which, they persuade themselves, that of Great Britain cannot but recognize, and ought not to hesitate in reciprocating. You are then authorized to propose the annulment of the third article of the convention of 1818, and the extension of the line on the parallel of 49 from the eastern side of the Stony Mountains, where it now terminates, to the Pacific Ocean, as the permanent boundary between the territories of the two powers in that quarter. This is our ultimatum, and you may so announce it. We can consent to no other line more favorable to Great Britain. Mr. Clay to Mr. Gallatin. [Extract.] LEXINGTON, August 9, 1826. * "He [the President] is very desirous of an amicable settlement of all the points of difference between Great Britain and the United States on just principles. Such a settlement alone would be satisfactory to the people of the United States or would command the concurrence of their Senate. In stating in your instructions the terms on which the President was willing that the several questions pending between the two governments might be arranged, he yielded as much to a spirit of con cession as he thought he could consistently with the interests of this [12] country. He is especially not *now prepared to authorize any stipu * * lations involving a session of territory belonging to any State in the Union, or the abandonment, express or implied, of the right to navigate the St. Lawrence, or the surrender of any territory south of latitude forty-nine on the northwest coast." * "II. The President cannot consent that the boundary between the territories of the two powers on the Northwest Coast should be south of forty-nine. The British Government has not been committed by a positive rejection of a line on the parallel of forty-nine; but if it had been, its pride may take refuge in the offer which, for the first time, you are to propose, of a right in common with us to the navigation of the Columbia River. There is no objection to an extension of the time to be allowed to British settlers to remove from south of forty-nine to a period of fifteen years if you should find that it would facilitate an arrangement." No. 10. Mr. Gallatin to Mr. Clay. LONDON, November 25, 1826. SIR: The latter part of our conversation was of a more conciliatory nature. Mr. Huskisson said that it would be lamentable that, in this age, two such nations as the United States and Great Britain should be drawn to a rupture on such a subject as the uncultivated wilds of Mr. Huskisson obthe Northwest Coast. But the honor and dignity of both jects to dividing Van countries must be respected, and the mutual convenience of Couve Island, both parties should also be consulted. He then objected to the straight line which we proposed, as having no regard to such convenience, and observed particularly that its cutting off the southern portion of Quadra and Vancouver's Island, (that on which Nootka Sound is situated,) was quite inadmissible. I told him that, taking only convenience into consideration, their proposal was far more objectionable. Mr. Gallatin proposes Vancouver south of on the mainland. Mr. Huskisson then asked me whether I was authorized to deviate from the forty-ninth parallel of latitude as a boundary. I to exchange did not think that he had any right to ask the question; 49 for an equivalent but, as it was only from courtesy, and to avoid, at the opening of the negotiation, expressions at all savoring of harshness, that I had used the words "whilst insisting on the forty-ninth degree," instead of the word "ultimatum;" and as, in fact, the United States had nothing to conceal, I answered the question: To the fortyninth parallel. of latitude the United States would adhere as a basis. If, on account of the geographical features of the country, a deviation founded on mutual convenience was found expedient, a proposal to that effect might be entertained, provided it was consistent with that basis; that is to say, that any deviation in one place to the south of the fortyninth parallel should be compensated by an equivalent in another place to the north of that parallel. I must observe that what I had in view was the exchange of the southern extremity of Nootka's Island, (Quadra and Vancouver's,) which the forty-ninth parallel cuts in an inconvenient manner, for the whole or part of the upper branches of the Columbia River north of that parallel. Hon. HENRY CLAY, ALBERT GALLATIN. Secretary of State. No. 12. Extract from Vancouver's "Voyage," vol. 1, page 312. "As we were rowing, on Friday morning, [June 22, 1792,] for Point Spanish explorers Grey, we discovered two vessels at anchor preceded Vancouver. under the land. These vessels proved to be a detachment from the commission of Señor Melaspina, who was himself employed in the Philippine Islands; that Señor Melaspina had, the preceding year, visited the coast; and that these vessels, His Cath[14] *olic Majesty's brig the Sutil, under the command of Señor Don D. Galiano, with the schooner Mexicana, commanded by Señor Don C. Valdes, both captains of frigates in the Spanish navy, had sailed from Acapulco on the 8th of March, in order to prosecute discoveries on this coast. Señor Galiano, who spoke a little English, informed me that they had arrived at Nootka on the 11th of April, from whence they had sailed on the 5th of this month, in order to complete the examination of this inlet, which had, in the preceding year, been partly surveyed by some Spanish officers whose chart they produced. "I cannot avoid acknowledging that, on this occasion, I experienced no small degree of mortification in finding the external shores of the gulph had been visited and already examined a few miles beyond where my researches during the excursion had extended." No. 13. Mr. Everett to Mr. Webster. LONDON, October 19, 1842. SIR: Oregon boundary. Lord Aberdeen, in the conference which ensued after the exchange of the ratifications, observed that his only subject of regret in Lord Aberdeen connection with the treaty was, that the boundary between wishes to settle the the two countries on the Pacific Ocean had not been provided for; and expressed a strong wish that I might receive instructions on that subject. DANIEL WEBSTER, Esq., ** * EDWARD EVERETT. [15] Secretary of State. *No. 14. Mr. Everett to Mr. Webster. LONDON, November 18, 1842. SIR: on the boundary On arriving at the Foreign Office I was told that Lord Aberdeen wished to see me, and was conducted to his room. He informed Lord Aberdeen me that he wished to read me a copy of a despatch which wishes to negotiate he had addressed to Mr. Fox, directing him to make known without delay. to the President the strong desire of Her Majesty's government to engage, without delay, in a negotiation for the settlement of the boundary between the two countries on the Pacific Ocean, and his wish that instructions should be sent to me for that purpose. In the conversation which ensued, he dwelt with great earnestness on the danger to the good understanding between the two countries so happily established by the treaty of Washington, to be apprehended from leaving this question in its present unsettled state. DANIEL WEBSTER, Esq., Secretary of State. * * EDWARD EVERETT. No. 15. Mr. Everett to Mr. Upshur. [Confidential.] LONDON, August 17, 1843. DEAR SIR: the negotiation can be best carried on at When Lord Aberdeen spoke of instructing Mr. Fox on the Oregon quesMr. Everett thinks tion, he added an expression of his regret that the negotiation should fall into his hands. He has on many occasions Washington. expressed a wish that I should be charged with the negotiation. Could I hope to bring it to a successful issue, it would of course be very agreeable; but it seems to me out of the question to carry on such a negotiation anywhere but at Washington. Hon. A. P. UPSHUR. [16] *No. 16. EDWARD EVERETT. Full powers are to negotiate on the Mr. Upshur to Mr. Ecerett. DEPARTMENT OF STATE, SIR: The President directs that you take an early occasion to bring again to the attention of Her Majesty's government the sent to Mr. Everett subject of the claims of the two countries respectively to Oregon boundary. the territory west of the Rocky Mountains. The difficulties which the conflicting claims of Russia to a portion of this territory have heretofore interposed, are now happily removed by the treaty of April, 1824, which defines the limits within which that power engages to restrict its settlement; so that the questions now to be settled rest exclusively between Great Britain and the United States. * The offer of the forty-ninth parallel of latitude, although it has once been rejected, may be again tendered, together with the right of navigating the Columbia upon equitable terms. Beyond this the President is not now prepared to go. * ** * You will receive herewith the necessary powers to negotiate upon the subject. If, however, the British government prefers that the negotiation shall be conducted in Washington, that arrangement will be perfectly agreeable to the President. EDWARD EVERETT, Esq. A. P. UPSHUR. No. 17. The negotiation Mr. Everett to Mr. Upshur. [Confidential.] LONDON, November 2, 1843. SIR: By the steamer of the 16th October, I had the honor to receive your despatch No. 62, inclosing a full power from the Prestransferred to Wash ident to treat with this government for the adjustment of the Oregon boundary, and containing your instructions on that subject. I lost no time in applying for an interview with Lord Aber ington. deen, and saw him the first day of his return to town. On appris[17] ing *him of the disposition of the President to open a negotiation on this subject at London, Lord Aberdeen informed me that such an arrangement would have been altogether agreeable to him if somewhat earlier made, and reminded me that he had very often, in the course of the last winter, expressed the wish that the President would authorize me to treat on the subject. He had, however, lately come to a conclusion and taken a step that made it necessary to treat upon the subject at Washington: this was the recall of Mr. Fox and the appointment of a successor. Among the grounds for adopting this measure, was the belief that there would be decided advantage in putting the management of this subject into new hands, and consequently that had been and would be assigned as a leading reason for the contemplated change. This course, he said, had not been resolved upon till they had entirely given up the expectation that I should be authorized to treat on this subject. * 49. Mr. Everett argues * I had a long and, upon the whole, quite a satisfactory conversation with Lord Aberdeen at his dwelling-house on the for the parallel of 6th instant. He was on a visit to Windsor Castle, from which he wrote me a note requesting me to call upon him at Argyll House (his town residence,) and I believe he came to London principally for the purpose of holding this interview. He returned to the castle to dinner. He told me that he had communicated to Mr. Fox, by the steamer of the 4th, that his successor was appointed. He then led the way to a free and desultory but general and comprehensive conversation on the Oregon question, observing in the outset that it was chiefly in the hope of putting this question in a favorable train of adjustment that Mr. Fox had been recalled and Mr. Pakenham appointed. [18] Lord Aberdeen assented also *to my remark that the numerous stations which the Hudson's Bay Company had estab lished south of the forty-ninth degree of north latitude since the year 1818, though they might and unquestionably would embarrass the British government in reference to that company, and through them in reference to public opinion, ought not to prejudice the claims of the United States. This I think a very important point, to be firmly kept in view. In offering the forty-ninth degree of latitude as the boundary we make a very fair, equitable, and liberal offer, an offer founded on the obvious and natural principles of distribution; while they, in refusing this offer and insisting on the Columbia River, proceed upon no such principle, but simply insist upon a boundary very favorable to themselves. Our offer, I said, proceeded on the old principle of the * |