The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 4, March, 1903-December, 1903
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
The inequality of the convention with Great Britain in 1818
is most glaring and apparent, and its continuance is a great
and manifest injury to the United States. The privileges
granted by it have enabled the British to take possession of
the Columbia River, and spread over the country south of
it; while no Americans have ever gone, or can venture to go
on the British side. The interest of the United States and
her citizens engaged in the fur trade requires that the
convention of 1818 should be terminated, and each nation
confined to its own territories. By this commercial interest
there are other considerations requiring the same result.
These are, the influence which the British have already
acquired over the Indians in that quarter, and the prospect
of a British colony, and a military and naval station on the
Columbia. Their influence over the Indians is now decisive.
Of this the Americans have constant and striking proofs, in
the preference which they give to the British in every
particular.
In saying this, it is an act of justice to say, also, that
the treatment received by Mr. Smith at Fort Vancouver was
kind and hospitable; that, personally, he owes thanks to
Governor Simpson and the gentlemen of the Hudson's Bay
Company, for the hospitable entertainment which he received
from them, and for the efficient and successful aid which
they gave him in recovering from the Umquah Indians a
quantity of fur and many horses, of which these Indians had
robbed him in 1828.
As to the injury which must happen to the United States from
the British getting the control of all the Indians beyond
the mountains, building and repairing ships in the tide
water region of the Columbia, and having a station there for
their privateers and vessels of war, is too obvious to need
a recapitulation. The object of this communication being to
state _facts_ to the Government, and to show the facility of
crossing the continent to the Great Falls of the Columbia
with wagons, the ease of supporting any number of men by
driving cattle to supply them where there was no buffalo,
and also to show the true nature of the British
establishments on the Columbia, and the unequal operation of
the convention of 1818.
These _facts_ being communicated to the Government, they
consider that they have complied with their duty, and
rendered an acceptable service to the administration; and
respectfully request you, sir, to lay it before President
Jackson.
We have the honor to be sir, yours, respectfully,
JEDEDIAH S. SMITH,
DAVID E. JACKSON,
W. L. SUBLETTE.
To the Hon. John H. Eaton, _Secretary of War_.
Excerpts from St. Louis papers, 1832-1848, on the migration to and
settlement of Oregon.
The _Missouri Republican_, July 5, 1831.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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