APPENDIX TO COUNTER-CASE OF GREAT BRITAIN. 383 



Iiicicleutal to the condition of national independence and sovereignty, 

 the rights of anterior navigation of their rivers will belong to each of 

 the American nations within its own territories. 



The application of colonial principles of exclusion, therefore, cannot 

 be admitted by the United States as lawful upon any part of the north- 

 west coast of America, or as belonging to any European nation. Their 

 own Settlements there, when organized as Territorial Governments, 

 will be adapted to the freedom of their own institutions, and, as con- 

 stituent parts of the Union, be subject to the principles and provisions 

 of their Constitution. 



The right of carrying on trade with the nations throughout the north- 

 west coast they cannot renounce. With the Russian Settlements at 

 Kadiak or at New Archangel they may fairly claim the advantage of a 

 free trade, having so long enjoyed it unmolested, and because it has 

 been and would continue to be as advantageous at least to those Set- 

 tlements as to them. But they will not contest the right of Eussia to 

 prohibit the traffic, as strictly confined to the Russian Settlement itself, 

 and not extending to the original natives of the coast. 



If the British North-west and Hudson's Bay Companies have any 

 posts on the coast, as suggested in the article of the *' Quarterly Review " 

 above cited, the Ilird Article of the Convention of the 20th October, 

 3818, is applicable to them. Mr. Middleton is authorized by his inscruc- 

 tions to propose an Article of similar import, to be inserted in a Joint 

 Convention between the United States, Great Britain, and Russia, for 

 a term of ten years from its signature. You aie authorized to make 

 the same proposal to the British Government, and, with a view to draw 

 a definite line of demarcation for the future, to stipulate that no Set- 

 tlement shall hereafter be made on the north-west coast or on any of 

 the islands thereto adjoining by Russian subjects south of latitude 

 55°, by citizens of the United States north of latitude 51°, or by Brit- 

 ish subjects either south of 51° or north of 55°. I mention the latitude 

 of 51° as the bound within which we are willing to limit the future set- 

 tlement of the United States, because it is not to be doubted that the 

 Columbia River branches as far north as 51°, although it is most proba- 

 bly not the Taconesche Tesse of Mackenzie. As, however, the line 

 already runs in latitude 49° to the Stony Mountains, should it be ear- 

 nestly insisted upon by Great Britain, we will consent to carry it in con- 

 tinuance on the same parallel to the sea. Copies of this instruction 

 will likewise be forwarded to Mr. Middleton, with whom you will freely, 

 but cautiously, correspond on this subject, as well as in relation to your 

 negotiation respecting the suppression of the Slave Trade. 

 I have, &c. 



(Signed) John Quincy Adams. 



