~,~0,~~.,i*._
American branches ol' the title of the 'Uni- called the 'l'ilgrit‘ri‘s, by Samuelfurehase.
t'ed States.” The undersigned cannot for. This account was received limits they‘lim
bear to congratulate himsell‘uptm the fact. of Fuca hittiSelf’atr‘Venicc. in April. 3.596;.
that a gentleman of M". l’nkonllnm’s ac; by Michael Lock, a highly rfiesticclnble
knovltetlgerl ability has NP"- rEduced to English'tncrchant, _ '
the necessity ot ft‘_l3.'i.llg.(‘hll'ny upon such During a long period -thts Voyage was
_ a'suppoi't'lor’ sustaining the lSri islt p're- considered fabuloui, because subsequent
* 'tenstons. Slated Intuit-l. the argument is navigators had in_J ain attempted to find
lb.i's.llle American tltlelis out good against’ these straits. Finally, alter they had been
, G‘tfé'nt‘fitita‘iln, because inconsistent with found,‘.it was discovered tltat tlte descrip
, thafiqffii'atn; artdthe S'psniiir title is- not tiohs of de Fut’a corresponded so accur
“on egalitifstfireat Britain, because inconfi nte'ly with their geography, and the facts
silsll‘énitqwrtlttlrat’ol the United States.— presented‘by nature upon theygrouod that
Tito-undersigned had espectcd something it was no, longer possible to consider his
lat; di’fletent from, su’c‘h an argument in a narrative as labulous. It is true that the
circle:l jj He‘ha’d [anticipated that the Brit- opening of the straits from the south lies
ish.’|tlenipote‘titiary would have attempted between the 43th and 49th parallels at In
to"prove'that"spain had no right to the titude. and ‘not between the 47th and 48th
northwestern coast of AmeriCa ; that it parallels. as he had supposed ;‘ butthis
was vacant and unappropriated ; St hence, mistake may be easily t'Xplnlnl'll by the
under the law of nations. was, open to dis; tnuccuracy so common throughout the six
covcry, elplorutioh. and settlement by all teentlt century in rtscertatning the latitude
nations." But no such thing. 'On this vi- of placrs in newly discovered countries.
tel point of his case. he rests his argument . It is also true that do Fucn. alter pass
solely on the declaration made by thenn- tng through these straits, supposed he had
de‘rs'igncd. ‘thatflthe title of the Unttcd reached the Atlantic, and had discovered
States to tli'e'valley oi the Columblu was the passage'so long and so anxiously srr‘t
90tl¢6l18nd complete |)efore the treaties oi after between the too oceans ; but from
joint bccupation of Octoberwtfilh, and the total ignorance and misapprehension
'Aufiuit'lB27,‘and before the date own? which pterailrd at that early day of the
Flurida’treaty. in 1819. But the British geography ot this portion ol North/Ameri
plenipotentiaty ought to recollect that this ca, It was natural for him to believe that
title‘ was asserted to be complete not a_- he had made this important discoverv.
gainst'Sp'ain, but against Great Britain; . Justice has at length been done'to his
that'tlle Largutnc‘nt was, conductednrot a memory, and, these straits which he tits
gsinsta Spanish, but a-Briti’sh plcnipoten- covered. will, in all future time, hear his
tiar'y; and that the United States, and not name. Thus. the merit of the discovery
Great Britain, represent the Spanish title. ol the straits ol Fuca, belongs to Spain ;
And; further, that the statement from and this nesrly‘two centuries before they
which he ‘extracts these declarations was had been entered by Capt. Berkclv. under
almost exclusively devoted to proVe. in the Austrian ting. ‘
the languageguoted by the British pleni- it is aunt-cessary lo tletnii the i‘liscove.
p’otcrjtis‘ry himself, that‘“Spaini’nad a good ries of the Spaniards as they regularly [lll
litle,'ah’sgainst,Great Britaitr,to thé tvholc vanced to the north trom the settlements
of tho Oregon territory!” The Undersign- on the western coast of Nam, America
ed‘liaa'neverms lie-before observed, insti‘ "until we‘rrncli the voyage of Capt. Juan
taunt a comparison between the American Perez, itr 1774. That navigator has com
and'thti'SpaVriish lilies. llolding’ both— missioned by the viceroy of Mexico to
(Willggll perfect rtgh't' to rely opon both, proceed, in the. corvette Santiago, to the
“Tether jointly or Iseparstely—he has. (3,ch degree of north latitude, anti from
strongly, asserted each of them in their that point to‘-exsmrne the coast down- to
turm-‘tull‘y‘ persuaded that either the one Meatcu. He sailed from San Blas on the
or the’fother is good sgain'stGreat Britain; 25th January. 1774. In the performance
and"that no; human Ingenuity 'can matte 'ol this commission,- he landed first on the
thb‘Spanish‘vtitle. now ‘vested in, the Uni- _uorthwest_cosst of Queen Clrsrlott’s Isl
tedf’SttitEe, worse than'it would have been and,‘near the 54th degree of north latitude;
ha'd’it rcmsi'ried'in the bands of Spain. l. a; thence proceeded-south along the shore
",Br’iéfl"'to illustrate and enforce- that ti ohhst‘island and that ol the ‘groat islands
tie.‘shall’_be"the remaining task of the em ol Qusdra and Vsnrouver; and then along
derfiig'nedfi ' ' ’ y ‘ ' the coast of the'corrtinent until he reached
hailfitn' the first ' "place, Ire cannot but 'Monterey. . He ‘went on shore, and held
command the 'frankness and candor of the intercourse with-the natives at several' pla—
Britiih‘b’le‘nipetentiary’ ‘in departing from ces ; and especially at the entrance ot‘a
thd’dburs‘i'ol his predecessors;- and reject- bay in lulllude 49d degreest Which l“? w"
ing‘iill-idiscoveries previous to those at led Port ‘Saa Lorenzo-Ame same- now
Gapt‘ain-‘Cuokfin the‘year 1778, as fo’un- known by the name of Noutka Sound.’ -
tlit'tioni of British title". Commencing lvith In addition to the journals of this voyage,
discoveryat ‘aperiod so late, the Spanish which render 'the lactjtrcorrtestible, m
thin-onthe score-ot'antiqu'ity. presents a have the high authority of Barotr tlumbott
strdag'i contrast to that of Gran Britain. in Its favor. 'l‘h'at distinguished traveller.
Tfio‘utidersigned.h'ad stated“ a historical who had access to-tlte manuscript do‘cu
anti-"striking fact, which must have an mehtsin the city of Mexico, states that
itl'tp‘ot‘tl'nt bearing against the claim 01." Perez and-his pilot Esliven Martinez,
- Gréfl‘ntitsiri,'thst this convention; [tow ten the port of San Blair on the 24m ot
Neotk'tl)"'Which‘vras'd'rctated by“ her to January. 1714. on the 9th of Aug Lust
Spilnfifititittiids n’o provision impairing the "dry anchored (the first of atl"-Europ an
o tiniatti‘iovereignty'whtch that power hall navigators) in“Noollta road, which they
aifiértéd'fm nearly three' centuries "ever called ttie l’ortof Ssn‘Loren-Lo’n'nd which
tfieW/helb'w'estern side ol North America theillustrious Cook-Jaunted" aflerwardS.
till fn’ North as the 61st degree ol'ls’titude called King George’s Sound.” - ..
a'n'di‘svh‘ich h‘s’d’neve'i-‘been' seriously ques‘ In_ the next year (t 775,) the Viceroy of
ttoned'by'sny European nation. 'l‘his‘had Memo againjitted out the Santiago, un
beriir'maintaihed by Spain with the most der the command at , Bruno lleceto. with
eigtlant-jetalou'iy‘ever stn'cq'the discovery Perez;‘h'er'formar commander, as ensign,
otjthe American continent.‘ and had been and also a schooner, culled‘tho Sonoro,
s‘flpriescc‘d; in“by‘"al'l= European governa con‘rmsnded by Joan Francisco do to Do.
me‘flts‘. 'lt’h‘sd been admitted even beyond dogs y Quadra.‘ 'A'l‘hese vessels were com
tlld’ll’tiludo"'bf-54'40 noith. by Russia, mtinoned to examine the northwestern
llr’eti'thwénlfpoweiV lraving'claims which coast of‘ America as tar as the 65th dso'
can. intonation with'spain'; and' that,' gree'ol‘ latitude. 'énd sailed in company
toti."ttn’det"~n sovereign peculiarly tenth tram-San Blas on the 15th March, 1776.
ci‘oh‘s dfithe territorial. 'ri‘ghts'ot her"étn- ' lt ts unnecesaaryxto enumerate the dif
pipfiyxzfv r. :..f'=‘fiw..z '_ a - '- t'erettt places on-thc coast examined by
”'Th’ese" historical tsets'had'not been. as these navigators,~ either in company or
they‘COuld-hrofbe', co'ntroverted'by the Separately. Suffice it to say. that they
Britiih plenipotentiar'y.although they were landed at many places on the coast trunt
even quoted t? him with approbation, for the 41st to the 57th degree of latitude. on
the ptlrp'otte'b showing tbe'incon'sistency all ot which occasions they took possession
ol‘tthq’rdeveral‘ titles held by the United of the country in the name of their sover
fihté'lr: In the language of Count Fernan eign, according to a prescribed regulation.
IdotNun‘e'z, the Spanish ambassador at Pa- celebrating mass, reading-declarations as
rib; lo Mido M'onttnori'n, the Secretary at setting the right of Spain to the territory,
,the'f'ora'i‘gn Department at France, under and erecting crosses with inscriptions to
thine! June 16th; 1700'. ‘ "By the treai commemorate the event. Borne at these
(tagit‘emnl’hllom- takings of possession, crosses were afterwards lound standing bv
and the most tlecid‘ed,‘ acts at sovereignty British navigators. ‘ in relation to thes'e
ege‘rciscd'by the r.Spaniards in those sta- voyages, Baron l-lumbolt says: “In the
tides tromth'e reign ot‘Ch’arles H. and au- tollowing year, (1776, alter that of Peru.)i
tttbriied-by that monhrch'. -in'-»1692,' the a second expedition set out from San Blas,‘
'or'igiastveucher-s for-fwhich shall be bro’t under the command at llccete, Ayala,
(omardin-the-‘cowse ol’ theanegotiatihns. end -Quadra. tleceta discoVered the
ittuthocoast'to-the. north'ot the Western. mouth at tho—Rid Columbia; called it the
Antefihmon'th‘ts‘rside'ol ' the South rich as. Eotrada do l‘lecora; the peak organ J“.
Far-bl beyond ‘whatlil called-Prinewd/Vil- crnto,~ (MountrEdgecnme near Norfolk
l‘ismfs‘Sound, smear; in‘the Gist degree} Bay. and the tineport ol Bucareli. l pos
'_~i3‘*l.cknotvtedgedgto belohg=exclusittely to seat too very curious small maps. engr‘a
"Spain.” '3 ' 'l’ -' «» ~; ~1: . ved "I 1738. intthe city'ol Mexico, which
"'n'Cpmpared svit'li'tlris syn-ciEnt claim of giVethe bearings of the coasttrom'the 27th
'Splto,.ecquicsced~.inv by all European na- to the 68m" degree '0! latitutle,r “they
.ttonm lorrcehturies, thef clai'm‘ot‘ 'Great were discovered iii the eXpeditiou of the
-B_rtt'ain'.;l'ountletl,on‘discoveries common! Qu'adra." ‘ - - ,
cetl at sedate avpe‘riodias-"the‘year 1778, In the lace of» these income-stable facts,
@9959“! an untdvorable- first impres-i ~the British plenipotentiary says “that Cap.
molds—lHs l' :‘ . . r' *4 " . '~tain Cook most also be considered asthe
rwashoutydon’stderedutlte. Northwest coast? discover olNoolks Sound, in consequence
ohAmertcatas:ex’clu'slvcly'her town;- She, of'tlis want at authenticity, in the alleged
;'d.rd pathsénd :outxriexpeditions- to expttiref previousdtscovery ot:tlrat port by Perez.”
.that,cosst.~for Athe‘p‘urpose ot rendering -An‘d yet: Cook did-not sail virom England
:hertttle mOIQ‘VfiIIIIJA-JWhen il'frlttitedhlrer ‘tth ..,-the- This July,’ 1776-«nuarl‘y two
own itnlerfols Silo fitted tbutfiuclr'cXpedi-‘i yearsalterrl’srezhad‘made‘this‘discovery;
(geneticidtscovyry to ascertain. the. chartiég' The chief robjectmhflbok’o“ voyager, .wn‘a'.
tEF-fifld s3Bool'bf‘.,h°"'¢°wn territory; 10ml” Athfl'dilcm'ei'ydofoa.northwestrpassage; and
:Tyrit'rhern.dlflcovertéaualolttl"[hat coast are he never landed at anypointoftlro conti-.
Jafimaliierkillhn.‘holfllallth‘Brli‘ifihsj" , .nent southetiNootka":-Seundi ,Jl‘iwme
- . That Jasmdancat-WG'FW "I tlwfiser: thatfin counting'along the continent betore‘
vice.uf'_Spatn. .tn.‘-159.2.:.d|3C0Veretl and 'horea'cbad thinnplacephahad'obser 'ed
=3“le WIQII-Ebrlheitllm" no\V"bearrng'r MB; ’CapeFlattcryi. butthe tvaB;entirly.ig' or‘
Inatneptrom.ttsgsouthern' to. t”. "Grille!" 'e‘x' am! that this was: the southern entrant: oi
*"emilxlfiml’“‘9qu‘°‘“‘-“”d‘i’Y‘il'“"P‘hhi "‘6 ,ltretts ol.Fuca.:, In lrisjournal lies I
,passageg,:nnilotrgz‘n'.admils,olrarreasouablo mitsrtlmtne traditionalFsome'rscoount- f
vdaubtJé'An _Accr»unt_.-ot;;.this‘ voyager-was the Spanish. 90‘ "-. ' ' _ , ,
, - - . .. . _ . . l . , Jagesot 1774 ..andt.}7.7s.
pu.hltshc'd,in;.lbondpn In 1625, run work: beforerhe left England ;' end'itisibcyoud]
question tlrnt,"hetor6'.his 'd‘épnrtnrewnc,
counts of the {ruynge‘ol Qua‘dra had bg’cn
Imb'isht‘d. both in Mndtid and in_Londun.
From Noolkn Sound; Cook did not again
see land until he reached the 57th degree
of north latitude.
In 1787. it is alleged ‘by the British
plenipolentia’ty that Capt. Berkely. a Brit
iah subject, discovered the straits of Fucn;
bat'theqc straits had beeniliscovercd by
Juan dc Fuca. nearly two centuries before.
Besides, it ther‘c had been any ‘merit in
this discovery uul' Capt. Berkcly, it would
haw belonged to Austria, in whose service
he was, and under whose colors he sailed,
and cannot be appropriated by Great Brit
am.
And here it is worthy of remark. thut
these discoveries 0t Cook and Berkeley,
in 1778 and 1787, are all those on which
the British plenipotentiary- relies. previous
to the date of the Nnotkn Sound conven
tion, in October, 1790. to deleat the no
cient Spanish tltle ,tothe north West coast
ol Amerien. i
The undersigned will now tnke a posi
tion which cannot. in his opinion, be suc
resdully nsanilt-d; nn-l‘this is. that no dis
covery. exploration or settlement made
by Great Britnin on the northwest cnnst
ol‘ America, alter the date of the Nontkn
Sound convention. end before it was ter
minated by the _war of 1796. con he invo
ked by that power in tavor of her nwn’ti
tle. or agaimt the title ol Spain. Even
according tn the British constrUCtinn of
this convention. the sovereignty over the
territory was to remain in n'beyance dur.
ing its continuance, as Well in regard to
Great Britain an to Spain. It ivould, there
!ote have been no open violation of faith
on the part of Great Britain. after having
qecured the privileges conlerretl upon her
by the convention, to turn round against
her partner uml perform any one calcula
ted to divest Spuin oi her ultimate sow-r»
'eignty over any portion ,0! the country.—
The palpable meaning oi ‘the convention
want that during ita continuance the rights
of the respective parties, whatever they
may have been, should remain just IS they
had existed'nt its commencement.
The government of Great Britain is not
justly chargeably with any such breach of
faith. Capt. Vancouver acted without in.
structiona In attempting to take possession
of the whole northwest coast of America in
the name of his'sovcreign. This oflieer,
cent on! lrom England to execute the den
vemion. did not carry' whh him any aulh
ority'w‘vioiue il in this outmgeOus man
ner.
'Without this treaty, he wo’uid have been
a mere intruder; under it. Great Britain had
a' right to make disém‘enee and surveys,
not thereby to acquire title, but merely to
enable her subjects to select spots the most
adv'sntageous, to use the language of the
contention, "for the‘ purpose of carrying
on their cotnmerre with the natives of the
countrv. or"ot' making settlements there."
”this construction of the Nootka Sound
convention becnrr'e‘ct—and the undereigm
ed does 'not perceive how it can 'be qties
tidnedé—‘then‘ Vancouver's paesagéihbukh
the audited Fuca. in 1792, and Alexan
der szc'kenz'ie’s journey ncrosu'thb' cpmi:
nam in 1793, ca'n never bé lransfpraied in~
a ebmenls Mlitle in favor of Grea" B'rilnin
But qvnn if the "undersigh‘éti 'couhi bé
mistaken jn these positions. it \vouL‘d‘ be
easy tq‘ pro‘ée that Capt. Joth‘lendrick‘,
in the Americartiloop Washington. paus
ed through thd straits oth‘tcn’irt 1789, three
years before Cgipt. Vanimuve’r Vpgriornltcd
the same Voyagé, 'l‘he my tnq'lruétiévné'
to the latter. before he leTt England. in Jan:
nary. I.79l,,lrefers to this fact. which had
been cdmmun‘igated to' the B'ritibh govern
ment by Lieutenant Meares,_who has ren'
dered his name tiojnydtorious' by its banned
lion with the tran‘sa‘c'tions‘ preceding the
Nontka Sound convention. It IS. moreo.
verg well known that thg ‘whulo southern
division ofthe straits had been explored by
the Spanish navigaiors. Elisa :tud Quimper
7thn first in_]7()o, and the latter in 1791. ‘
. After what has been said, it will be per
ceived how . little reason the Britialrplcnh
potentiary has lo: sta‘ting that his govern
ment has, "'B9 far as relates to Vancouver‘u
island. as complete a oas_e,o! discovcty, ex
ploration, and settlementpas can wallbe
presented, giving to Great Britain, in any
arrangement that may be made with regard
to the territory in dispute,. the strongest
possible claim to the exclusive poéuosaiou
of that island.”‘ . - ,
'l‘hc discoverydhus relied upon is Unit
of Nootku Sound. by Cook. in I 778; when
it has been tht‘llllms‘lt‘tued,(hut thirfport
wag first discovered by l’crex,-in 1774.
The cxplornlinn i; that by Vancouver. in
passing thtough the straits ul Fora, tn
1792. and examining the counts of the
territory in tlirtpulp, when -de Fuca him
lell had - paused through them atraih in'
1502, and Kendrick again in 1789; and
a complete examination ol the waiter"
l coast had been made in '1774 21nd 1775.
-.both by Perez and Qundrm As to 1:05- t
session; if Memes was -evér actually rea
tbred (lo his possessions ntvNootlta-Sound.
whatever these may. have‘becn. the‘undcr
siguctl'has never seen any evidence of the
fact. It istuot to be found in the-journal,
of Vancouver, «although this oflicer Wag
be‘itt from England for tho'nvovmd purpose
of witnulsingsuch n restorat'iim.’ The un
'dursngncd knoivau‘ot whether‘any newunw' ,
derptnndinggtook plac'c bet-Ween the Brit
ish’jntl Spaniah‘govarnmentu on .thta Iluba.‘
tact; but nun-fact is .placerLbe'yand allv '
doubtvthablhe Spaniards continued in the
undisturbed ‘p'osirsslon of: Nootk'a Sound
until the yemil~796, when they voluntarii
ly.,abnndoned..thc place; Great, Britain,
has never M‘nnyutitue‘la'inca :‘occupied this I
or any: Ulhnr'pouiliiiti Rm ..Vunr;nuver’,s' M
and. . 'llhlm'nn-atho acore'oleithcr-discnva ‘
cry. o‘xplo'ritllon, or polsosiion. this islandt
smin toib’erthc very! last “pertionc‘of the
territory in dispute to ‘which; she bun as?
aorta just elnim.‘ y , V“
- In the mean time.‘ the United Staten
l were proceeding with the diacoveries'v
which served to complete and confirm the
Spanish American title to the whole of
the diuputed territory.
Captain Robert Gray, in June, 1789, in
{the sloop \‘Vnshington. first exploredthe
whole eastern coast at Queen Charlotte’r
inland. " '
In the autumn of the snme your. Capt.
John Kendrick—having in the menu time
surrenderul the command at the Colum
bm to Captain Grey—sailed. ns‘hns been
already stated, in the sloop Washington,
entirely through the ntrnits of Fuca. _'
In 1791. Captain Gray returned to the
North l’ucdie in the Columbia; and in the
summer of that year, examined many at
the inlets and puasuges between the 54th
and 56th degrees ‘of latitude. which the
undersigned considers. it unnecessary to
specify.
031 m: 71h May. 1799. he discovered
un<l_ehtcrcd Buifinch’i hm'bur.'where he
remained at anchor three «lays, trading
with the Indians.
0n the 14th May. 1792, Cnp‘tain Gray
entered the mouth of the'Cotumbia. and
completed thudiscuvery 6! that grent river.
This river had beén long sought In min
by funny navigators. Bulh Menres and
Vancouver. alter examination. had denied
its existence. Thus in thé world indebt-
L‘tl to the enterprise, pcrscvetnncc,und
intelligence of an Afnerican captmn of in
trading vessel for their first knowledge of
this. the grenlcqt riv‘cro‘n the western
coast of America—n river whose head
spring-t flow from the gorges ofthe Rocky
tiiuutitain's. and whose branchea extend
from the 42d‘to the 53d parallels of lati
tude, This was the lust and most impor
tant discovery on the comet. and has per
petuated the name of Robert Gray. in
all future time. this great liver will bear
the hame ol hts vessel. '
[t in true that Bruno l'leceta, in the year
1775. had been opposite the bay nl'the Co
lumbia; and tho currents and eddies of the
water caused him, as he rethinks. to be
lieve that this was the mouth of some great
river. or 0! some passage to another ee'n ;”
and his opinion seems decidedly to have
been that this'was the opening ofthe strait
discovered by Juan de Fuca in 1592 To
use his own language: “ Notwithstanding
the great difference between the poaitinn
of this bay'and the» passage mentioned by
de Fuca, l have little difficulty in concei
ving that they may be the same, having
observed equal or greater dtfierences in the
latitudes ot other capes and ports on this
boast, as I shall show at its proper time;
and in‘all cases the latitudes thus assigned
are higher than the real ones." ' '
llecma.’ from his -own declaration, had
never‘entercd the'Colu.nbiri; and he who
in doubt' whether the opening, was the
mouth ofa' river or'an arm of Ithe sea; and
subsequent examinations ol the cont by
other navigaton had rendered the npinio’n
universal that no such river e'xmted, when
Gray first bore the American flag across
its her, sailed ‘up its channel for ttventy‘
fivemile‘s; and remained in_the river nine
days. trudingfwith the Indians. ' ‘ '
'l‘he Britiah"plenipotr'ntinry attempts to
deprecihto the value to dig United'Stntes
of‘Grav's discovery. because his ship, (the
Columbia;) was a trnding,‘ ond;'not a mi‘
tional‘veeaét.‘ Ashe furnishes no mason
for'thlsllistinction,‘th‘e unQErsigned will
confine himse‘fl‘mtiu: remark that u mer
chniig vés‘sel bears't-he Mg 0! hergnnntry
tit-her mast-head, and ‘rontinue-I under its
jurisdiction and protection‘ in «the same
manner as though she had been commit»,
siom-d tor the express purpose of'making
discoveries. Besidcn, beyond a“ doubt,
this discovery was made by Gray ; and to
what nation could the bent-Ii! o." it bvl‘nng.
unit-H it be to the United States? Cvr
tainly not to Great Bli‘ailh' And I, to
Spain. the United States oru now her re’p»
resentative. .
Nordues the undersigned perceive in
what manner the value of thin great disco
very. can be lessened by the [out lhflt‘ll
wa's first published to the world through
the journal of Cnptavin Vancouver. a Brit
ish authority. ()1) the contrury. its an
thcnlicity being thui acknowledged by
the party having an adverse intoresttis
more firmly rstablia'hegl than if it had
been first published in Ihc.Unitetl"Stntes.
From n‘curet'ul exuminntl‘on anil review.
o'f‘the subject, the omnirsignm ventures"
the 'ussertion. that to Snain ahtl the United
Staten belong‘nll the merit of the discove
rv nl‘the northwefl coost of America wuth
o't' the Russian'line. not a spot of which
unless it niay have been the shores ,of some
jot the‘intltriorqhayg and inletd. alter the
entrance to them had been known; was
‘cvcr behéltl by British subjects, until alter
:it h'avl been 980" or touched by :1 Spnnmrtl'
or uh American. Spni’n ptoceedéil in this
work of discovery. n'Ot as aw means of ac
quiring title, but lor the purpn.e u’feth~
ininghnd'gnrv‘eytngnt‘crrttory to tyhich Qhe
believed she hatl an . incrmtestxhle ”ably;-
This Ititle‘hltl been fintletinnthl for eventu
'rie’s by theft)cknowletlgntenl or ucqnies-t
fence ol hlt ‘ the Eutopeir'n' powe'rh. The?
Unitetl-Sthteshlune eh’uhl hhv'e-«liqiuted
this-title, and thzit only to the cxteu't pl:
thovregimr watered bx the Columbia, 'l‘he-
Spanish liml Amerrcnn titles. new united
by the Florida treaty; ‘connot’béjugtly Te?
slated byGren't ‘B'ri‘tnin‘i‘t' Consjdéi'e'dl'to‘
gather. they constitute, a,:per!eel"titlle‘zto
the whole territory 'in'jtl‘ls‘fin te. . qv‘erifi'inw
the'Tlth 'May.' 179% “Men Cp‘bliip'flr’n‘y
passed the bar'at_‘the”m‘outh (it the Colour
blag which bc‘*had obs‘e'rycd in An‘gust.
178. ‘.-‘ ’ ' i
5- ’ljllé‘un‘deisifigned win 116 w fiyoc'cflqxvtq
show that this litlé of flu?- Unifc'd Stiles.
“has: to the pqgucseiou of tho tcmlory
at théjl'nOth h‘; the Culun‘ib'm. has by“)
hiknéwledg‘edbj the uncut antemn and an.
equivocal actu‘htuttm Bftllist‘t governuwm,
After t‘lle‘fiu'r'clm‘e at Luuisiana Irum
France, the guVernment u! the Uniml
States fitted out an expedition under
Messrs. .Lrwig and Clarkpywhgrin 31805,
first expltned mo; 'Coluinbia'fl‘lrdrfi' in,
source». m it: afibu'lh,“pre’p’a‘mtorrtn the
occupation oi the unitary by (he Unncd
Slates. ” '_ ~
ln_lBll. the afittlgmeint’af A‘smria was
made by, the Americ'n'n’a ti‘earJhc vmh‘uth M
the river, and aevaral other posh: werq’ey
tablished in "115 interior along in banks.
The war of 1812 between Great, Britain
and the United ,Slntes thus lound the hit-
ter in ponceahle po’anessiou of that region.
Astoria was captured by Great Britam
during this war. The trentyof pence con
cluded ot Ghent in December. 18M, plo
vided that ” all territory,“ pl'aceh'mml pos
sessions whatsoever, taken hy'either‘ par
ty from the other. during.“ the war." 81c.
&c.. " shall be restored without delay."
In obedience to the provisions ofthis twen
ty Great Britnin roatoted Antorin to the
United States; and thin admitted in the
most solemn manner, not only that it»hltl
been an American territory or possession
ut the commencement of tho warLbut that
it had been captured by British aims dqr
tng its continuance. It is now too Inte'tn
gains-y or eXplain away these (acts..—
Both the treaty of Ghent, and the acts of
the British Government unilerit. disprove
the allegations of the British' plenipoten
tinry. that. Astoria passed " into British
hands by the voluntary ad! of the persons
in clmrtze 0! it.” and “ that it was restored
to the United States in 1818 with certain
well-authenticated reservations.”
In reply to the firnt 0! these nllegationw.
it is true that the agents of theiAmeriean)
Pacific, Fur Company. belnre the capture
of Astoria, un the 16th October, 1813,
had tmnalerred all that they cnnld trans
fer—the privateproperty of the company
—to the (British) Northwest Company;
but it will scarcely he contended that such
an arrangement could impair the sovereign
rights of the United State: to the territory.
Accordingly, the American flag; was'still
kept flying over the fort until the lst of
December. 1813, when it.waa captured
by his Majesty’s sloop of. war Rnckonn.
and the British flag wan theniaubstituteil.
That it was‘ not 're'storeil to‘the United
States " with certain wetl authenticated
reservzitions." fully appears from (in; act
of restoration itsfll.‘b"ea‘ring" date 6th Oc
tober; 1818. This is in iibjolutc and un~
conditional as 'thé‘ Ehg‘i!“ language can
make it. That lhil Was'mccording to lho
intention of Lord Castlereagh. clearly np
pearu Ircm hil previous mimission tq Mr.
Ruth of the right :0! the Americans to be
reinstated. and to' be thy party iii posses
siun while "rating on the mm H British
Ministers alterwarde, in» «leopatches to
iheirown naught/s; tll'e'cnn'enl‘i of which
were not coinin‘unicntc‘d tothe government
of the U'nitedL'Slatea. thought proper to
prbtest against. our title, lhcse. were. in ef—
fect, but mere mental reservations. which
could not afl'ect the validity at their,nwn
solemn un'd unaonditional. act Inf restorav
“on; u -
But thu Brilinh-pjcnipolcntiury, notwithutnnding
‘ the American discovery cf the Cplmqbin, by Coyt.
‘Grny._uhd the oxplorotion' by Laws and Clarke of
sevainl of‘itn branchei, from thotr‘ Idurc‘oa tn'lhn
1 Rocky mbuntnin's. a: We” 'tu itl“hl'uin channé‘l-lb
tho ocenn. bonteml‘n that barman Thompson. 11 Bd
tiph mhjgct in tho employment at thoNorthwaat
Company, wu- lho first who navigated the north
ern br'nnjzh of that rivég. thq Bkittah Go’vprnm'on!
the‘robv a‘cquiyedpt-rminwm’nfa again“ 'thé untrea
Staten. tho e'xtont of which ho'iduca not 'nhdortukb
to specify. ln'othcr~ 'wordu. that after onn nnlmn
had discovered and explored n grgnt rivqr, qu «av.
oral l'tihutnrirs. nndt'madé nettlemé'ntb ofi‘il‘s'liapks.
nnothor untiu'h, irif co'ulll-‘find ‘d'aihglo brunc'h' on
its head wntnn whfim had' “not beeniactu'u‘ly ox
ploradhmighl,appropriate; t 6 incl! thin hunch, lo
gother with the adjacent Janitory. lfithj's‘cguld
have been done, it “‘uuld have produced poypclu.
nl itrife and collision amt‘mg tho nntiorifa qftor tho
discuvery of Amerirn. It Would have vidlarod tho
wiqo prtnciple cansaci-nli'd h'y th‘o practico’ of mu
tions. which given the \‘niléy tlr'nined by. a river
and its btjnncheu to tho natiunvwhich'hu'd firstdih
covored and opproprintodjts ng'otxlh. ‘ .
' nut. lor another reqsun, thug unlit-gel] tlisrovigy of
"I‘hbmfison has no motile whatever. His journéy
t was undfirtnkon on bn,hnlf'nf tho .Not’thwou Com
‘pnny for the mnro purpune of idlimpnt‘ing the 'Uni
led Stntes in {he occupatiun 91 thu mouth uftho
Culumhim—n tcrritpry "In which "-no ndtibn. unlesn
it may have been Sphin. t'otg'M. \vith‘ttny show of
jti'rxtico. dinplllo their right. Thby -'hnd‘ut-qtfirml I!
by thwovary and axhlomlion. nu‘d,,woro now- in
the nu of taking mansion, .lt w'ng in nu antar
prtso undelrtukon for such a purpose.L that Thomp
son. in~lnutomng from Canada to the mouth giftho
‘Columbiu, duhccntit‘d the‘ north, nrbitnirily audit»,
ed by Gron‘l nrltmu to he the)‘ mnjn,".brnnghofghin
river. The puriml won (or lqu Into to Impair HtQtillo
of either. Spain or tho. Unttcd.slntus by tiny nuoh
prowedtttg. ' ‘.' _ IA ~ (~‘ m"
Mn'Thumpabn. on' hm rifthrn, wq'q txc_cutnpunied
by a party from Astana. undbr Mr.' David Smith,
who o'stahliahetl a post nt' thty’conlhioh‘cd'dl'lho
Okinngnn with tho nnrth branch of tho quumhm.
about lix hundred miles nbgve thtl 'mouth. ofth'o
.lnttcr. ’
In the next year (18]?) a wrong] lrnding‘b'd’s‘l Wu»
nalahHuhdd by a party {mm Anorid.‘on'.-Ihosfiokan.
'uhoul six hundred and flflyfimleahnm-lho bcoun.
ll lluu nppeunlihul, previous 10‘ [he gnplurufil
Mmrin by the (hither, ghn ,Augoricnné had ouend
at! their p'omonmoqnflp ihrfi‘ Cnlfnhmu’mx'lnfi‘ndréd
and fifty miloq. The Inoré'lhtfus'iti'n ofl'h't'f-‘Norlh
wont company inln (hianorfilury‘, ’mtd'lhe buiabli3h~
mqm ouwo onthrnéi' lrndiagqpmu. in 51811. and
1812.;PpAhq. hem! ,wmorEOJ-Jhp fine!" can.|_uraly
nqlvinl’orlgrb “jifbiqr jl'lm'J'JW‘ By‘nmgh-Amgricnn
lillb: wmfi [his'k‘nm’fifil’fy’f‘ifiny'hufi done in Iho
i'nlel'm'édi‘dl'o ‘pßriod'iiinfl’ m 8 201hj0ug6b'09. 1818—-
the dam of lhé'firct lfdnly'mfijoinz. nct-uibnnonJ—‘is
unknown to lha» nndonignod..: from Iho. impenetrn
blg, myql‘cry,‘ In which llxgy,,lxhy-qwtailod lhqifflw‘
chdlpgs. Amp; ,gho dulq; cums menu-east!“
Grail! yijr’tih' 'nor‘ thofUninJ' 5'9!“ 90"'.‘-'a’.m:v°'
T‘réffqrm‘o “ix'ny'ubt nfl'eblihg Ihoir tiln‘mh"l‘o'lho lllu-
Puked territory" :--.‘.( m ‘ ~ " ‘ ‘
’1", mm up the whole. thonthent Britainpunnol.
my} her claim») m [We 'norfhwoyl C 99.“ orgomgr'”
upon iliucovotfi."fin'fllllq'ivill‘har iingle C 191” by
neulémem a: 'Noollm'So'ufid aw!“ “:5? ‘ EN" 8?"
mm; but oym- h’illéi‘iun,‘ forty‘ yen-1&0: decimd
it loibq Qorlninnltom (he anonnmhan|.ic,,-IJI‘0""‘
(inn. 1- my 159 Spanishgflug amps, ¢l=N99"‘F‘."“'
hover muqk. and “in: tho :oriilory hu been mlu
nlly rolin‘quinhcd by Great Britain."