11 e. EXECUTIVE OFFICE, OLYMPIA, W. T., SIR: By yesterday's mail I had the honor of receiving your favor of the 7th instant, inclosing copies of your " orders to Colonel Casey," "the proclamation of Governor Douglas, and your reply to the same." Among other things you have been pleased to inform me that you have authorized Colonel Casey to call for volunteers, and that you" feel assured of my cordial co-operation whenever an emergency may demand it." Reciprocating the frankness of your communication, I have to reply that, should the contemplated emergency arise, your just expectations of the course to be pursued by myself shall not be disappointed, and that in such an event I have an abiding faith that the citizens of this Territory will with enthusiastic alacrity respond to any call necessary for the defence of individual rights, the rights of their country, or their country's honor. I am, General, most respectfully, your obedient servant, Brigadier General W. S. HARNEY, R. D. GHOLSON, Governor Washington Territory. Headquarters Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T. 11 f. HEADQUARTERS Department of OREGON, Fort Vancouver, W. T., August 16, 1859. MY DEAR SIR: Your communication of the 14th instant has just been received, and I hasten to place you in possession of the facts connected with the occupation of San Juan Island by some of the troops of my command. This step would have been taken before, but I was informed you were en route to Washington. I enclose for your information a copy of a protest issued by Governor Douglas, Commander-in-chief of the island of Vancouver, to the occupation of San Juan Island, and claiming the sovereignty of said island for the Crown of Great Britain; also a copy of my letter to Governor Douglas in reply to his protest. You will perceive that in my reply to Governor Douglas I charge the British authorities of Vancouver's Island with having violated the rights of American citizens on the island of San Juan in such a manner and by such means as to leave me no other alternative than to occupy the island for the protection of American interests. In assuming this responsibility I was careful to state distinctly and fully to Governor Douglas the position of my troops on the island of San Juan, and I reiterate to you that the relative claims of the two countries has had nothing to do in the assignment of the troops in question. The British authorities chose to violate treaty stipulations made in good faith and maintained by the United States in good faith-by attempting to arrest an American citizen on San Juan Island to carry him to Victoria to be tried by British laws. To prevent a repetition of this outrage, until the government of the United States could be apprised of it, I have placed troops on the island with such orders as I have deemed necessary to effect this object. With the question of boundary between the United States and Great Britain I disclaim having done anything with respect to it in occupying San Juan Island. Great Britain has no sovereignty over American citizens on San Juan Island, and every attempt made by her authorities to advance such claims I shall resist, until further orders from the President, to whom I have submitted the whole matter; in the mean time I hope the labors of your joint commission will be prosecuted amicably and successfully, for I can assure you that no one is more desirous of facilitating your labors than myself. I am, sir, with high respect, your obedient servant, W. S. HARNEY, ARCHIBALD CAMPBELL, Esq., : 12. General Harney to the Adjutant General. HEADQUARTERS Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T., August 25, 1859. COLONEL I have the honor to inclose a copy of a despatch from His Excellency Governor Douglas, of Her Britannic Majesty's island of Vancouver; also a copy of my reply to the same; both of which papers I request may be submitted for the information of the President of the United States, at your earliest convenience. Governor Douglas denies that the British authorities of Vancouver's Island were cognizant of the outrage attempted upon an American citizen on San Juan Island, as reported in my communication to the Headquarters of the Army, of July 19, and my letter to you of the 7th instant. This denial, couched as it is in strong language, does not explain how a British ship-of-war did convey Mr. Dallas, the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company, and son-in-law of Governor Douglas, to San Juan Island; that Mr. Dallas landed and threatened an American citizen by the name of Cutler with imprisonment at Victoria, to which place he would be taken in the ship-of-war waiting for him. This threat was not put into execution for the reason that Cutler told Mr. Dallas if it was attempted he would kill Mr. Dallas on the spot. But Mr. Dallas having left the island in the ship-of-war, the conclusion is irresistible that Mr. Dallas either had the ship-of-war under his control by some direct authority from the British authorities, or he was acting independent of that authority in the exercise of powers delegated to him elsewhere. If Mr. Dallas can use a British ship-of-war to overlook the interests of the Hudson's Bay Company on this coast, without the authority of Governor Douglas or the British Admiral, which is just what he has done, according to the facts and Governor Douglas's despatch, then the interests and rights of our citizens have been in greater jeopardy than I have heretofore supposed, and the necessity of retaining the occupation of San Juan Island is still more imperative. Governor Douglas has opposed the occupation of San Juan on the ground of sovereignty, and lays great stress upon Mr. Marcy's despatch of July 17, 1855, to Her Majesty's minister at Washington. In a communication to Commissioner Campbell, of the Northwest Boundary Survey, I have disclaimed any intention of asserting any sovereignty over the island of San Juan, beyond that which the necessity of the case has demanded. A copy of this communication has already been sent to you. Mr. Marcy's instructions in reference to the conduct of officers of the two governments never contemplated the case of a direct aggression on the rights of our people, backed by so powerful a naval force as to create strong surmises of its intentions. Indeed, so extraordinary has been the course of conduct of the British in reference to San Juan, and so evident has been their design to force our people from the island, that I should consider I had been recreant to the high trust imposed on me, im not taking possession of the island, it being the only position from which we could defend our rights to advantage. Eight companies are now on the island, with eight 32-pounders landed from the steamer Massachusetts. A detachment of engineer troops are engaged with the troops in constructing a field-work to defend their position, at the same time protect them from any fire from the water. This command is fully supplied for over two months, and is considered now to be able to hold its own in the event of any difficulty until re-inforcements could arrive. I inclose a copy of Governor Douglas's message to the Legislature of Vancouver's Island; also of The British Colonist," the government paper published at Victoria, giving an account of the proceedings of the assembly in relation to San Juan; also an editorial, complaining that an error had been committed by somebody on their side. Our quick-witted people were aware of that fact nearly two months ago. I am, Colonel, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Colonel S. COOPER, WM. S. HARNEY, Brigadier General Commanding. Adjutant General U. S. Army, Washington City, D. C. 12 a. GOVERNMENT HOUSE, Victoria, Vancouver's Island, August 13, 1859. SIR: On the evening of the 10th instant I had the honor of receiving your despatch, dated Fort Vancouver, August 6, 1859. 2. In reply thereto, I must thank you for the frank and straight-forward manner in which you communicate to me your reasons for occupying the island of San Juan, on the Haro Archipelego, with a portion of the military forces of the United States under your command. 3. I am glad to find that you have done so under your general instructions from the President of the United States as Military commander of the Depart.ment of Oregon, and not by direct authority from the Cabinet at Washington. 4. You state that the reasons which induced you to take that course are the "insults and indignities which the British authorities of Vancouver's Island and the establishment of the Hudson's Bay Company have recently offered to American citizens residing on the island of San Juan, by sending a British ship-ofwar from Vancouver's Island to convey the chief factor of the Hudson's Bay Company to San Juan, for the purpose of seizing an American citizen and forcibly transporting him to Vancouver's Island to be tried by British laws." 5. I will explain for your information that the agents of the Hudson's Bay Company hold no official position in Vancouver's Island, nor exercise any official power or authority, and are as entirely distinct from the officers of the executive government as are any of the other inhabitants of Vancouver's Island. 6. To the reported outrage on an American citizen, I beg to give the most unhesitating and unqualified denial. None of Her Majesty's ships have ever been sent to convey the chief factor or any officer of the Hudson's Bay Company to San Juan for the purpose of seizing an American citizen, nor has any attempt ever been made to seize an American citizen and to transport him forcibly to Vancouver's Island for trial, as represented by you. 7. Up to a very recent period, but one American citizen has been resident on San Juan. About the commencement of the present year a few American citizens began to "squat" upon the island, and upon one occasion a complaint was made to me by a British subject of some wrong committed against his property by an American citizen; but no attention was paid to that complaint, out of consideration and respect to the friendly government to which the alleged offender belonged, and whose citizens, I think, it cannot be denied, have always been treated with marked attention by all the British authorities in these parts. With reference to San Juan, in particular, I have always acted with the utmost caution, to prevent, so far as might lie in my power, auy ill feeling arising from collisions between British subjects and American citizens, and have in that respect cordially endeavored to carry out the views of the United States government as expressed in a despatch from Mr. Marcy, dated 17th July, 1855, to Her Majesty's minister at Washington, a copy of which I herewith enclose for your information, as I presume that the document cannot be in your possession. 8. Following the dignified policy recommended by that despatch, I should, in any well-grounded case of complaint against an American citizen, have referred the matter to the federal authorities in Washington Territory, well assured that if wrong had been committed reparation would have followed. 9. I deeply regret that you did not communicate with me for information upon the subject of the alleged grievance; you would then have learned how unfounded was the complaint, and the grave action you have adopted might have been avoided. I also deeply regret that you did not mention the matter verbally to me when I had the pleasure of seeing you at Victoria last month; for a few words from me would, I am sure, have removed from your mind any erroneous impressions, and you would have ascertained personally from me how anxious I have ever been to co-operate to the utmost of my power with the officers of the United States government in any measures which might be mutually beneficial to the citizens of the two countries. 10. Having given you a distinct and emphatic denial of the circumstances which you allege induced you to occupy the island of San Juan with United States troops; having shown you that the reasons you assign do not exist, and having endeavored to assure you of my readiness on all occasions to act for the protection of American citizens and for the promotion of their welfare, I must call upon you, sir, if not as a matter of right, at least as a matter of justice and of humanity, to withdraw the troops now quartered upon the island of San Juan, for those troops are not required for the protection of American citizens against British authorities, and the continuance of those troops upon an island the sovereignty of which is in dispute, not only is a marked discourtesy to a friendly government, but complicates to an undue degree the settlement in an amicable manner of the question of sovereignty, and is also calculated to provoke a collision between the military forces of two friendly nations in a distant part of the world. I have the honor to be, sir, your most obedient servant, Brigadier General W. S. HARNEY, Commanding the Troops in the Department of Oregon. 12 b. : HEADQUARTERS Department of Oregon, Fort Vancouver, W. T., August 24, 1859. SIR I have the honor to acknowledge the receipt of your communication of the 13th instant, which came to me by mail this morning. The copy of Mr. Marcy's despatch of the 17th July, 1855, to Her Majesty's minister at Washington, stated to be in your communication enclosed, was not received. This, I presume, was an accidental omission in the transmission of your letter. It was with pleasure I received from your excellency a prompt disavowal of any intention on the part of the British authorities of Vancouver's Island to commit any aggression upon the rights of American citizens residing on San Juan Island, and I desire to communicate to you that I shall forward this despatch by the first opportunity to the President of the United States, to enable him to consider it in connection with all the facts duly reported to him attending the occupation of San Juan Island by a portion of the troops under my command. Your excellency has been pleased to express how anxious you have ever been to co-operate with the officers of the United States government in any measures which might be mutually beneficial to the citizens of the two countries, and your regret is signified that communication with you on the subject of the occupation, of San Juan Island had not been sought during my late agreeable visit to your excellency at Victoria. I beg to offer in reply that I have cordially reciprocated the sentiments of friendship and good will you have manifested towards American interests from the period of my service with this command. In that time I have, on two different occasions, notified the government of the United States of your, acts affecting our citizens in terms of commendation and praise, as assurances of a proper appreciation of the confidence reposed by my government in that of Her Majesty. On my late visit to Victoria I was without knowledge that any occurrence had taken place on San Juan Island to outrage the feelings of its inhabitants, else I should then have informed your excellency what I conceived it became incumbent for me to do under such circumstances. The explanation your excellency has advanced, while it serves to remove the impression at first created of a direct action on the part of the British authorities of Vancouver's Island in the recent occurrences on San Juan Island against the rights of our citizens, does not expose any evidence of a preventive nature to a repetition of the acts which have caused so serious a misunderstanding in the minds of the American people on San Juan Island; nor has the course which events have taken since the occupation of the island by the troops of my command been of such character as to reassure these people, could the contents of your despatch be announced to them. From what has taken place, I do not feel myself qualified to withdraw the present command from San Juan Island until the pleasure of the President of the United States has been made known on the subject; I can, however, frankly assure your excellency that the same motives which have induced me to listen to the appeals of my own countrymen will be exerted in causing the rights of Her Majesty's subjects on San Juan to be held inviolate. I have the honor to be, very respectfully, your obedient servant, Brigadier General United States Army, Commanding. His Excellency JAMES DOUGLAS, C. B., Governor of Vancouver's Island and its Dependencies, Vice-Admiral of the same, &c. |