Page:Centennial History of Oregon 1811-1912, Volume 1.djvu/358

 visional Government, which had declared against slavery, the pro-slavery President and his supporters would have given up the whole of Oregon to England to prevent the addition of another free state to the Union.

Putting aside all quibbles and technicalities in the international diplomacy which disposed of the greatest question of the nineteenth century, four real and great national facts tower above all others.

First. The discovery and entrance of the Columbia river by Captain Robert Gray on the 11th day of May, 1792. The great significance of this fact consists in the importance of first a lauding on the main land of the old Oregon region, and secondly, in the fact that the river drains nearly all the territory in dispute. Neither the Spanish, English or French ships or navigators had ever landed on the main land of Old Oregon. They had all been at Nootka Sound on Vancouver Island and upon Queen Charlotte Island. But Capt. Gray had been there as well. Gray's discovery makes Oregon the only territory held by the United Stat-es under the right by discovery.

Second. The exploration of the Oregon territory by Lewis and Clark before any other nation ever attempted to explore it. And both the discovery of the river by Gray and the exploration by Lewis and Clark had been done under written authority of the presidents of the United States.

Third. A bonafide settlement of the country by American citizens for the purpose of peopling and occupying the country for permanent settlements, and not for temporary trade purposes with the Indians. These three facts making plain to the country had all been executed openly before the whole civilized and commercial world, before Great Britain had a shadow of a claim under the occupation by its fur companies.

Fourth. Lastly, and strongest of all the claims. American settlers had, with public notice, called all persons, settlers and citizens to meet and organize a government to protect life and property; the meeting had been publicly held, and at which all persons, including subjects of Great Britain, had been given full and free opportunity to express their will, and at which meeting the subjects of Great Britain did take a part, and at which a majority had decided in favor of, and had organized a government that had all the powers of any government in any civilized nation—officers, courts, legislature, laws and military authority and power to defend its existence and protect its citizen members from private wrongs and public enemies—and no citizen, subject or government had denied the authenticity, legitimacy, legality or authority of such government. There never was a stronger ease upon which to base a right to jurisdiction and sovereignty over territory. And yet it all went for nothing when weighed in the scales of justice held and manipulated by a president and congress already tainted and corrupted with the virus of pro-slavery disunionism.

It may seem to many that these are hard words to apply to a president and congress of the United States. But considering the character of England's claim to Oregon, the course of President Polk and his cabinet can be explained only by his subserviency to the slaveholding interests of the South, or his cowardice in the presence of British threats. What shadow of right had England