Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 8.djvu/63

 OCCUPATION OF THE COLUMBIA RIVER. 55 to the whole extent of soil, watered by the springs of the principal river or water course passing through it, provided there was settlement made, or possession taken, with the usual formalities, in the name and on the behalf, of the Govern- ment to whom the individual owed allegiance. Though the tacit consent of all seemed to yield the sovereignty from sea to sea, where no settlement or express possession was had of an intermediate country ; and such right was held good to the whole extent, but not wholly confirmed until another settle- ment was made at a distinct point upon the same territory beyond the water of the first or so distant as not manifestly to encroach upon the establishments of the coast ; other Powers, though, might avail themselves of the failure of the first to occupy another principal stream, or distant point and become thereby vested with a full right of sovereignty. This seema to have been the condition of America until the close of the war of 1812 ; since which time all treaties have yielded to the different Powers, in full right, all they claimed, either by settlement, or from the failure of others to occupy the prin- cipal streams when they might do so. There is now no longer territory to be obtained by settlement or discovery, and if there should be any difficulty it wi.ll be where the different limits of the different Powers shall be fixed. Impressed with a belief, that under this mode, valuable pos- sessions might be added to the French monarchy, it is pre- sumed Sieurs Joliet, and Marquette, penetrated the unknown wilderness from Canada and discovered the Mississippi so long ago as the year 1673, and explored it down to the Arkan- saw. Perhaps encouraged by their success, a few years after, Hennepin visited those regions and pursued that river to its mouth. His representations, with other considerations, two years after, induced M. de la Salle and M. Tonti, to descend that river with a considerable force to the Gulf of Mexico, and they are believed to have built the fort during that trip, the bricks and other remains of which are now to be seen on the first high ground on the west side of the Mississippi, below the mouth of the White river.