Page:Confederate Military History - 1899 - Volume 1.djvu/270

234 but there was philosophy and not comedy in the instructions which Jefferson gave to Ledyard to discover the Columbia river. The expedition was prevented by the jealousy of Russia. Mr. Ledyard was arrested in Siberia and forced to abandon the project. Thus Jefferson’s mental vision remained unverified by physical demonstration until the discovery by Captain Gray.

No effort was made to utilize this discovery until after the cession of Louisiana. Seizing the opportunity to recur to plans long before cherished, Jefferson organized the expedition of Lewis and Clark in 1804. Their explorations were valuable in supporting the claims of the United States, and in blazing the track for the coming pioneers. In 1811 the settlement of Astoria strengthened the American claims and stimulated immigration. In 1818 the United States and Great Britain entered into a treaty for the joint occupation of an indefinite territory to which Spain and Russia still held undefined claims. the title of the United States was greatly strengthened by the cession of &quot;all rights, claims and pretensions&quot; of Spain, whose claims were the most ancient, extending back to the voyages of Caprillo in 1543. The northern boundary was indefinite, and Great Britain and Russia had claims likewise indefinite. Russia having withdrawn her claims in 1824 to all territory south of 54° 40’, the United States and Great Britain were left as the only claimants to the territory between 42° and 54° 40’.

In 1827 the joint occupancy was continued by agreement, to be terminated upon one year s notice by either party. The matter continued to appear before Congress in various forms, and at different times, and became a subject of diplomatic negotiations with England, but without result until public attention was attracted by the emigration of 1842, and public sentiment was aroused by the presidential canvass of 1844. In this canvass the generous spirit of the South and West, and their sincerity