OREGON: THE CLAIM OF THE UNITED STATES TO OREGON, AS STATED IN THE LETTERS OF The HON, J. C. CALHOUN and the HoN. J. BUCHANAN, ΤΟ THE RIGHT HON. R. PAKENHAM, Her Britannic Majesty's Plenipotentiary. WITH AN APPENDIX, CONTAINING THE COUNTER STATEMENT OF MR. PAKENHAM TO AND A MAP, SHOWING THE BOUNDARY LINE PROPOSED BY EACH PARTY. LONDON: WILEY AND PUTNAM, 6, WATERLOO PLACE. 1846. INTRODUCTION. From the MESSAGE of the PRESIDENT of the UNITED STATES to Congress, December, 1845. My attention was early directed to the negotiation, which, on the 4th of March last, I found pending at Washington between the United States and Great Britain, on the subject of the Oregon territory.-Three several attempts have been previously made to settle the questions in dispute between the two countries, by negotiation, upon the principle of compromise: but each had proved unsuccessful. These negotiations took place at London, in the years 1818, 1824, and 1829; the two first under the administration of Mr. Monroe, and the last under that of Mr. Adams. The negotiation of 1818 having failed to accomplish its object, resulted in the convention of the 20th of October of that year. By the third article of that convention, it was "agreed that any country that may be claimed by either party on the north-west coast of America, westward of the Stony Mountains, shall, together with its harbours, bays and creeks, and the navigation of all rivers within the same, be free and open for the term of 10 years from the date of the signature of the present convention to the vessels, citizens and subjects of the two Powers; it being well understood that this agreement is not to be construed to the prejudice of any claim which either of the two high contracting parties may have to any part of the said country, nor shall it be taken to affect the claims of any other Power or State to any part of the said country; the only object of the |