These acts of the British and the French, with regard to the Sandwich Islands, arose, doubtless, rather from political jealousy of each other, on the parts of those nations, than from the simple desire to protect their respective subjects, in their trade or religion. The French are earnestly endeavoring to obtain a firm position in the Pacific, as demonstrated by their attempt to form a settlement in New Zealand, by their occupation of the islands north of the Marquesas group, discovered by Ingraham in 1791, and by other circumstances; whilst the British have shown their determination to counteract these efforts, especially in their resistance to the occupation of Otaheite by the French, during the summer of 1843. To either of these nations the Sandwich Islands would prove a most valuable acquisition, as it would afford the means of controlling the trade and fishery of the North Pacific, and of exercising a powerful influence over the destinies of the North-west coasts of America and California. The United States, claiming the North-west coasts, and conducting nearly the whole of the fishery and trade of the North Pacific, are of course most deeply interested in all that may affect the independence of these islands; and having neither the power nor the will, to establish their own authority over places so remote, it is the policy and duty of their government, to oppose, at almost any hazard, the attempts of other nations to acquire influence or dominion over them. So long as these three nations continue at peace with each other, the Sandwich Islands may continue independent, and may be regarded, nominally at least, as a civilized state; but should a war, or even serious difficulties occur between any two of these powers, that independence will infallibly cease. To conclude, with regard to the Sandwich Islands — their population is rapidly diminishing under the too great warmth of the civilization suddenly planted among them, by which new vices have been introduced, and new wants, unaccompanied by any increase of energy and industry, have been engendered. The day is, probably, not far distant, when the aborigines will be reduced to a few wanderers; and the islands will be, effectively, occupied by Anglo Saxons, the certain, though comparatively mild, exterminators of the uncivilized races with which they are brought into contact.* The Sandwich Islands are ten in number, situated in the northern division of the Pacific Ocean, between the latitudes of 19 and 22 degrees; about 2500 miles from the American coast and 5,000 miles from China. The principal islands areOwyhee or Hawaii the largest, Mowee or Maui, Woahoo or Oahu, and Atooi or 875 CHAPTER XVIII. 1842 TO 1844. Excitement in the United States respecting Oregon - Treaty of Washington deter mining Boundaries between the Territories of Great Britain and those of the United States, east of the Lake of the Woods Mr. Linn's Bill in the Senate of the United States, for the immediate occupation of Oregon - Reflections on the Convention of 1827- Present State of the Hudson's Bay Company's Territories · Conclusion. DURING the latter years of the period to which the preceding chapter relates, the people as well as the government of the United States were becoming seriously interested in the subject of the claims of the republic to countries west of the Rocky Mountains. The population of the Union had, in fact, been so much increased, that large numbers of persons were to be found in every part, whose spirit of enterprise and adventure could not be restrained within the limits of the states and organized territories; and, as the adjoining central division of the continent offered no inducements to settlers, those who did not choose to fix their habitations in Texas, began to direct their views towards the valleys of the Columbia, where they expected to obtain rich lands without cost, and security under the flag of the stars and stripes. This feeling began to manifest itself, about the year 1837, by the formation of societies for emigration to Oregon, in various parts of the Union, and especially in those which had themselves been most recently settled, and were most thinly peopled. From these associations, and from American citizens already established in Oregon, petitions were presented to Congress, as well as resolutions from the legislatures of States, urging the general government, either to Kauai; the others, namely, Tahoorowa or Kahulawe, Morotai or Molokai, Morokini or Molokini, Ranai or Lanai, Oneehow or Nihaui, and Tahoora or Kaula, are all small. The superficial extent of the whole group is about 6,500 square miles, of which Owyhee includes about 4,500. Owyhee is supposed to contain 80,000 inhabitants; the population of the remainder being about 70,000. The capital is Honoruru or Honolulu, in Woahoo, which is said to have 10,000 inhabitants; the only other town of any size is Lahaina in Mowee. settle the questions of right as to the country west of the Rocky Mountains, by definitive arrangement with the other claimant powers, or to take immediate military possession of that country, and to extend over it the jurisdiction of the United States; and bills, having for their object the accomplishment of one or the other of these ends, were annually introduced into each house of the federal legislature. The executive branch of the government was likewise assiduously engaged, in doing all that could be done by it, with the same object. Mr. Forsyth, the enlightened and energetic Secretary of State, exerted himself to procure every information, which might serve to establish the true grounds and extent of the rights of the United States, and the value of the countries claimed by them, in order that their government might, whenever it should act, be fully justified before the world; and Messrs. Poinsett and Paulding, the secretaries of war and the navy, besides furnishing reports on various points connected with these subjects, which had been submitted to their respective departments, particularly instructed Lieutenant Wilkes, the commander of the exploring vessels sent to the Pacific about this time, to survey the Columbia regions as completely as he could, and to inquire into the condition and prospects of their actual occupants.* The information thus obtained by the executive departments and the legislative committees, was from time to time communicated to Congress, and published by its order; † no bill, with regard to Ore * Of this expedition, partial accounts only have appeared; a narrative of all the incidents and observations, will, however, soon be published, with maps, charts, tables, &c., which, there is reason to believe, will not yield in interest and import. ance to any similar work of the day. In addition to numerous explorations, discoveries and surveys in the southern division of the ocean, the Sandwich Islands, and the Columbia country, with the adjacent coasts, were carefully examined; and many new facts, relating to the geography of those parts of the world, will, doubt. less, be communicated in the forthcoming narrative. Report to the Senate, by Mr. Linn, with Maps, June 6, 1838. Senate Document, No. 470 of the 2d Session of the 25th Congress. Reports of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, of the House of Representatives, respecting the territory of Oregon, with a Map, presented Jan. 4th and Feb. 16th, 1839, by Mr. Cushing; accompanied by a bill to provide for the protection of the citizens of the United States, residing in that territory or trading on the Columbia River. Report of House of Representatives, No. 101, 3d Session of 25th Congress. Memoir, Historical and Political, on the North-West Coast of North America, and the adjacent Countries, with a Map and a Geographical View of those Countries. By Robert Greenhow, Translator and Librarian to the Department of State. Presented Feb. 10th, 1840, by Mr. Linn. Senate Doc. No. 174, 1st Session of 26th Congress. See Preface to this History. gon, however, passed either house of that body before 1843; and no decisive measure on that subject was adopted by the American government. In 1842, Lord Ashburton arrived at Washington, as a special plenipotentiary of Great Britain, for the settlement of certain points of difference between that power and the United States; and it was at first supposed by the public in both countries, that the arrangement of the questions respecting the countries west of the Rocky Mountains, was one of the objects of his mission. A treaty was, however, concluded, in August of that year, between him and Mr. Webster, the Secretary of State of the United States, in which all the undetermined parts of the line separating the territories of the two nations, from the Bay of Fundy to the Lake of the Woods, were clearly defined and settled; but no allusion was made to any portion of America situated farther west. This treaty was soon after ratified by both governments; but the exclusion of the Oregon question from it, seems to have increased the excitement on that subject, among the people of the United States, and to have created a similar excitement in Great Britain. In the message of President Tyler to Congress, at the commencement of the ensuing session, allusion was made to "the territory of the United States commonly called the Oregon territory, lying on the Pacific Ocean, north of the 42d degree of latitude, to a portion of which Great Britain lays claim. In advance of the acquirement of individual rights to these lands," continues the message, "sound policy dictates that every effort should be resorted to, by the two governments, to settle their respective claims. It became evident, at an early hour of the late negotiations, that any attempt, for the time being, satisfactorily to determine those rights, would lead to a protracted discussion, which might embrace in its failure other more pressing matters; and the executive did not regard it as proper to waive all the advantages of an honorable adjustment of other difficulties, of great magnitude and importance, because this, not so immediately pressing, stood in the way." Having thus indicated the circumstances which prevented the question from being discussed during the recent negotiation, the president intimated his intention "to urge on Great Britain the importance of its early settlement." This part of the president's message was referred to the committees on foreign affairs in both houses of Congress, and a few days afterwards, Mr. Linn, one of the senators from Missouri, who had always displayed the strongest interest in all that related to the territories west of the Rocky Mountains, and had assiduously endeavored to effect their incorporation into the republic, brought a bill into the Senate "to authorize the adoption of measures for the occupation and settlement of the territory of Oregon, for extending certain portions of the laws of the United States over the same, and for other purposes." This bill proposed—that the president be authorized and required to cause to be erected, at suitable places and distances, a line of stockade and blockhouse forts, not exceeding five in number, from some points on the Missouri and Arkansas Rivers, into the best pass for entering the valley of the Oregon, and also at or near the mouth of the Columbia Riverthat provision be made by law, to secure and grant six hundred and forty acres of land to every white male inhabitant of the territory of Oregon, of the age of eighteen years and upwards, who shall cultivate and use the same for five consecutive years, or to his heirs at law, if such there be, in case of his decease; and to every inhabitant or cultivator, being a married man, in addition, one hundred and sixty acres for his wife, and the same for each of his children under the age of eighteen years, or who may be born within the five years above mentioned; provided, that no sale or other alienation of such lands, or execution or lien on them, shall be valid until the patents have been issued for them— that the civil and criminal jurisdiction of the Supreme Court and the District Courts of the territory of Iowa be extended over that part of the Indian countries lying west of the present limits of Iowa, south of the 49th parallel of latitude, east of the Rocky Mountains, and north of the boundary line between the United States and Texas, not included within the limits of any state; and also over the Indian countries comprising the Rocky Mountains, and the country between them and the Pacific Ocean, south of the latitude of 54 degrees 40 minutes, and north of the 42d parallel; and that justices of the peace be appointed for all these countries, as now appointed by law for Iowa, who shall have power to arrest and commit for trial, agreeably to the laws of Iowa, all offenders against the laws of the United States; provided, — that any subject of Great Britain, who may have been so arrested for crimes or misdemeanors committed in the countries west of the Rocky Mountains, while they remain free and open to the people of both nations, shall be delivered up to the nearest or most convenient British authorities, for the purpose of being tried according to - |