The Kalida venture. [volume], March 28, 1845, Image 1

About The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865

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THE IAL IB M VENT'-U
-
Equal Laws Equal Rights, and Equaf Burdens The Constitution and its Currency.
VOL. V. NO. 0.
KALIDA, PUTNAM COUNTY, OHIO, FRIDAY, MARCH 28, 1815.
WHOLE NO. 211.
SPEECH
Of Dr. Duncan, of Oliio,
On the Oregon Bill; delivered in the. House
of Representatives, January 29, 1845.
' The House having resolved itself into a
Commilteo of the Whole on the state of the
Union, nnd taken up the above bill
Mr. DUNCAN addressed the committee
as follows: .
Mr. Chairman: There is no national am
bition greater than the ambition of acquiring
territory. Thero is no national measure
which so universally meets with the public
approbation in all governments, nt all times,
as the Requisition of territory. There is no
policy which so much aggrandizes a nation
as the acquisition of territory, wbeiher it ha
acquired by conquest, by purchase, or by
cession; nor is thero any policy uno,;r a
good and a well-directed government, w;ch
Secures so much happiness, parity and
independence to the people. The truth of
cdl this is to be found in the his'orv ff the
civilized and uncivil'zed world. The impor
tance of tho acquisiiion of territory, both in
i national and individual sense, is increased
ten-fold when applied to a republic govern
ment, or a government of free institutions
and equal rights, coupled with the fict that
whatever acquisition of territory is made, be
comes the property of the people, and opens
Hie way for tho spread of free institutions
and personal liberty.
Every citizen of n ficc government looks
upon every aero of additional territory as an
acquisition to his present fortune, and as a
future inheritance to his posterity, as well as
an additional guaranty to the duration of the
free principles of his government. Uith
these principles, to which I will have again
to refer, I will proceed 10 consider the lull
before us. This bill provides for creating a
government in tho Territory of Oregon.
For tho information of those who may
read me, (who may not have better oppor
tunities,) I will give briefly the geography
and the history of Oregon; and first, of he
fiKOOHAi-UY.-Oregon is situated on the
Tacific ocean, between the para .e s ot U
nnd 54deg. 40m?n. of north l.ititudj bound?;!
on the west by tho Pacific ocean, and on tno
east by the Rocky mountains. It is draiiirul
by tlie river Columbia and Us tributary
streams. The eastern portion of Oregon is
both hilly and mountainous. There arc three
ranges of mountains, tlie Cascade, the Blue
Ridoe, end the Rockv, running parallel with
Ihe coast of the Pacific, gradually increases
in height as thev recede from the ocean. A
great portion of the soil between tno fust
range of mountains and the coast is said to
ho of superior quality, and friendly to the
production of most of our North American
grains, plants, and truns. an
liavo visited tho Oregon territory, unite in
representing it a3 possessing many superior
advantages in point of agriculture, trade, and
.commerce. I have room for but a small por
tion of tho evidence in support of these ad
vantages; but I cannot forbear introducing
ihe evidence of Lieutenant Wilkes ot the
United States navy, a goiillomm of command
Tor (mill and voracity, ns well
as an experienced judge of that to which he
lcars evidence. Lieutenant Wilkes speaks
from personal observation. I have room for
but a short e.tfract of his description, Which
he made, I any, from actual observation.
tv nf iho rrovdrnmcnt. lie
111 in- wi-vj o-
Few povtionfi of the worlil, in mv opinion, are
. r -!j .n ,lf.v.r.roWMMi ill surkicc.
or so capable of being rendered the happy abode ot
. i . i :..:i;.,.l nntmminitv. ror
"beauty of scenery nnd salubrity "I c-.lmint", '.! .!
.... i t ; nnoniinrlv ndnntcd for nn nir
not Bmpua. .... 1 -r
ricultural nnd pastoral people, and no portion ot
i , 1 .1 nnn ho f.lllllll l int will
tho worm u) 'Mm uirnNvn ......
vield so readily, with moderate labor, to the wants
of man. AU the productions ot cue oiuics, ba-i'i
Indian corn, grow luxuriantly, nnd produce .nbiiii
dantlv. Tho experiment of wising maize by help
r- t.o.l nrti l.fton Biiflip.inut to determine
Its productiveness. Oranges, lemons, citrons,
iior.icernnntcs, nnd Vegetables common to the
..!:.. f.on liopnltiunipil horn. Tho trial
warm uiuii'ttvci, v....
lias been already miido, nnd found to bo success
ful. Tho cotton lilant is sain to iiourisu wen.
-. r nnd olmon in ncit tipponia nn
1 ne raising ui um - - -
extensivo nnd profitable business, ns no labor is
... ..:..! Mmm t',oir food, or to furnish stables
imjuuvu . - .
in winter."
Of the resources in trade, he says:
uiru. ;.ii;.ad nrniliicin nf Orsiron are im
mense. They will for n long time rtlTord the
f mi .viKiiclvn nnd nrofittiblo trade with
.1,0 ielnmls nnd coasts of the Pacific. Timber oi
nil essentinl kinds, except walnut, nnd of the first
quality, is nbuntlant, nnu can dc ensuy uuwuicu
nnu prepurou iui iii
" It erows in grent profusion along tlio banks
. ........ :..iX ,l.;l, f,.ll amnllnr nnil
oi Doataoto iivcib, ihl.. ........ .....
tnore rapid streiuns, which nfTord nn endless num
ber of the most excellent millscnts. Lumber will,
for nges to come, furnish n leading nrticlo of ex
port. It can be prepnred nt n smnll expense, nnd
r ...:.i, n llfiln rli.lnv- Tlifi deninnd is
lorwarucu wiiu ...... -----
Croat, and must continue to increase as the popu-
iRtion increases along iiiu cim "
islands. The prices nro high, nnd will not bo
Very likely to be much diminished."
t., air T 1.9VD nniih ,r time nor snacn for
cither geographical or statistical details. If
1 had, I might adorn my speech with a
. . n .t I . 1 .! I..
description or me uosi saimon nsinn m inu
world with a climate as mild as Italy; with
plains'green and always growing; with hills
' fertile and mantled with tho most valuable
timber, and with lofty mountains, covered
with eternal snow, and pregnant with mine
rals, as well as a country teeming with wild
name and animals valuable for their fur.
Oregon is upwards of eight hundred miles
long from south to north, and upwards of
six hundred miles wide from east to west, or
' from the summit of the Rocky mountains to
ho shore of tho Pacific; and contains an
area of upwards of fivo hundred thousand
square miles; and if tho proportion of tilla
ble and pasture lands is what it is represent
ed to be, it is capable of maintaining a popu
lation of twenty millions.
HiSToitY. It is through and by the his
tory of Oregon that we are to trace our title
to that territory; and, before commencing
the history, permit mc to refer to some prin
ciples of national law which all civilized na
tions recognise, and havo adopted as the
rules by which territory is secured and held,
and by which the peace and tranquility, as
well as tho rights, of nations are maintained.
"All mnnkind have nn equal right to things
thnt hnvo not fallen into tho hands of any one;
nnd these things belong to ihu person who first
takes possession of them. When, therefore, n na
tion finds n, country uninhabited nnd without nil
owner, it may lawfully take possession of it; and
after it has sullieienlly made known Us intcniinn
or will in llvs respect, it cr.miot be deprived of it
by onot1'" mlif.ri, Tims nviffotors golii'i nn
voyngts of din. ovciy, furnished with a commis
sion from llicir sovereign, nnd meeting with is
Irtn.Is oi'u;.,-,r lands in n desert slate, havo tnken
possession of them in tho name of their nation;
nnd this titlo has br?n usually respected, provided
it was soon after followed bv a real possession."
Chilly's ValleX.
I need not refer to tho well-known and
well-established principle of national law,
vi,: that he who first discovers the month
of a river draining a country in a stale of
nature, and mikes known his discovery, and
the nation ho represents in a reasonable time
takes possession, becomes the owner of all
the territory drained by such river.
It is laid down in Vattal
"That tho right of possession comprehends
two things: first, the domain, in virtuo of which
the nation nlone mny use (he country for the sup
ply of its necessities, nnd may dispose of it in
such mnnner, nnd derive from it such advantages,
as it thinks proper; second, tho empire, or the
rijjht of sovereign command, by which the nation
ordains and regulated, nt its pleasure, everything
thnt parses in tho country
Further by the sanic author:
" When a nalion takes possjpfiofl of a co".;"!ry
that never yet belonged to nnolher, it is consider
ed as possessing there the empire or sovereignty
at the tiamc time with the domain."
1 will refer to thc.iC established principles
of na'ioinl liw in !!p courr3 of my re ma:!:.?.
We were tho first discoverers and the first
possessors of the. Oregon Territory; wo pos
sess I lie empire, or sovereignty, and the do
main; we havo the pos3ess;on and the right
io possess, and we are able to maintain both.
So I proceed to prove by tho history, first
remarking that wo havo more claims to title
than those of discovery and possession, viz:
tho right by purchase and by contiguity, any
and all of which is bcUor than Great Britain
cart show. Of our right by purchase and by
contiguity I will abo spea'c.
1 will not perplex my hearers nor my read
ers with a specific or detailed account of the
navigators and explorations, figures, facts,
and dates connected with the history of iiio
discovery of tho northwestern coast of tho
Pacific. I will confine myself to a few of
llio most prominent, and (hose best identified
with the history of American discoveries.
Scon after the discovery and conquest of.
Mexico, (or such parts ot it as were con
quered,) Spain pushed her discoveries in the
Pacific, and paiticularly along tho eastern
oast. Her first discoveries were the coasl,
buys, nnd bailors of California, on which
she made eaily, settlements as far north as
42 degrees, and as high up in ihe interior as
the bead ot Ihe Unit of (..'aiuo;:1.!''. ami Ihe
month of tho Colorado river; and so early a,
or prior to, 1774 or 1775, took possession of,
and occup:ou Friendly cove, or Ncotka sound,
between the 4;lh and 50th degrees of north
latitude. The loading object with the Span
ish navigators, as well as subsequent navigiv
tors of other nations, as first was to discover
a north passage from the Pacific 1o tho At
lantic ocean, with a view to avoul the dan
gers, lime, and expense of doubling the Cupe
of Good Ilopr, in the prosccotir.n of Chinese
commerce; and for many years after the dis
covery and possession ot California, but
little attention was bestowed upon disco
veries of tho northwest Pacific coast, south
of the Colli or COtli degree of north latitude.
Navigators generally satisfied themselves
with sailing within sight of tho coasl ; few of
them slopping to examine inlets or bays, ex
cept for the purpose of refreshments or refit
ting', and no suitable and sate harbors pre
senting themselves belweon California and
Noolka sound, all critical examinations were
neglected. Whatever preference to title
the mere cruising along a coast, and seeing
the land at a great distance, may give' to Iio
first discoverers, Spain has that preference
to all the northwest Pacific region, from the
42d to the 55th degree of north latitude, for
she first navigated the Pacific ocean, and
first discovered the coast in question, having
before discovered and possessed herself of
California, from the sources of the Colorado
in tho 42d 'degree of north latitude, to its
southern limits.
In 1543 (for I pass many voyages, because
they are unimportant) two Spanish vessels,
commanded bjfr Cabrelo and Fcrrelo (the'
former of whom died on the voyage) pushed
their discoveries as far as 43 or 44 degrees,
making a superficial survey of tho Pacific
coasl to lh.it distance; but, like those who
had preceded them, mado no discovery of
any thing but tne coast, on wnicu inuy uu
casionally landed for refreshments, or for
wood and watsr. In 1578 Sir Francis Drake
nrrivorl ill the Pacific. Drako was a buc
caneer and a pivats, by the authority of Qecn
Elizabeth, who privately connived atgml pri
vately assisted hiin in his expedition, which
had plunder fur its principal object. At that
timci and for some lime subsequently, the
Pacific and southern Atlantic were filled
with pirates of most of the European go
vernments, who pursued their iniquitous vo
cation, if not by the authority of their go
vernments, with but feeble and reluctant
restraints. Spain, from the fact that she was
tho first discoverer of the Pacific ocean, and
its coasts, claimed the exclusive right to
navigate, fish, 2nd trade in the ocean and on
its coasts. This exclusive right was denied,
and was denounced as an odious monopoly
by tho other European governments; hence
tho apathy in tho restraints upon piracy.
That piracy was called free trade, and the
pirates were called free-traders; and that
free-trade consisted in plundering every
Si'niiiih town ou i!i3 coast of the Spanish
American and Pacific coasts, as well as cap
turing and plundering every Spanish vessel
cither on tho Pacific coast or south Atlantic
oceans. Af;er Drako had plundered every
town on tho Pacific coast which he could
reach or find, and loading his vessel with
cosily, rich, and valuable spoils, ho turned
his face towards England; but, fearing his
passage might bo arrested by the Spanish
vessels in doubling Capo Horn, ho deter
mined to return home by tho Capo of Good
Hope.. lie sailed north as far as the 42d or
43d degree; but tho weather being slormy
and cold, and his men suffering therefrom in
consequence of tho sudden transition f:on 9
soui'iiem 'iG 2 northern latitude, he sailed
south as far as the 38th deg., where ho land
ed on the Pacific coast, refitted his vessel,
pretended to take possession of tho country
in tho name of tho crown of Great Britain,
and on behalf of his corrupt, criminal, and
adulterous mistress, Queen Elizabeth; and
to accept and rcceivo homage and loyalty
from tho stupid, ignorant, and naked savages.
All this was vain and eoiitcinptible flummery;
for, as I before slated, the Pacif : coast be
tween the 42d dogroo of north latitude nnd
ihe southern limils of California, together
wills '.ho trulf, adjacent country and the entire
region drained by tho Colorado river, had
been discovered, possessed, and was then
occupied, by the Spaniards. Towns had
,c.ca erected, seliC?!. established, churches
built, as well as commerce, trade, and agri
culture set in operation. And yet, with all
these well known facts staring them in the
face, the British ministers, in all the conven
tions and negotiations with our American
ministers on tho subject of the title, posses
sion and occupancy of Oregou, havo the
temerity. to set. up a claim founded vpon the
discovery of Francis Drake! Such a claim
to title could only be the offspring of stupi
dity or fraud. Tho claim is worthy of him
whoso discovery gives it origin; who was
himself but a robber and a plunderer.
Hero is a point at which I may refer to
one of the principles of national law which I
presented; which is, "that when a couutry
is discovered, if it is tho intention of the
country making the discovery to avail itself
of that discovery, it must not only make
known its intention to possess, but must
actually possess and occupy tho same in a
short lime.1' How was it in tho case of
Pr?.ke's discovery? Did Great Britain avail
hoi-self of his discovery and pretended pos
session, by following them up with occu
pancy " in a short time?" I believe Captain
Cook was the next English navigator who
attempted explorations ou the Pacific coast;
and his instructions trom Ihe eottrt ot admi
rality were to attempt no discoveries south
of tho (55th degree of nC'th latitude. Tho
sole object of Cook's voyage V.'?s to effect
Iho anxious object ot securing a passage Jrom
the Pacific to tho northern Atlantic; auc!
his operations were to be confined north of
the 65th degree south &t which it "was
known there was no communication.
Drake's plundering expedition was in tho
years 1578-9, thirty-five years after tho ex
ploring expedition of Cabrely and Ferrelo.
Cook's expedition commenced in 177G
Ihat is, one hundred and ninety-eight years
after Drake's. During all that time I do not
know that wo havo any evidence that a sub
ject of Great Britain trod Oregon soil. Was
that taking possession of and occupying, " in
a short time," tho pretended discoveries of
Francis Drake? Drake and his corrupt pa
troness had been dead a hundred and fifty
years before Cook's voyage. Everything
that lived on tho face of the earth, in England,
as well as out of England ,had been consign
ed to the dust of earth more than a hun
dred years. I repeat, that was not taking
possession and occupying soon after Drake's
discovery; and no litle is gained to Groat
Britain, even if Drake's discovery and his
possession were worth anything at the time
it purports to havo been made: And yet,
strange to say, Drake's discovery oi Califor
nia furnishes title to Great Britain for the
Oregon Territory? But in all our conven
tions with the commissioners of Great Britain
on the subject of Oregon, wo are presented
with a title by tho British negotiators derived
from Cook's discoveries; and this leads me
to return to Spanish navigators, explorations,
discoveries, and rights.
Between tho tima of Drake's and Cook's
expeditions, owing to wars and rumors of
wars, national embarrassments, cmpiy cotters
and exhausted treasuries, the sprit of disco
very died for near a century; and when the
national tempests subsided, the same spirit
was revived; and Spain was tho first to take
the lead, as well to reviving her ancient dis
coveries on tho Pacific as to discover a north
western passage. Here, ngam, Spam was
too fast for John Bull. Prior to 1774, no
gpanish navigator had examined ihe Pacific
coast north of the 43d or 41th degree, which
were the limit of tho discoveries of Cabrelo
and Viscaino. But about that time, the
Spaniards were alarmed at iho encroachments
making by the Russians on tho Pacific coast,
and on those parts which they had discovered,
and considered as peculiarly belonging to
them; and, anxious to extend .the Spanish
dominions north of California, to tho exclu
sion of all others, they ordered several ex
peditions, both in tho years 1774 and 1775.
All the expeditions were directed to proceed
as far north as the 05th degrco of latitudo,
and to particularly examine tho coast be
tween tho 4 lib and 05th degrees; all south
of that having been discovered before, as al
ready remarked, by Cabrelo and iscaiuo.
Juan Perez commanded the first expedition
under this new Spanish excitement, who did
not continue the expedition beyond the Glih
degree, when lie siiilct south lo4! J degrees,
where ho discovered a commodious bay,
which he called Port San Lorenzo. He re
mained some time at this port, and traded
with the Indians. This was the first slop
made at this port by any European.
rour years after this discovery, Capt.
Cook, to whom 1 havo had occ&sion to allude,
in his first voyage to tho Pacific visited this
bay, and reported himself as having been
Ihe discoverer: but, in his report, relates a
fact that of itself dcslroys all his claims to
discovery. He, too, traded with the Indians;
and, in his report, :!s,f,d that tho Indians
were well acquainted with the use of iron,
and preferred to trado for it in preference to
anything else which he had. lis use, and
its value for their purposes, they learned
four years before that from the Spaniards.
So far, it is well established that tho Spa
niards were the first discoverers of all the
Pacific coast as far as the 54th degree of
north latitude.
But still Inter tlitif i in 1775 another
cxpcuit'.on sailed for the purposes of cxplora-J
nun, which piocccuea nor.it us iur as ue
Fuca's sound. Now I have to speak otto'crl
ther tille, which is brandished at till onccou
ventions for the settlement of the Oregon
oucsticn. that is. the title founded on the
cliscovety of Capt. Cook. '1 Ins is about as
good as the tille founded upon Drake's dis
coveries, both without force or value for any
other purpose than to brandish in a conven
tion. I have stated the objects of Cook's
voyage, and ihe injunctions lie was under to
proceed without delay to the Goth degree of
north latitude; 1 have ulso stated that he
put in at port San Lorenzo to take in refresh
ments, and to supply with wood and water.
He, too, went through the idle ceremony of
taking possession in the name of his master,
and changed the name of the bay to Ihat of
King George's sound; but he was near four
years too late; the Spaniards had four years
the start of him. All the navigators of which
I have spoken, and many more of which I
have not timo to speak, passed along the
Pacific coast fim the Gulf of California to
the (iS'.h degree of north latitude, without
discovering the mouth of the Columbia river,
or without knowing that the vast territory on
the cast side of tho Pacific was drained by
any other river than the Colorado, which
has its outlet by die gulf of that name, and
has its source in the 42d degree of north la
titude. .
I present another title, whtctY is also
brandished in our Oregon convpntiijjus; and
that is tho ti;le derived from ihe treaty
of Noolka sound, (formerly port San Lorenzo,
or Friendly Cove;) by which treaty the Bri
tish claim the right of trading and fishing in
and upon the Pacific coasts; and, Oregon
being a pari of the Pacific coasts, therefore
they claim to have the same right to fish
hunt, and trade now, that the Spaniards had.
and that we now have, which they say were
secured to them by that treaty. True, there
was a trcaly called the Noolka treaty, and,
owing to tha exhausted slato ot tho bpnnish
treasury, Spain was compelled to submit to
some conditions which she, under more pro.
spetous circumstances, would not have done;
but no moto powers or privileges were sur
rendered to England by that treaty than
what she before enjoyed; and, above all, no
more surrender of sovereignty was mado tu
any possessions which Spain bad acquired,
except a small spot of ground, and perhaps
the remains of a shanty or hut, which a Bri
tish navigator by the name of Mcars claimed
to have purchased of an Indian chief, but
which the chief and his whole tribe denied
thev ever sold to him.
To show the value of the Noolka treaty,
I can do uothing better than introduce a pail
of the debates in the British Parliament on
the subject. An address was moved in the
House of Commons to the King, to congra
tulate him upon tho advantages, etc., derived
from the Noolka treaty in the following
words, viz:
"They (the Houso of Commons) bio eager to
embrace the first opportunity of offering to his
Majesty their cordial congratulations on so satis
factory nn issue of the late negotiation, which has
continued to' these kingdoms the blessings of
peace, linn maintained the honor of his itiaiesty's
Crown, by providing an adequate reparation for
the violenco which was committed nt Noolka,
nnd has secured to his Majesty's subjects the
exercise of their navigation, commerce nnd fishe
ries in those parts of tho ttovld which were the
subjects ef discussion."
Mr. Fox opposed this address, as seen by
the following extracts of his speech:
" In the earlv part of the debate, we heard
nothing but lhodoinontndo about acquisition:
nothing but of new sources of trade; new objects
of enterprise; new oceans, nnd new continent
opened to the activity of our merchants, and the
courage of our sailors. Such flowers of rhetoric
were clct'nnt embellishments, equally convenient
lo give foreo to argument, or to conceal the want
of it. But was it true that wo had opened any of
those sources, of mudo n single acquisition ). An
honornblo gentleman who spotcc immediately
before him hnd put the qucgtiijn upon its truo
groundo.
'Having cauirht llio eontnL'ion of ihe annnlipia
who preceded him on the same side, ho had
tr'tltcil of .gaining and acquiring; but, in the pro
gress of his nrgiiment, he had very properly stated
that wo hnd acquired nothing, hut only obtained
security for what we. possessed before.
wiiat, tlien, wan tlie extent ot our rights be
fore tho convention, and to what extent wT-ro tlicv
now secured to r!? We possessed and exorcised
the free navigation of tf.e l'ucilh ocean, without
restrain! or limiiation. Wo iiosstfsnl nml Pfnr.
cised tho right of carrj'ng cm fisheries in the
South fens, equally unliin.'i.r'd. This estate we
had, and were daily iniprov.'iig : it wns not to bo
distrrnced by tho liatno of nn Requisition. Tho
uunii.-s.on oi pari ot tneso rights by Spain was all
wo had obtained. It rem;,:iiud to'inquira what it
had cost. Our right before was lo settle in nnv
part of South or Northwest1 America not fortified1
against uri by previous ocmpnncv, nnd wo nrc
now restricted to sc ttlem cr.-tam places only, nnd
under certain restriction!). This was an impor
tant concession on our nnrt. Our rii.-lit nf ftallimr
extended to tho whole ocenn; ujid now it, too,
wns limited, nnd to be carried on), within certain
distances of the Spanish settlements. Our right
of ninking settlements wis not, us now, it rigliFtu
liuikl huts, but to plant colonies, if we thought
proper. Surely these were not ticiinifjithiis." '
With reference lo the indefinilo limits of
Spanish America, Mr. Fox says:
"On this point, wc Imvc gained nothing Yc
hnvo renounced the riirht of Dcrinalii'iit hc! t!i-mtit
on the whole extent of South America, nnd whcro
me uumuicu ngiit oi settlement on the northwest
coast commenced was completely undefined : it
wns said nt Nootkn, but tve did not know that
mIZ v.'CUt.. i'-c i'morcu. x
Ity the third tirtvh we nro million.! in
navigate the Pacific ocean and South sens, iinmo
lcsted, for the purpose of carrying on our fisheries,
and to laud on the unsettled coasts for the pur
pose of trading with tho natives; but, after this
pompous recognition of right to navigation, fish
ing and commerce, coincsanothcr article, which
takes nv.'py all right of landing nnd ercctimr even
temporary huts fur any purpose but that of carryi
ing on tha finl.intr. and amounts to n cumnlr'to
doroliction of nil rihts to settle in unv wnv for
Wire purpose of commerce with the natives. In
rcrtmincing nil right to ninke settlements in South
America, we hnd iriven to Snnin what she consi
dered inestimable. Olid had in return henn cnn
Uehted with dross."
That (ieajy was brought about by Ihe cap
ture of two" British vessels at Noolka sound,-
by the Spanish Adinir.il Martinez, owing lo w
llio excrc'so of rights and privileges by the
British navigators, which Spain conlc'iided'
wore exclusively Iters. These captures were
regarded as a degrading insult to his Britan
nic majesty and tlie British flair. War and
desolation were threatened to Spair.- The
insult to tne pretended mislress ot the ocean
was of such a character as scarcely lo admit ,
of negotiation. Negotiation was, however;
submitted lo, and lofty as the pretentions and
claims of Great Britain were, wc see to what
they were dwindled. England lost much,
and Spain gained much, by .the negotiation.
Tho whole alTair was inglorious lo England,
but honorable and advantageous to Spain.
England lost much, and Spain gained much.
What litle did England gain lo soil or domin
ion on the Pacific coast by this trealy? Is it
contended that she gained a temporary right
to occupy it for tho purposes of fishing, hunt
ing, and trading with. the natives in places
not occupied by the 'Spanish? If so, those
righla which were only acquired by treaty
were liable to be terminated by treaty, or by
war, which terminates all treaties; and they
wore so terminated, and were never renewed.
Four years after tiic treaty, a war broke out
between Spain and England, which put an
end to that trcaly, and all others exiting be
tween thorn, with all their conditions. Such
is the characlcT of llio British titlo to Ore
gon, secured by ihe Noolka trcaly, good for
no other purpose but to brandish in. a con
vention. Mcars' nnd Vancouver were Bri
tish navigators, but made no discoveries on
the Pacific const, within Ihe Tinils of 42 and
55 degrees of north latitude, which were
not made before.
Vancouver was ihe latest of the two, and i
figured on the Pacific in 1702. Of this n.i
viga'tor I will have occasion to speak. lie
was an honest man, and will be useful to us
in (he support of our claim to Oregon. Of
Meats I will not speak. He was a vain
man, who looked more to a proud name and
a lofty character, than cither lo the truth of
useful discoveries.
I now come to speak of American disco
veries and cf American titles fo the Territo
ry of Oregon. Permit me to refer to (hat
principle of national law which I before pre
sented, that secures loathe first discoverer of
the mouth of a river the territory which it
drains. .
In the latter years of which I have been
speaking, American on!erpr;s3 found ils w.iv
into tho Pacific; and although not stimulated
by the -lefty hopes of founding empires,
planting colonies, and discovering northwest'
passages to ciouplc the Western and Indian
oceans, yet were successful in gaining ob
jects far more valuable than were altiiined
by (hose who were more ambitious. In tho
year 1787 ihe Columbia was filled out by
some enterprising citizens of Boston for a
Pacific expedition. Tlie command of llio
Columbia, was given to Captaiu Gray, a na
tive of the, United Slates, and a cittecn of
Boston. Captain Gray, while coasting on
the Pacific, convinced himself that the nortlrt
western continent was drained by a large
river, the mouth of which he discovered in
the norlh parvallel of 40i degrees.- Al
though ho nt first was unable to enter tho
river, owing to tho tempestuous woather and'
llio bretiKCis near the mouth ot the river,
occasioned by the Pacific wind and tho force'
of the current of the nvcr, yet he assured