.i. ..ilii i^n.,tiL ji.Fiii: uu i;aiiicu iiiucii
discovered tin hjghcr uj) the coast than it is necessary for my
11 1603, present purpose to carry it.
rait.
I I 8liall next proceed to present the title wc havo
I in our own proper right, by discovery, vxploruttoii,
I and settlement.
In 17f<7, Captains Cray and Keudrick, of I!o:<-
I tmi, .'tailed from that place for the iN'orih Pacific;
I llii; former coimniindiiig tlu- American ship ^Vah!l-
iiigton, the latter the Coluinbia. In llhH they
! linidtd at Nootka. In Hi-^lt, tiray, among.U their
i discoveries and eX|ilorations, exjihu'cd the wlnde
I east coast of Clueeii ( 'harlotte'.s Island; alsoentered
I and sailed fifty iiiile.'^ thiouf^h the Sliiiils of Fuca;
he bein_'the first navigator wlio had tntered beyond
! ihe nioiiih of said tiraits or .mailed in the same. In
I the fall of 1790, Gray and Kendriik exchanged \(s-
sels, and Gray tlier(. after commanded the (Jidiim-
j ilia, upon which vessel heju'oceeiied to China, and
' from thence to Ho.slon. Kendrick reiuained in the
I Pacific, and shortly afti r sailed entirely through
1 liiv Straits of Fuca, and in 1791 mnchased from the
Indian chiefjt at Nootka several large tracts of land,
I and toidv deeds for the same. In 179,'l he was ac-
! cideiiUilly killed ut Owyhee. In 1791 Gray again
j arrived on the Pacific coast, and during that year
I examined many of the inlets and jiassiiges btlv.'eeii
, the 54th and 5()lh parallels of latitude.
On the 7th May, 179"^, Captain Gray discovered,
1 entered, and landi d in IJuliiiicirs Harbor, iu lati-
I tilde 4(i'^ ,"jb',and remained three days trading v. iih
! the native.'!. On the Hih of the same mouth he
' disi;nvered, entered, and saili d some twenty or
I twenty-five miles u[> the Coliimliia rivtr, where he
I reniaiiied for several days, trading with tlie uatists.
Captain Gray was the first navigator who dis<'ov-
eied and navigated liiai river, and up(ui leaving, In.-
g:ive it the name of hi.^; ship, ((Columbia,) which it
yet bi'ars.
lie iit'tcrward.-v coinmuniiated to Vancouver and
Quadra his di:^covcri(s of 13ulfiiich"s Harbor aiul
the Columbia river, which was the first knowledge
they had of them, and iefi with Quadra, at Nootka,
charts of the same.
In lh04aii expedition was fitted out under the
Admiuistration of President Jeillrson, to cxjiloi(!
the principal branches of the ^Missouri river to their
s(nirce, and then to cross the Rocky Mountains
and trace to the Pacific some stream that would
alTord the most direct water communication across
the continent. Captains Lewis and Clarke were
commissioned to conduct this expedition. On liic
]r)th November, 180.J, they landtd on the coast of
the Pacific, having traced the waters of the Colum-
bia from its source in the mountains to its termi-
nation at the Pacific ocean. Thev took po.sscssioii
of the country, encamped near tlie mouth of the
Columbia, and remained there until the 23d March,
IHOG, when they reiurned ui> the Columbia in ca-
noes, as far I'.sKooskook rivi;r,ex|iloriiig its shores,
and noting the large tributary streams which flow
into the Columljia. Iu 1811, John Jaco!) Astor,
of New York, entered the Columbia, sailed up it
about ten miles, and built F'or* Astoria, which he
occupied until ldl3, vvh( n, during the last war, it
I'ell into tin hands of Great Pjrilain. Its restora-
tion was provided for in 1814, at the treaty of
Ghent; and (Jii the Cili day of October, 1818, by a
written order of the British '"' '•iimenl, the pos-
session of Astoria was formally restored, and de-
livered by the agent of that Government to an
United States; the cross of St. George
iveretl ijy i
igeiil of the
8
was lowoml.ftnd Iho utripcB nnd Htnrn flontcd nin'\n
over Aslorin. TliiM is mir Aiin'riran tiilc. Doch
il ^iv«: In iiH llic cxcliisivf Mrivf n'lL'iity ami ri^jlit of
Hoil in llif (!.tlninl)i!i v,ill« y ? Hy iiiKiii.iiiorml law,
n OcivtTiimcnt <an aciiiiirf litl<', in an un'»i'<u[)i('(l
lonntry, liy (li.scovcry, if it l»i; fnllowiil np in ii
miHoimlilf! tinif liy exploration and sciilenieril.
IIiivc wc brou^lit onrselveH within iliis rnle ?
(iriiy (liHeovercd in 17'J'i; Lewis and ("hokr' ex-
plored in iHliri; Astor founded a seitienient in iMlJ.
|)o not lliese events follow in a reasonalilc iitne
after each oilier, the remoieneHS and diHiriillv of
acr.esM of the roiuitry ''onnidered ? Can (Jniit llrit-
(lin hIiow as 'jood a lille lo the valley of the (,'o!iini-
biu? Sir, if she can, she has not doiif so. Wh.it,
sir, is the extent of the valley of the Coin ml lia? 'I'he
head waters of its southeast hraiii'hes reneh the
Mcxiean line in latitude 4j2"; the noriluveatiTii
l)raiiehe."» Nireteh to i")!^ 10'. Hut this carries the
nru;unient further than I proposed, haviie^' proposed
to aru;ue the title as far as the Nootka only. 'I'o
this I will add the tilh; of conti^niily. Oreijoii lies
eoterininnus with the whole western frontier of
the United States; it lie."» lictween Ui< and the Pa-
cific ocean. It hems us in on the entire western
frontier of tlie Ucpiihlic. It is hit,'hly important to
ns for a;^ricultiiral and (tonnnercial purposes. It is
alinitst indispcnsalile to us for our national defence
nnd safety. From I'ritaiii, the otln'rclaimnnf, it is
remote. She can desire it only for national a;;-
Kraiidizeniciil and the j)ride of empire. Site needs
it not for the naiionni salety or national existtMien.
If ihefe facts luiii'.; us within the jtriiiciples of title
"by eontiy;uiiy," as recoi^/iised l>y international
lasv, then upon that principle we claim it. Aiimv
me, .sir, to add one other evidence of title to (Jre-
i;on; I introduce it hy way of plea in i>ar to Gvi-n\
Hritaiii. In the sixteenth century (treat Britain,
hy charters, granted to the colonies of Viri;iiiia ami
Massachusetts all land.s lyini; helween crrtain ptir-
iillels of latitude across this coiiiimnt, "from sea to
sea." All the territorial ri;;hls wkich nriiain then
had, rested in the colonies between tlielimiis men-
lioncd from the Atlantic to the Pacific These
diartcred limits embrace nil, or nearly nil, of Ore-
•;;on. In 177(5, these colonies were renels; in 17H;j,
they were victors, trentin;^ on terms of nnlioiial in-
dependence and national equality with their former
sovereign. By tiic treaty of llHli, Britain nc-
knowledgcd their indejiendcnce, and le''t them in
the full nnd j^cnceablc enjoyment of nil the territo-
rial rights, ns granted to the colonies by the char-
ters, without any reservation or exception.
The colonies to whi<'h these grants were made,
have since ceded all their territorial rights beyond
certain limits, to the United States, where the title
is now vested. The question now c,ome.g np be-
tween Britain, the grantor to the colonies, nnd the
United States, as assignee of the colonics who were
the grantees of Britain, under 'he hand and seal of
her King. Can we not, then, successfully set up
in bar of Britain's claims, the titles granted by her
King, signed, sealed, and delivered, in ]C,'>% nnd
1620, and by her ae:ain ratified and confirmed in
1783, against any claim she can now mnl^e ? By
lier charters she conveyed all the rights .'^lie then
liad, and by the same grant she estopp -d herself
from afterwiirds acquiring any further rii;hls in the
country, unless by purchase or by conquest, neither
of which «he now prrfrndfl to claim. I will ndr
Hir, one more muniment of title, niiil the lanl: .
is the title of the gentleman from Illinois, " incvi'
able destiny." 'I'liere is more in this nrgumfii'
sir, than appears upon the siirlacc. If, by pr)litic,
derelictions, arising either from political nmbitioi
seclioiiiil jealou.sies, cupidity, avarice, party ho.'-
tiliiy, forciijn attachmeiitHand toreii;ii iiiterestfl, w
should |os(- Oregon now, by inevitable destiny
will be recovered. Sir, nations, like men, pa."
throiiL'h iiif.incy lo the vigor of manhood, and thi
ilie decrepitude of hoary age. If we are true t
ourselves and preserve our glorious Union, win
our vast and fertile empire shall sustain its (it't
million of freemen, the sails of our commen
wliiii'ii ev( ry wave, and our navy ride triumphal
oil every sen, then, sir, we will win on (he battl
field what we may this day lose in the couni
chatnbfT. Thus will inevitable destiny give i;
()reg<in. Upon these five several grounds I \>n>
our rivals in and title to Oregoti, and leavi; each f
him.srlf to decide upon the force and ellect of tl,
proof adduced.
Mr. Chairman, before I prnecfd to state ihccv
dence upon which Britain rrsts her claim and pr<
tensions in Oregon, allow me to notict one inqMii
tant fact, wlii.li is now a matter of hi.story an
cannot Ix- denied. It is tl . that in all the dipl<
matic discussions which have taken jilace betwei
the twoCJovernmenis in relation to Oregon, from tli
treaty of Ghent in |H|4, down to the year IS^t
Fiiigland b.ised her claims exclusively upon tli
discoveries of her niivii^ators. The Nootka coi,
veiitioii was never named in tluse diseiissions urn
Mr. Htish, the Ameri(!!ui Minister, introduced
in ).'-<2fi. In IHr>(J Britain changed ground; sh
abandoned her claims by discovery as the sol
grounds of Ik r title, and planted herself upon tli
Nootka convention. Ami why,sir,wasthischang'
The reason is obvious. The discussionof thisciue.-
tioii lead the Ministers of the two Governments i
trace back their claims respectively to their origii
in the log-books, daily jour lals, and contempor,i
neons writings of the several navigfitor.s upon whos
discoveries the title of the claimants must stand e
fall. Before this inve.stigation the British title fadti
away, and its inevitable overthntw was foreseen ii
her statesmen: the American title grew bright(
and stronger at every .step. The British negoiia
tors, to avoid defeat, in 182G changed ground, aii^
look shelter behind the Nootka convention, upe
which the title on her .side i.s now mainly rested.
1 shall now )iroceed to state the claims and pn
ten.=iions of Britain to Oregon, as she has mad
them, durin;: the thirty years negotiation on thi
subje(;t, first by discovery and exploration of In
navigators, and. secondly, by virtue of the Noo;
ka convenlion. In the eiU'ly part of her negi
ti.-ition, and whilst Great Britain predicated h(
claims upo'i discovery and exploration, she con.
menccd with the voyage of Sir Francis Draki
Sir, what was that voyager On the the ISth >■
December, l.')77, Drake .sailed from Plymoutl;
Ktigland, o.steiisibly for a voyage to Egypt, hu
really, as the sequel proved, on a predatory c.'i
cursion against the S|)anish settlements in Amer
ica. In September, ].'>7S, he arrived in the Pncili
near the Spanish settlements there, and after plui:
dcring tlieir towns and ships, and filling his vess'
9
iiini. F will ndr
I'm! the lasl:
lllinnis, " idcvi'
II lIllH Mri;;iiirii II'
If, hy piilitic,
•nlili«al ninl)itii)i
iuiof, parly li(»>
<ii,'ii inlcrf'Nts, vi
vitiihic destiny
, liNc niin, )ms
iiiIhukI, ami tli<
'" w I' arc iriip t
lis Union, win
NiiHiiiin its lift
•Mir rnnimun
i<ln tiiiiniphai
n nil the ItattI'
in t\w cdiini
cMiiny c'lvv. \,
u;riiiuiils I l)a^
..j| if'avf! « iich fi
und ert'ccl of th
il to Ntatn tliccv.
cv riaim and pn
iitticf onr ini])();
r of history nn
t in all the dipl>
en plane lietwcc
()rcii;on,(Voni tli
1 the year isyt
isively niion tli
he NootKa co(
(lis(\iis.sioii,s iini
rr, intrndiicod
[■pd i^ronnd; sh
.Try as the sol
hrrself njion tl'
, wastliisi'liangi
»siono('thisque.<
Governnionts t
y to their orit^it
iiid <!ontenipora
iitoi-snpon whos
Its must stand d
Hritish title fadei
'Was t'orcsren h
i^rew l)right(
llritish iiCf,^oti;i
ged j^rnund, an.
onvention, iipn
mainly rested.
! I'laims and pn
s she has mad
jntialion on the
ploration of Ik
tue of the Nooi
irt of her nego
1 predicated he
ration, slio com
Francis Draki
the the l.Sth i^
roni riymoutl;
; to Eii;ypt, hu
a predatory ex
ments in Amfr
(d in the Pncili
, and after pliii:
filling his vess'
with the spoils, in the fiprinjt of ITiTO, hf^'onclnded | nruto slrrnm that einptiml into the Slrnii« of I'ucn.
til ixtiirn home. I'lariiif;, if he yailed Hoiiih l)y ' ui laliliide i\P. Did (Jreat Mriniii ever follow no
Ma<;<'llairs Strait, the SpuniardH would inler<'ept
him, he .mailed northwcHt to ahonl the I'Jd de^rte
of laiitnde, when, l>y Htress of weather, he wu.s
driven hark to latitude .■K\ when h; landed in
Cilifornin, n fitted his vescel, n lo.iiin d till the
spriiii; of iriHtl, took posseHsion of and I'alled the
place .\ew AMiion, and in Septemher, I.Xl, he ar-
rived ill Kn;;laii(l. This is ilie .ucoiint of |)r;ike'H
voyai/e, as i;iven in l')H!> hy I'rainis Pretty, who
was with Drake, and which i:^ doulllle.s,^ correct.
II(! never touched the short! north of the .')i^th dt-
i;Tee, whirh is tw<i de'^rees south of our southern
lioiindary.
Enirlaiid does not now rely upon Cook'.; voy-
ai;c for title. In 177(1, two ceniurics aficrwanis,
th(! next ISriiish navi<;ator who a[>p< an d in the
Pacil'ic was Captain James Cook, who was sent
hy the Iiriii.sh t Jovernimnt on an exidorins: ixpe-
dition, with instructions to take possession of such
places as he mii:hi discover, whii'h li id not al-
ready lieeii " disriivrtil or visited" by oilier iiaiiniis.
.After a voyaire of near two years, in which he
visited Van Dieman's Land, N'ew'/ealand, Friend-
ly and Society Jslaiids, and other places, on
tlit^ 7ih of March, 17HH, he arrived oppo.site the
northwesi coiust of America, in lalilutle 44°.
the dtsioverieM of any of her iiavi:.;.ilors hy poH-
S'ssion and setiltmeni' If sin did, slie haii iieviT
to tluN d.iy furnished tl.r world witli the evidence
of II. The first setllemint ever made liy a Uriiish
Huli)e.'t %\ I -I of the Hocky Moniiiaiiii was made liy
.McKen/ie, in the year |f<Otl, whi 11, as an a;renl
of till' .Northwest l-'iir <'ompaiiy. he estahlisheil ii
triulili? post oil the 'i'aciicliee Teesi , ill latilnde .'>4^'.
'I'his IS the i'ritish title, mo far as it rests on dix-
covery I'V licr naviuMlors and Mdvt ir/ie.and these
are all she ever made. ( )f all the discoveries of each
iinlion I hase L'iven oiilv the outline, the dales and
pIfK'es, when and where, and hy whom they were
madf . Want of lime compels nit! to omit the
details.
Mr. CliMirmiu), a caref^il and accurate examina-
tion, nil analysis and comparison of the aiHheiitic
evideiicfs of the title of the iire.seiil claimants, as
the saiiK! is found in the loij;-liooks, journals, and
contemporaneous wrilniL's of the several navi-
irators and otheis who discoverid and explored
ill, It country, will fully sustain tlw ruth of this
proposition: that tli" Pwiiiaiors of I5iilain never
made an oriiiiiial di.sc,.,,ry of an important [inrt
of the territory in dispi ' . That her navij^alors
made exploralion.s • *" pi 'cts previously di.^covered
Thence lie .sailed north to .Nootka Sound, where and explored hy Spaniards and Americans, will noi
he landed in Ajail, 1778, remained there near ' ' ' ■ • ■' ■ ' - '- ;..:....i .i.o_
one monih, refittiiiir his vissel, and supplyin:; his
he denied; hut iliat she i;\vT made ,iii ori-inal iIih-
covery of iinpculaiice in thu' territory, remaiiiH vol
Id l,e proved.
.Mr. Chairman, le' us next examine the Nootka
conveniioii; that lieiin^ liie other lirunc.li of iJritish
I'i.iinis. .And. sir, wl.at is this conveniion ' By
whom was it made.' And can any rijzlit or title to
Cook ((Mitinued his voya;,'e until tin; ifilh of Fel)- ; the sovereignly or the soil of Orcijon he derived
ruury, 177!), when he was killed l.y the natives at from or pri!dicated ii|>on it. It \s a convenrion en-
Owylwe, one of the Sandwich i.slaiids. Fn^'land tired into hy Spain ami 15riiain in 17'.)(l. 'I'he cir-
(iun ilaiui nolhiiii; from his discoveries, f)r the rea- cuni.^lances liiat sravt! rise to this convention, and
son that Pere/, on the part of Spain, had '-dis- which are hiiihl'- impcniant to its true interpretu-
d, visited,'' and taken [losscssion of Nootka, tion,are hiielly these: in 17.SH two trading vessels
ship with wood and >^-. iM-, and trailniir wiili th
natives. Cook took pos.-'tssion of liie place, naiucil
it St. Cieoriri '• May, and the cove, l''riendiy Cove;
thence proceeded north on his voyiu:<', hut made
no further discoveries in tlu! disputed territory.
le ifilh of Feh-
eoverei
in 1774, four years hcfort; Cook (!ver .saw it.
were
fitted oiit at Macao, in China, for a tradinfr
In 17«7, John Meares, who.se acts are iniiinate- ex|iediti<ni. Upon one of them, John Meares was
lyconiiectt;d with the Nootka convention, and will supercargo, in the employ of a I'ortuiruesc mcr-
he ineniioiicd hereafter, in the capacity :'r super- chant. Slu! sailed iiniler Portu^juese colors, was
cariro in a Portu:,niese trading ship, visted Nootka. ; comiiianded hy a Portiisjuese ca]itain, her passports
In 1793, Vancouver visited the Straits of Fuca. and .sea pajiers were made out in the Portutuicse I .n-
This was two hundred years after Fuca had dis- u'uau;e, and hy authority of a Portui^uest.' colony,
covered the f iiirance of tin se straits, and three ; the vessel and cari^o heloiiiriui: to Juan Cavello, a
years after Captain Gray had sailed into them tifty \ Portuiruese merchant. In 17k'^ this ship (Felice)
arrived at Nootka, on her tradinc; expedition, four
years after Perez had discovered that place. Mf.arcs
while there )irocured from Mariuinna, an Indian
chief, at Nootka, a^^rantof privileije to use a small
sj:ot of i;roun<l in Frieiuily Cove, upon which to
con,>iruct a small tradiiic; ves.sel, on condition, that
when he Id't, he ( Meares') would surrender the same
miles.
In 1787, Perlceley, then in tiie service of the
.'\ustrian Fast India f'ompany, saw the Straits
(if Fuca, hut did not enter them.
In I'l'VA Alexander Mi-Ken/.ie, an ai^ent of a fur
company, passed from Fort ('hippewayne soulli-
west across the (country, and discovcied the head
waters of the river Tacuchee Tecse, (now called | hat k to the Indians, v. illi any l(uildina;s he mif^ht
Frazer's river,) down which he and his
lloated in cantics two hundred miles, the _
streams, passed hy land westward to the Pacific, | the l''clice was landed at Nootka, to huild the pro
where he lu'rived iii July, 1793, in latitude 5^^ Hi)'
From thence he returned hy land to Fort Chip)ie
wanj'c, whence he had started, making no other
dis(;ovcries. So little was known of this stream,
that, u[» to 1812 it was believed to he a branch of
the Columbia, when it was discovered to be a sep-
posed craft, and Meares .sailed south along the
coast on a tradin"; and cxplorim:; excursion. In
July followins, Meares returned to Nootka, and
ftiiind there two American ships, the Washinjrton
and Columbia, before mentionetl; also found his
new vessel, which was called the Northwest Ame-
I
10
rii'a, ronstru.'lfd. Mmirs trmk upon his vrss-cl tlu;
furs lliut had hcen collected, mid sailed for China,
and fronn that time to the p rsenf , John Menres lias
never seen Nootkn Sound. Tlieotlier two vchsoIs,
the Ipliij^enia and Northwest America, spent tlic
foilnwinf!; winter at the Sandwich Islands. Mearcs
had promised to meet this ve.«.s('l at Noolka in the
.-prmjr of 1789, to pursnc their trade.
At this time, the Spanisii Government had be-
come dissatisfied with and jealou.s of the frequent
ai)p(;arance of foreign vessels on the Pacific coast,
over which she claimed to he the exclusive mis-
trea.s. She therefore commenced more vigorously
to prosecute her discoveries, and assert her rig;lits.
Early in the spritis; of 17Hi», in pin-siiancc of this
determination, Don Manuel de Florrs, then vice-
roy of Mexico, fitted out and despatched two
armed vessels, with the necessary implements for
settling and defending Nootka. These vessels
were commanded by Martinez and Hero, two
Spanish navigators, "who were instructed to pro-
ceed to Nootka to take possession thereof in the
name of Spain, to treat with civility any British or
Russian vessels that might come to Nootkn; but,
at all hazards, to assert and maintiiin the sovereiijn-
fy of Spain at that place. On the (ith of May,
1789, Martinez arrived at Nootka, took possession
of the place, landed his cannon, and other materials
for setilement and defence. On his arrival there,
he found the vessels Iphigenia and Northwest
America. They had arrived on the 20lh April,
178i), still sailing as Portuguese traders. He also
found anchored there the two American ships,
Washiiiirton and Columbia. After taking pos-
session, he informed the commandants of tlie ves-
sels lying there of his intentions and instructions.
They made no objections, but apjieared satisfied
with what had been done. Things remained thus
for about one week, when Hero arrived. Martinez
tlicn demanded an inspection of tlie papers of the
Portuguese ve.ssels, which was gratited; and by
the translation of these papers from the Portuguese
language, Martinez was informed that they Were
instructed to take all English, Spanish, and Rus-
sian vessels that were inferior in fon^e, and send
them to Macao, to be tried as pirates. Martinez
thereupon seized the Ijihiocnia, her officers and
crew, and was about to send them to San Bias, a
Spanish port, for trial, when the officers agreed
for and on behalf of the reputed owner, Juan
Cavello, that if they were released, and afterwards
upon trial condemned, the condemnation-money
fihould be paid; and accordingly they were re-
leased, and soon after left. In June, "the North-
west America returned to Nootka, and was also
immediately seized; but aHerwards returned to her
owners. It afterwards turned out that these ves-
sels, although sailing under Portuguese colors,
were the property of John Menrcs and lii.s asso-
ciates, British merchants trading at Macao; and
the piratical disguise had been assumed for the
Durpose of defrauding the Chinese revenues. John
Meares then left the coast, and arrived at Macao
the same year. These merchants, with Meares at
their head, fitted out another expedition, the .ships
Argonaut and Princess Royal, commanded by
Colnott and Hudson, two Englisli officers, and
sailed under English colors. On the 2d of July,
the Argonaut arrived at Nootka, and found the
Princess Royal tliere. Martinez demanded an
inspection of their papers, which was complied
with; and, upon inquiry of the intention of their
cxiicdition, was informed that they intended to
erect a British fort there, hoist the Briti.sh flag,
and lake possession, Martinez told them this
could not be done, as the place was already occu-
pied by Spain. A quarrel ensued; the Spaniard
arrested the commandant; seized the .ship, and sent
her to San Bios for trial. She was afterwards re-
stored by Ciuadra, on the ground that the British
commander was ignorant of the Spanish rijjhts.
Under these circumstances, the Nootka conven-
tion originated. Information of these difficulties
Iteing communicated to the home Governments,
England and Spain, a discussion of their re-
spective rights was commenced at London and
Madrid. In February, 1790, the Spanish Minis-
ter at London informed the English Government
of the capture, and requested that Government to
restrain her subjects from furtlier intrusion upon
the Spanish settlements; to which the British Min-
ister replied, he would not negotiate on the sub-
ject, unless immediate re.slitution was made for the
vessel v.hicli had been seized. This reply, with
the circumstances attending it, convinced Spain
that England had other designs. Tiic Spanish
Court became alarmed; and another note was ad-
dressed to the British Minister, saying that Spain
would be satisfied if Britain would command her
subjects to respect the rights of Spain in future.
About this time (May, 1790) John Meares, now
representing liimself to be a lieutenant in the Brit-
ish service, arrived from Macao at London, with
a memorial to his Government, on behalf of him-
self and his associates at Macao, who were also
represented as British subjects. In his memorial
he set forth that four British ships, with their car-
goes and crews, liad been seized at Nootka by an
officer commanding two Sfiaiiish ships of war, and
sent to a Spanish port for trial; also, that he hud
been dispossessed of certain houses and tracts of
land at Nootka. This information the King of
England immediately communicated to Parliament,
denying, at the same time, the exclusive rights of
Spain to the territory in dispute, and asking for
supplies to prepare for war. Negotiations were
closed at London and opened at Madrid between
the tM'o Governments. Meanwhile Britain was
making extensive preparations for war. She
equipped two large fleets, at a cost of <f 4 ,000 ,000.
Spain also armed. The ulterior designs of Britain
to wrest from Spain some of her American posses-
sions became manifest. The Spanish Government,
to avoid difficulty, proposed to submit the whole
matter to the arbitrament of any of the Kings of
Europe Britain might name, and to satisfy any
award that might, upon substantial proof, be made
against it, provided no inferences should be drawn
from this offer affecting the territorial rights of
Spain in America. This projiosition was accept-
ed by Britain as to the indemnity; but coupled with
the acceptance was a demand that Sji.iin should
admit that British subjects might fish on any part
of the Pacific const, and trade and settle on any
unoccupied part of tlie American coast. The Sj)an-
ish Minister proposed to admit the right to fish
and trad
coast so
was nji
proposes
of:u".
tion was
.vhich V
gotiatio
months,
to an
anxious
aniicab
of forty
armed
gr(.ss ot
and all
bloody
she mil
thillg^^,
than an
off the
some
Briii.'^
he bad
toriiil (
!
11
mill trade in thr open son, but not to settle on the i ed of nny Imusps or lands nt that plarr. Quadr.i
(•nasi south of the 51st dep;ree. This pronositinn ' inf|iiirnd of tlic Indians if any lands had l)i'en sold
was njeeled hy the liritish Minister, wlio then \ to .Tol\n IVTcares, and tin y rrpiird there never had
proposed to divide the territory npon the ]iarallel liren. He next proeurcd the testimony of the
of :J1". This lieing; rejected by Spain, a proposi- i Anieriran captains, Gray and Inu:raliuin, who tes-
tion was then made to divide by the 40th parallel, | tified that tliey were at Nooika in 17SH, and also
.vhich was also promptly refused by Snain. Ne- : during all the difficulties between Martinez and the
tjotiations had now been continued about eight : IJritish traders in 1789; that they could converse
months, and at this point appeared to have ronic ; perfectly well with the Indians, and never heard of
loan unfavorable dose. All Europe had been i any purchase of land havins; been made by Meares.
anxiously watchins; the proj^rcss of this attempt at | Their testimony as to buililinc:^ was taken in wri-
ami<'able settlement. France had equipped a (leet i tin<r, is yet extant, and i.s as follows:
of forty-five sail. Beljrium and Russia were also | " On the arrival nf the Columbia, in the year
armed." British statesmen seeiuj; the fearful pro- ' 17H8, there was a house, or rather i hut, eonsisf-
ijres.s of revolutionary principles on the continent, ' insjf of roun'h posts, coverf:d with boards, made
and all Europe armed, they clearly foresaw the ' by the Indians; bu« this. Captain Douglass pulled
bloody conflict wliich would ensue, and in which ' to pieces, prior to his .«?.i!ing for the Sandwich
she must necessarily act her part. In this statt^ of | ' l.slands, the .same year. The boards he took on
things, she concluded it was better to make an ally j ' board the Iphigenia, and tlic roof he gave to Cap
than an enemy of Spain, and tliat she would put
otTthe settlement of title to the Oregon territory to
some more convenient season. Accordingly the
Uriii.^h Minister withdrew the y)roposition, wiiich
he had made fixing lines and boundaries of terri-
torial divisions. Negotiations were renewed with
'tain Kendrick, which w.is cut up and used as
' firewood on board the Columbia; so that, on the
' arrival of Don Mrrtin."/, there was no vestige of
' any house reniaining." — Proofs and Illuslrations
to (hrenlimo^s Oj-fi-oo, /). 415.
Vancouver procured testimony of Mr. Duflin,
Spain, and in a short time the Nootka convention j a British seaman, who said he was with Meares in
was concluded upon, and, on the 28lh October, j 1788, and that, on the 17lh May, 1788, he (Meares)
1790, was signed by the Plenipotentiaries of the 1 purchased of Marpiilla and Callicum, two Indians,
two countries, at the Escurial, and Spain became j the whole of Friendly Cove, for which he gave
the ally of England. This, sir, is briefly the liis- | them some sheets of copper, and other trifling ar-
tory of the INooika convention. The next inrpiiry | tides. Meares's own journal, pages 113-14, has
is to determine the true intent and menninj^ of this ■ the following entry:
treaty by the ordinary rules ^. construction. Of | "A present, consisting of copper, iron, and
what nature is tliis convention? Is it commercial I « other jrratifying articles, was made to the cliicfs
or ttrritorial? What effect has it upon the ultimate j ' Marpiiilaand Callicum, who, on receiving it, took
territorial riglits of the [)arties? I shall only notice ; ' off their sea-otter garments, threw them, in the
so much of it as tends to form the issue I made, j
tluit our title to Oregon, south of Niotka, is abso- i
lute and clear. Our title north of that has been too I
' most graceful manner, at our feet, and remained,
' in the unaitired garb of nature, on the deck." —
Toj/ogf, ;). 113-14.
Not a word about land. And also, on page 114,
llie followinir:
«' Maquilla had not only most readily consented
' to grant us a spot of ground in his territory,
often and ably argued to require any aid of mine.
The first and second articles of this convention
provides " that the buildings and tracts of land of
'wliich British subjects were possessed in April,
' 1739, shall be restored, compensation made for i ' whereon a house miglit be built for the accom-
' ships or merchandise of British subjects, which | ' modation of the people we intended to leave there;
' may have been seized or taken from tliem in ] » but had promised us also his assistance in for-
'1789." The fifth article, and most material one, I ' warding our works, and his protection of the
is as follows: i < party, who were destined to remain at Nootka
"Art. 5. It is agreed, that, as well in the I ' during our absence. In return for this kindness,
' places which are to be restored to the British j « the chief was presented with a pair of pistols,
' subjects, by virtue of the first arti(;lc, as in all i ' which he had regarded with an eye of solicitude
' other parts of the northwestern coasts of North | ' ever .since on inival." — Toyftgr, p. 114.
' America, or of the islands adjacent, situated to j Wliaf, then, becomes of Mr. Duffiu's evidence.'
' the north of the coast alr>\'idy o'ccufiied by Spain, ; Is it prcjbable that Meares, in 1788, .sailing as a free
' wliercver the subjects of the two Powers shall i trader under Portuguese colors, would buy lands
' have made settlements s-ince the month of April, i in the name of Euirland ? Meares's ov/n journal
' 17c9, or shall hereafter make any, the subjects of contradicts Duffin,and shows that he never bought
' the oilier shall have free access, and shall carry any land, but that he merely had the privilege of
'on their trade, without any disturbance or moles- building a vessel on a small lot of ground. In this
'tation." state of the case, Cluadra very justly maintained
(The sixth article refers to South America.) | that Meares never po.sse.ssed any houses or lands at
To execute this convention, Britain appointed ' Nootka. He admitted, that by the convention,
Vancouver and Spain Q.uadra, two distini^uished I England had a joint right with Spain to make set-
navigators. Tiicy met at Nootka in August, 1792, tlemi'iUs and trade north of Nootka, but not south,
each under instructions from his Government, ' After long negotiations, these commissioners could
but neither I'ul any description of the " lands or ! not agree. The case was referrcil back to their
houses" to be restored, or any evidence tliat Brit- I respective Governments, with the evidence they
ish sulyects had ever been possessed or dispossess- I had taken, for further instructions; having agreed
12
thntNootkft should in the mean time he consiileicil
a Spanish sctticniont, and to romaiii in tiio jios-
Bcssioii of Spain. In OctobtM-, Vancouver left
.Nootka. In 1794, he a2;ain visited Noolka, and
found I]|-iii:adier Alva, a S|)anisii olTic.er, in pnsse.s-
sion and conmiand of tlie place; Cinadra in the
mean time havini; died. Vam-uiivcr ii.ivini; re-
ceived no furtlierinstriulinns fniniliisGoviTiiiTient,
he returned iioine in 171)4. Tiierc is no autiienii<'.
evidence lliat Nootka ever passed from tlie jios-
se.«!sion of Spain to that of Rn;;!and. Ik'Isham,
a iJritisli iiislorian, .says tliat the Spanisli fia^^
never was strucl<, and ihat the torritnry was vir-
tually aliandonedl)y the En<;lish. What inlcri^ri:-
tation was p;iven to the convention hy British
statesmen after its adoption ? I,et them sj.cak for
thenisclves. (sharks .Tames Fox, opiiosini; the
convention, says: " What did we oUject to Ijcfore
' the convention hut to the indefinite claims of
' Spanish America.' Tliat ohjection still remains,
' for the limits of Sjianish America were .still un-
' defined."
" Thus we liad girrn up all r\e;ht to srttle, except
' for temporary purj^oses, In the south of the Spmiif-h
' settlcincnls, or in the intervals belii'cen them, if they
' hapjiened to lie distant. We had olttaiiied an ad-
' mission of our ri^ht to settle to the north, and
' even tliat we had not olitained with clearness.
' As Spanisli settlcmcnis were the only mark of
' limits, s'lppose we were to meet with one farther
' to the north than wo expected, and a disjuitf; were
' to arise, whether it was new or old, it would
' be some diiricultv to .send out our builders to de
'e,ide,"&e.— ;). 995.
What was the reply of William Pitt, then
Prime Minister of Ena;land, and the. defender of
the convention? lie .says: "Althouf,^h Britain had
acquired no new ri!,Hits,shc certainly had acijuired
new advautaijes."' Thus, sir, it will he seen that
Fox, Pitt, and duadra, put upon the ,'itli article of
that convention the same constructifin we now [)ut
upon it — the oidy true one its lanijuasi^e will admit
of: which is, that Britain had precludeii herself
from claimiiii^ any territorial rights situate to the
.south of the parts of said coast already (October,
1790) occupied by vSpain, and had secured nothini,'
but a joint right with Sj)ain to trade in the country
north of the most northerly Spanish settlements
on that coast, lea. -ing the question of sovereignty
ill abeyance. If, then, I have shown that there
was a Spanish settlement at Nootka on the 28tli
day of October, 1790, that John Meares liad " no
tracts of land or liouses" there to be surrendered,
and that the possession of the Spanish fort and
settlement at Nootka never passed from Sjiain to
Britain, the conclusion must follow that our Span-
ish title alone is good against Britain U[) to that
point — she, by the terms of the convention, hav-
ing relinquished all territorial rights south of that
place. If Great Britain had no title South of Noot-
ka in 1790, she has none now, she has ac(|uircd none
since; and we take up the question of title at this
time — so far as we rely upon our Spanish title —
just where Florida Blanca, the Spanish Minister,
left it in 1790. On the 5ih day of April, 11S24, a
treaty was concluded between the United States
and Russia, by which the division line lietween
their territories in Oregon waa fixed at 5 J° 40' —
Russia on the north, and the United States on th(>
' .south, of that line. Theri, .sir, the rights (,f all
chiiinants in Oregon have been (jxtinguished, and
acquired by the Uniti'd States, except that of the
Knglisii; ami she herself has thrice graiUi-d them
;\way to others, from whom wc have a< (piired
them. In the sixU'cnth century, she granted all the
rights she then had to iier colonies, and confirmed
the grant at the treaty of 17K;J. In 1714, she
grantt:d all to Fr.ance south ol' 49°, and wc now
own that. In 1790, she extinguished her claims
south of Nootka, acknowledging the right to be
, in Spain, and we now hold Spain's riirhis. Add
to these our own title by discovery and setilenient,
and by explorations, contiguity, and inevitable
destiny, and you have before you the Anii'rican
title to Oregon, which vests in the United States
: the absolute and exclusive title south of Ni>otka,
i and also the l>ctter title north of iliat point. Sir,
: wt! hold too clear and strong a title to Ore^jon to be
j bullied out of it, and too high and valuable a her-
; itage there to be bought out.
Mr. Chairman, two things yet rem:iin to be brief-
' ly consideri;d; first, our conventional stipulation.-j
! with England touching Oregon ; and, sei-ondly,
; some of the objections urged against the passage of
! this resolution. Our conventional sli|mlations,
: what are they .' I will endeavor to show. At the
Ghent treaty, in 1814, amongst other important
national questions which were left unsettled, Wiis
I our northwestern l)()undary. Shortly after that
i time, negotiations v.pon that subj(>c,t were renewed,
! and continued up to the year 1818, without arriving
! at any satisfactory conclusion. On tlhe i20lh of Oc-
I tober of that year, a convention for the joint use
of the territory was concluded between the United
States and Great Britain, to prevent difficulty and
collision between the citizens and subjects of the
two countries who might inhabit that country, until
the question of tith; should be settled by their rc-
' spective GovormneiUs: of which conveiitioa the
j third article is as follows: «
j " It is agreed that any country that may be
j ' claimed by either party on the northwest coast of
j ' America, westward of the Stony Mountains,
I ' sliaii, together with its harbors, bays, and creeks,
j ' and the navigatini of all rivers within the same,
I ' be free and open for the term of ten years from
1 ' the date of the signature of the present coii-
' vention, to the vessels, citizens, and subjects of
' the two Powers: it being well understood that
' this agreement is not to be construed to the
' prejudice of any claim which either of the two
' liigh contracting parties may have to any part
' (jf the said country, nor shall it be taken to aU'ect
' the claims of any other Power or State to any
' ))art of the said country; the o.ily olijcct of the
' high contra(;ting parlies, in that respect, being to
' prevent disj^utes and dilferences among thcm-
'. selves."
This convention of joint use continued in force
near ten years more of* fruitless negotiation; when,
on the 6lh day of August, 18:27, another conven-
tional agreement was made by the negotiators of
the two Gover.nments. By tin; first article of th ;
convention of 18:27, tin; third article of the con-
vention of 1818 was extended indefuiittty. The
second article provides that either of the contract-
m
1
Siatns on i\^(^
riiiliLs (,f all
IL^'uisllC'd, (liul
I. tli.il uf the
!;niiit(^d tlicin
;iV(! ar([iiire(]
granted all the
nd coiifirmod
111 1714, she
I and \vc now
d iiir clahiKs
e ri^ht to he
riirlus. Add
1(1 sciilcnuMit,
lid iiH'vitahJe
lie American
United States
1 of Nootka,
'. point. Sir,
Oregon to be
iuahle a iier-
iri to he hrief-
I sti|)iilationd
d, secondly,
he |)as.sa2;e of
stipulations,
low. At the
er iin|iortant
nsettled, was
ly after that
ore renewed,
hoiit arrivinjjj
m; :2Uih of Oc-
tlie joint use
m the United
lirtk'ulty and
hjects of the
ountry, until
by their re-
iivei.tioa the
luit may be
^vest coast of
Mountains,
, and creeks,
in the same,
years from
iresent eon-
subjects of
erstood tlial
■iM'd to the
of the two
t'i any part
ken to allect
tate to any
bject of the
ect, beinjj to
iioni,' llicm-
led in force
itioii; when,
er coiiven-
i:;otiators of
•tide of th ;
if the eon-
ii;</iy. The
le contract-
13
ing parties can, at any time after the 20th of Octo-
ber, 1838, by j;^ivin£;the other party twelve montlis
notice, annul and abrop;ate tiiat convention.
The third article provides tlint nothing contained
in this convention shall be so construed as in any
manner to affect the claims that cither party may
have to any territory west of tlie Rock y Mountains.
This convention settled no territorial rights of sov-
ereignty or soil, but was a mere temporary ex[)e- ;
dierit; leaving by its own terms the (juestion of
territorial limits and title in abeyance. At)rngate ;
this convention, and in what situation do you place
the riglils of the United States in Oregon .' Sir, we
will then be restored to the enjoyment of our ri'^hts
as they were on the (Uh day of October, ]y]8, and
on that day we had not only the right of properly •
and the right of possession, but the actual posses-
sion. On the 14th day of February, 181^, it was '
admitted by Lord Casilereairh that we had a riglit
to be reinstated in the [xissession of Astoria, and to
be the jiarty in possession while treating of the
title, and for whicn purjiose his written order was ;
issued; which was duly executed by delivering to '
us the possession of Astoria and the Columbia on
the Cih of October following. But unfortunately
for American interest in Oregon, on the 20th of tlie ,
same month this convention of joint use was made '
nt London, without knowledge that Astoria had
been surrendered, and by which Great Britain was
allowed the joint use of all the country ehiimed by
Us west of the Rocky Mountains, together with the '
harbors, bays, creeks, and navigable rivers thereof. ■
Had Great Britain any rivers, harbors, bays,
creeks, or territory, there, for us to possess in com- ;
mon with her? No, sir. There was but one great I
river there, which drains all Oregon, and that is ,
the Columbia. Great Britain admitted our right |
to the possession of that stream, and by her written l
order we obtained it fourteen days before this con-
vention was signed. Great Britain liad no harbors,
bays, or creeks, in Oregon for us to enjoy in com-
mon with her. Tlie convention, in its inception,
was altogether one-sided. Wc gave all, and got
nothing. Sir, I want this convention abrogated. I
desire to be freed from its trammels, and that our
Country be restored to the riglits she possessed be-
fore its adoption. What has been the practical
efi'ect of tliis convention r Wiiy, sir, it has brought
Us nothing but the bitter fruits of disappointment.
It drove our citizens from Oregon, and converted
American soil into a British province. It gave to
the Hudson's Bay Company the exclusive jkisscs-
lion of Oregon, and the undisturbed emoyment of
its trade and commerce for a quarter of^^a century.
It deprived us of the benefits of the rcstonuion of
Astoria under the treaty of Glient. It rendered
atill more complicated our difficulties with Eng-
land: it added new coloring to lier pretensions, by
lapse of time, and she now sets up against us that
by it we admitted she had rights in tliat country.
Sir, it has been the source of unmitigated evil to
diir interests in Oregon, and for a time destroyed
dl we had there, except our right to the country.
These, sir, are the fruits of this convention and
**maKlerly inactivitiy for a quarter of a century.
Mr. Chairman, we have tried masterly inactivity
long enough. We want no more of it. We now
Want a little masterly activity. Up to the year
181B, the greater part of the trade of that country
was in the hands of American citizens; but tho
uii[)rotected citizen, under the operations of this
joint-use convention and the withering influence of
masterly inactivity, was unable to withstand tho
encroachmcnl.s of the Hudson's Bay Company,
backed uj) and supported by the masterly activity
of the British Government; and thus the exclusive
possession and trade of the country fell into the
hands of that company. Since 1837, our Govern-
ment has turned its attention to Oregon. Our
western pioneers, encouraged by the action of Gov-
ernment, connneiu'cd as early as 18.39 to return to
Oregon. .As the measures of the Government pro-
gressed, the tide of emigration increased, until we
now have in Oregon some seven thousand citizens,
wfio have formed llDurishiiig settlemciita at Willa-
mette and Wallawalla, and claim our protection.
We can grant them no adequate, permanent, or
exclusive riijiits or lumie.', until this convention is
abrogated. But, say gentlemen, if you give this
notice, you will iiroducc a war. Tliat caa afford
no just cau.se of a war. It is a treaty stipulation,
and we have a right to exercise it at all times, and so
can Great Britain. But, say they, what will you
do then? Why, sir, we will extend our laws and
jurisdiction over ourcitizcns in Oregon, and throw
around them the sliield and protection of the Gov-
ernment. Can Great Britain com[iIain at this?
Certainly not. What has she done for iicr Hud-
son's Bay Company? In lG6i), King Charles 71,
of England, granted a charter to this company *o
trade on Hudson's Bay. This company increased
in power and importance, and stretched itself across
the northern region of this Continent. In 1819,
by the influence of the British Parliament, the
Northwest Company was united with, and now
forms a part of, the Hudson's Bay Company. On
the 21st day of December, 1821, by an act of Par-
liamem. Great Britain granted to this Hudson's
Bay Company the exclusive privilege of the trade
and commerce of Oregon for twenty years, down
even to the Mexican line, excepting from that
grant only the right of American citizens to trade
in conmion with that company, under the conven-
tion ; and by the same act .sue extended her laws and
jurisdiction over Oregon, estalilished her judicial
triliunals therewith civil and criminal jurisdiction.
In 1838, that privilege was continued for twenty-
one years more. Yes, sir; British laws liave been
in full force in Oregon, ever since 1821, and are
yet in full force tiicre. True, they do not attempt
to enforce their criminal laws against our citizens;
but the Hudson Bay Company found other means
just as efTectuai to drive our citizens out of the
country. Sir, our citizens have now returned to
Oregon, they demand our protection: and will we
give it? Yes, sir, we will; but wc will go no
further with our laW; whilst this convention ex-
ists, than Britain has gone. But, sir, two separate
and independent sovereignties cannot long co-exist
in peace in tlie same territory. Again, wc are ask-
ed, will you csUiMish your forts? I answer, yes.
We will estalilish a cordon of block-houses and
stockade forts, from tlie upper Missouri to the
Rocky Mountiiins, for the protection of emigrants,
granting prospective pre-emptions of lands to set-
tle, at each fort, that provisions irwiy be supplied j
14
I
and wc will place there, our mounfed riflemen, to i
pro^c('t tlicm. Can Britain complain of this? No,'
sir. Wc are told she lias now thirty forts in Ore- !
con, upon which floats the banner of St. George, j
Should our citizens settle and improve the coun- .
try, Britain cannot complain. She has nindo n '
ficttlement at Pugct Sound, in latitude 47°, on the ■
most inland arm of the sea, and which is destined |
to lie one of the greatest commercial emporiums I
in that cotintry. Sir, some gentlemen, who, but '
a few weeks since were as brave as Caesar, when a '
certain other territorial question was pending, whii-h |
has now been happily consummated, .«aid to the ;
helmsman of the snip of State, "»/Vc Hnus Cainarem !
ff/m," and who were then ready and willing, not ;
•inly to fight England and France, for their interfer- i
encc, but to fight " the world in arms," have by
some unseen and mysterious influence, almost in the !
twinkling of an eye, become the converts to peace !
nud the alarmists of power. A change has come
over the spirit of their dream. Sir, for the last five
v.'ceks, at the opening of our session, every morning
a British lion has been introduced into this Hall, to
shake his gory locks in our faces, and awe us into
submission. Shall we take counsel of our fears,
and surrender at discretion ? Sir, that beast, pow-
erful as he may be, is not invincible. Had Sam-
son taken counsel of his fears, he never would
have met and slain (he beast, and won and wore the
prize of his achievement, or sipped honey from
the prostrate carcass of this monster king of the
forest.
Gentlemen hr.v-e not stopped here with their
pictures of to-, or. They have told us of the vast
dominions of British possessions; that the sun
never rises or sets upon her dominions; uo matter
in what clime, her banner floats in the breeze,
and the peals of her drum greet the ear around
the circle of the glolie. They have counted her
ships and numbered her cannon and her battalions
of infantry. They have told us she holds the strong
places on every continent, and the commanding
islands on every .sea; that Giliraltar, INTuIta, and the
Dardanelles, are hers; St. Helena, Good Hope, the
Indies and China, are her outposts; the Bermudas
in the Atlantic, the Sandwich and Falkland Ishnds
in the Pacific, were her resting places, within stri-
king distance of our shores. That she encircles
us on the north and east by the Canadas, New
Brunswick, and Nova Scotia; and, to appease her
rapacity for dominion, we arc now to give her
Oregon, and thus to shut ourselves out from the
Pacific, and hem us in on the west. Are lliese
the arguments of American statesmen, in an Amer-
ican Congress? No, sir, they arc the arguments
of fear. Yes, the very arguments the British
Government desire to hear. Create alarm and di-
vision at home, and encourage her obstinately to
press her pretensions : you accomplish for her
what she cannot accomplish for herself. You hear
no such arguments in lier councils; her advocates
and alarmists appear to be on this side the water.
Sir, is it possible t?\.t that rock-girt speck of an
"ocean isle," lashed by the waves of a northern
sea, can hold the world in chains, and the nations
of the east in fear and bondage ! That she has
power, will not be denied; but that she is invinci-
nle, cannot be admitted. The giant monster, clad
in his panoply of steel, was slain by the striplin;-
shepherd boy. Sir, what mean these arguments
of gcnthinen? Do they tend to prove our title or
dis{irove the claims of Britain? No, sir. Why,
then , are they used ? They are the echo, in words,
of the same arguments by which the British Gov-
ernment intends to force her demands, by the pro-
mulgation of her military preparations. They an
the arguments of arms, which silence the voice of
reason and coerce submission to unjust and un-
founded demands. Who ever knew Britain tn
negotiate on any important question, for centuries
past, without first arming, and promulgating to th'
world that she was armed? History doeu not fur-
nish an instance. Sir, how and by what means
has she extended her dominions? In the very
same manner and by the same means she now
seeks to get Oregon. Some straggling smuggler,
such as .T<ihn Meares, or some marauding free-
booter, as Drakc,eitlier by choice or accident, lands
upon some unsettled shore; remains a short timr
for temporary purposes of trade or repairs; he
takes possession of the country in the name of hi.-;
sovereign. No matter who has discovered or cx-
jilored the place before him, he returns to England
with a long and false account of important discove-
ries. England wants the country ; she makes a grant
to some colony or corporation; if their intrusion bo
resisted by another nation, upon better title, Eng-
land arms, and then proposes negotiation; but ii
her claim be too new and fragile at that time tn
bear investigation, or she is otherwise eiigagwl, a
final division of territory and adjustment of claims
is waived for the present. Some diplomatic con-
vention is proposed and agreed upon, by whicli
Britain is kept in possession, and in which art
artfully interwoven extensive terms and complica-
i ted conditions, to form the germs of future contro-
j versy. For, sir, it has become a maxim that Bri
] tain never makes a treaty without planting in it the
I seeds of its own dissolution Time rolls on. Hei
claims, Ijy time and circumstances, ripen into what
; she then calls treaty rights; she refuses to go back
of her conventions, plants herself upon them, in-
' sists uptm the execution of their terms as she con-
strues them. If she cannot entirely monoiiolizo
the country, at some convenient time tor her slu
! renews negotiations to settle boundaries, projioscs
I arbitrary and unfair lines as a compromise, with-
1 out regard to the justice or injustice of the origin
I of her claims. If her demands be not yielded lo,
she arms, publishes in her gtizettes that her fleets
are equipped, her garrisons supplied, the regiments
filled, and tlien shakes her trident at the world,
and demands a categorical answer, and thus co-
erces negotiation, and she dictates the terms of the
treaty, always being sure to have the lion's share.
She now attempta to make that experiment upon
us. Will wc submit? She has planted heivselt
upon the Nootka convention, and construes it in
her own way, without ever looking to the entire
want of any just claims to base it upon. In 1788,
Jolin Meares,a Portuguese smuggler, visits Nootkn
and builds a boat. In 1790 John Meares is chan-
ged into a British lieutenant, and his claims have
grown into "tracts of land and houses." In 1815
this claim luvs ripened into a national right, and
that too without either settlement or possession.
s
15
liy the striplin;-
lese arguincms
ove our title or
fo, sir. Why,
eclio, in words,
he Britisli Gov-
iiis, by the pro-
ons. They an
rice the voice of
unjust and un-
new Britain tc
)n, for centuries
mulgnting to til'
iry doea not fur-
by wiint means
? In tlie very
ncans she now
i,'ling smuggler,
maruudin;]; free-
r accident, lands
ins a short tinif
or repairs; he
tlie name of hit^
iscovered or ex-
,urna to England
portantdiscove-
be makes a grant
heir intrusion be
jetlcr title, Eng-
gotiation; but if
at that time tn
wise engagwi, a
stment of claims
diplomatic con-
upon, by which
(1 in which arc
IS and coniplica-
if future contro-
maxim that Bri
)lanting in it the
e rolls on. Hei
ripen into what
\iscs to go back
upon them, in-
rnis as she con-
.'ly mon(>i)oliz(
ime for her she
laries, proposes
npromise, with-
ce of the origin
not yielded to,
s that her fleets
d, the regiments
at the world
and thus co-
the terms of the
he lion's share,
speriment upon
planted henself
construes it in
iig to the entire
jpon. In 1788.
r, visits Nootkn
VIeares is chan-
his claims have
laes." In 181.3
oiial right, and
or possession.
In 1845 it h.is grown into a joint r'^ht; a tenantry
in common in an empire territory at nine hundred
niiir.s in extent, of which she now demands par-
tition.
Sir, the possession of a large part of the Brit-
ish empire was acquired by the terror of her arms;
and is held at this day by the same tenure; with her
metals in cannon and in coin she frightens the
timid and bribes the venal. Her long career of
national aggression has justly entitled her to the
appellation of " plunderer of nations and the rob-
ber of the world." Sir, I would not be so unwise
as to underrate the power of her arms or the dii)lo-
macy of her Cabinet. I would carefully study the
prowess of her achievements, the strength of her
arms, the history of her aggressions, the princi-
()les of her policy, and the mode of its execution;
)Ut never, sir, no, never! while I had a country
of my own, or a heart to love it, would I become
the eulogist of her grealne.ss, the jiander of her
interests, or the apologist of her crimes. No, sir;
rather would I turn to the historic pages of our
revolutionary sires, who achieved our independ-
ence and founded our institutions, and learn frcmi
them the price of our national freedom, and the
true principles of policy to preserve them. Rather
would I contemplate the glory of our achieve-
ments by land and sea in the war of 1812. Rather
would 1 trace the growth of our ])owcr and the
perfection of our policy from that tune to the pres-
<'nt, and carefully examine and compare our pres-
ent strength with that of our adversary, and then
calcul ite the chances of success. It is alike un-
wise to exalt or depreciate the power of your ad-
versary, or vaingloriously to boast or cowardly to
disparage your own.
Mr. Chairman, one passing remark. Should I
ever be so unfortunate, cither by choice, accident,
or in obedience to the behcstof some superior lead-
er, as to find myself placed upon the nnti-American
side of any great national question, I trust I shall
never seek extrication from that position by avail-
ing myself of the aid of any of that ephemeral
."spawn of venal scribblers, who infest every capitol
and pollute every paper. But, sir, some gof tlemcn
tell us this Is a President-making question. I have
but a .■'ingle remark upon that subject. If any of
the aspirants to the succession, or their friends,
seek })romoti'"' ♦o that high office by gambling
with the right.s of their country, or the integrity of
her soil, upon the political chessboard, they will
find the waysides of the road to the White House
streveil with dead politicians. The American peo-
ple will never by their auflVagcs elevate any man
to office, who won d promote his own personal
a^graiiJizeinrnt by abandoning or sacrificing the
interests of his country. Sir, we are told that thia
is a westi.rn question, and that western men com-
pose a war party. What advantage does the West
gain by maintaining our rights in Ore.gon, more
than the East.' None, sir, none. Nay more, the
eastern cities would be the largest gainers. When
the means of communication and the channels of
trade are opened up and established, connecting
the Atlantic cities vith those of the Pacific, and
these commercial points are bound together by the
ties of interest, of kindred, nnd of blood, will not
the commercial men of the East have a much great-
er iutoreU in Oregon than the agriculturists of the
western valley.'
Sir, the western people are a peaceable people;
they de.sire no unjust war, no war of aggression.
They full well know and appreciate the devasta-
tions and horrors of war, and also the blessings of
peace. They rejoice in the maintenance of that
peace; but, sir, it is not with the joy of fear. They
would forbear long and endure much before they
would destroy our peaceful relations with the
world. But they will never consent to purchase
that peace, dear as it may be, by a sacrifice of na-
tional honor or national interest.
Mr. Chairman, we say to those gentlemen, be
just, and fear not; ascertain clearly the extent of
our just rights in that country; demand no more,
take no less; "ask nothing but what is clearly
right, submit to nothing that is wrong." And we
say further to them, that the friends of Oregon
will never consent to barter one acre of it.s soil,
nor one tree of its forests, to which we have a good
title, for coiton-hogs or corn-laws, calico prints, cod'
fish, or fancy slocks. But should war come of this —
should the sword once be drawn — I would advise
my countrymen to throw away the scabbard, and
never sheath that sword until the last bloody
track of the British lion was blotted out from
American soil, nnd his last talon cut loose from
the continent. He is at best but an unwelcome
and damrerous neighbor.