158 University of Caifornia Publications in History
mountains, to the head of the Missouri. Although the Spanish gov-
ernment did not relish the notion of yielding rights on the coast
as far south as the Columbia, it was stated that, if the United States
insisted upon an outlet to. the sea by way of the Columbia, there
would be no objection to continuing the line along that river. But
the Spanish rights on the coast both below and above it were to
remain intact! Without clearly formulating the idea, the secre-
tario apparently visioned some sort of a corridor to the ocean with
Spanish territory on either side. This would have been a futile
proposal, for the British had long before effectively dissipated any
Spanish hope of establishing dominion north of the Columbia.
 Onis, who knew that even greater concessions would have to be
made, relied during the remainder of the negotiation on the con-
cluding paragraph of the instruction:
Finally His Majesty charges me to ay, you are fully authorized to eonstruet,
discus, and conclude the agreement according to the dreamstanese, without
the neessty of further consultation [of your government] regarding the
matter.
This statement constituted practically a carte blanche for Onis,
and authorized him to make the settlement which he had already
resolved to make on his own responsibility.

 CONCESSIONS AND COMPROMXSES
Onis on February 1 revised his treaty plan, offering a line up the
Sabine to its source, thence north to the Red, along it to longitude
950 west, due north to the Arkansas, and along it to its source.
From there the line was to be drawn directly west to the San Cle-
mente, or Multnomah (now the Willamette), and along that river
to the sea." As it happens, the last-named river does not reach the
sea, but Onis no doubt would have been equally satisfied in knowing
that it flowed into the Columbia. The location of the source of the
Arkansas was uncertain but was considered to be at about latitude
410 north, nearly two degrees north of its actual position.
 On receipt of this proposal Adams consulted Monroe and Jack-
son. He was seriously perturbed over the imminent threat of
trouble from Clay. But Monroe pointed out that Clay would be
troublesome whether the treaty were signed or not and said that
in his estimation the acquisition of the Floridas and the assurance
of a title on the Pacific Coast would offset popular opposition to