The Sun.
London, England, 1845-11-25 00:00:00

I fl.crui*g u:'n

LONDON, TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 25. 1815 .

The question of the Oregon is only one of many
affairs which England has to settle with the United
States, and perhaps of all, if we look at consequences, it
is of the least importance. For the last fifty years that
republic has been extending its arms towards the Gulf of
Mexic e by purchasing new districts, occupying others
by force, and, last of all, by means for which we find no
other term so appropriate as swindling. Louisiana was
obtained from BONAPA.STE for a small sum, partly be-
cause he thought thereby to annoy and injure England,
but chiefly because he could make no use of it, and
found the money useful at the commencement of his
imperial reign. Tho Americans thence laid claim
to the whole of Florida, and wrested or.e half of
it by force from the helpless and spiritless
Spanierds. Then came the Texan affair, which,
from beginning to end, has exhibited the American
character in a most unfavourable light, and has been
distinguished alike fur wanten aggression, deceit, and
trickery. Parties from the neighbouring states emi-
grated at different periods, squatted in the best parts of
the lenl, and professed to be merely settlers in the
Mexican territory. At last they formed themselves
into a community, renounced allegiance to the lawful
rulers of the country, th dared themselves independent,
then p titioned to be admitted into the Union, and pro-
tecte I against the men whom they had robbed and ex-
pelled. Any person of common observation might have
seen what these squatters had in view, how little re-
sistance the Mexicans could make to their en-
croachments, and how quickly the Government of
Washington would admit them into the Union,
and protect them at all hnsards. For many
years there has been a perfect understanding
between the two parties on the subject, and TTLEI a, who
became President by accident, and seemed not to be
overburdened with moral principle, at last and in due
time called for annexation. The call was responded to
by a great number of the states; and POLK, from choice or
necessity, joined in the cry for annexation:or more pro-
perly speaking, robbing a weak and defenceless neighbour
of her rights. After deceiving both England and France
by the most egregious duplicity, Texas was recognised
as an independent state, and by another turn it threw
itself into the arms of America, which rejoiced mightily
at the trick, received its new offspring with open arms
and coolly asserted its right to the territory on the
ground of ancient claims. This endless system of en-
croachment must be viewed by England and France and
Spain with serious alarm, because these rapid strides to-
wards the Gulf of Mexico threaten at no distant
period their possessions in the West Indies,
and had to the conviction that sooner or later the
Americans will attempt to control the whole of the trade
in these extensive regions, and seize the first opportu •
laity of 4xtending their dominion over all the valuable
islaiels in the Caribbean seas. It is true that cannot
happen immediately, because even more valuable and
more important conquests are first to be made. Mexico
mutt be disposed of, and when California is occupied—a
project openly avowed—and Texas, with its numerous
harbours and rich soil, has acquired sufficient strength,
that affair will speedily be settled. The Mexicans have
no power whatever of resistance ; they are even more
helpless than the native race whom the Spaniards extir-
pated, and, were other powers to stand by idle, the
contest would be sooner settled than that bet-ieen
MonteXerna and Cortez. If emigrants in hilea,7,reds can
be induced at present to cross the Rocky Mountains to
settle in the Oregon territory, we
should hear of tens
.)f thousands fur hundreds rushing to Mexico fiesm every
state in the Union, allured by the wealth and finery
climate of the country, the rich and vast silver mines
yet unexplored, and the prospect of carrying on a trade
with the extensive regions of the north and the south,
certain to be even more productive than the most
valuable mines. 'These are prospects which may well
encourage emigration to the south ; and it ought to be
borne in mind, too, that the very acquisition of Texas is
the most dangerous blow that has yet been given to
the security of our West India possessions. Whatever
may be said about only one-half of that territory being
allocated as a slave-holding state, no doubt exists that
slavery will appear there in all its horrors, and be spread
over every plain and along every river in that extensive
territory. It will afford one of the finest markets for
the slave-rearing states ; the trade for years will be in
the most thriving condition ; the planters in Virginia
and the Carolinas and Georgia will join heart and hand
.th those of Texas, and, as a matter cf course, look
with the utmost jealousy on the 800,000 negroes in the
British island', enjoying all the blessings of liberty, and
thereby holding out an inducement for the millions of

TH

American slaves to obtain the same rights and privi-

loges. Whatever course, therefore, the other European
states may pursue under present circumstances,
England has no choice. The crisis is forced upon her,
and those who thus wantonly provoke her to the contest
will not find her unprepared or backward in asserting
her rights. To her trade and commerce she owes her
great power. Her countless ships, manned by hardy
and skilful sailors, her extensive and numerous colonies,
and the constant flow of wealth into the country, all
spring from the same source, and England, therefore,
cannot stand aloof while another power is springing up
as a rival, with no concealment of iti intentions, and
threatening to control her trade in the West Indies, in
the Pacific, and even the Indian and Chinese
seas. The north eastern states of America can
have no desire for such a contest as that to which
these endless and vast encroachments lead ; but, if they
have not the means of outvoting in Congress their most
dangerous enemies, or restraining them by force, let
them take the consequences. England must defend,
and in time too, at all hazards her supre-
macy at sea. The American Republic puts itself

'orivard as a rival—the most dangerous mari-
time rival perhaps that she can have, on account of

the large commercial transactions in which the inha-
bitants are engaged, but still the danger must be met,
and it will be met manfully. There is abundance of
wealth and skill in the country, and no lack of stout
hearts and true to assert her rights and maintain
them.

We have risen with feelings of pain and melancholy
from the perusal of the-proceedings of the "Yeovil and
Wincanton Agricultural Protection Society." It would
seem from the report of these proceedings, which are
given with the most praiseworthy minuteness in the
Sherborne Journal, that all public men of the Conserva-
tive party are false and traitors, except (and the excep-
tion only proves the rule)—except MILES.
" Amongst the faithless faithful only he" (MILES)
alone stands true to his promises, and has deceived
neither Yeovil nor Wincanton. Though we are not
Conservatives, we are Englishmen ; and we blush to
read of such political depravity in a great party in our
country, and that the party which holds the reins of
Government, and almost doubt whether we should give
it more publicity.
Yet is it always best to know the worst ; and we will '
therefore not refuse to chronicle the fact that when the
" Yeovil and Wincanton Agricultural Protection So-
ciety" held their (this year's) anniversary meeting, both
the Members for West Somerset refused to attend.
Mr. BICKIIAM ESCOTT, formerly a sure card at Somer-
setshire protection dinners, no longer figures among the
performers (he is now expected to come out at the next
Covent-garden meeting of the League)—and MILES was
not there either in person, but was undoubtedly present
in spirit, and was the only Somersetshire senator who
gave a civil reply to the invitation to the dinner. To be
sure, there was a special reason why MILES shouli
civil ; for the "Yeovil and Wincznton Protection Society',
are determined to fight the League in the Registration
Courts, and if the League are determined to oust MILES,
they are as determined to keep him. A letter was read
from MILES, which is one part of the painful picture :
" I need, I hope, scarcely say that in the decided views of
the society I most cordially concur; and think that if its
formation was necessary last year to oppose the overt acts of
the League, it has now a more difficult task to play in con-
firming wavering friendq, and confronting and putting down
those, who (haring been chosen at the last general election as
farmer's friends) hare made use of the power so conferred
upon them to betray the interests committed to their charge."
Strong language, Mr. MILES; but not too strong for
the meeting. The report says that the letter was
greeted with loud cries of "Capital," and " That's
friendly." And who are these foul traitors ? Unfor-
tunately, no doubt is left on this point. First, there
are Mr. ACLAND and Mr. DICKINSON, the Members for
West Somerset: they both declined to attend the meet-
ing, or to have anything to do with " Protection So-
cieties." See what one of the speakers, Mr. BLANDIORD
(whose name ought to be Bland-word), says of them.—

" Now for the Members for the western division.—(Cheers
and derisive laughter.) They rarely met them, and never
served them.—((great cheering and laughter.) Where were
they?—(A voice, Not here.') This was not the first
meeting they had had since this society was formed. Had
not they frequently had, h• might say, paltry excuses from
them.—(lmmense cheering and 'Bravos.') The time had
come when they must not flinch ; and if their Members did
not serve them, they must Eendeavour to select those who
would.—(Renewed and loud cheering.)"
After this, the Chairman was either a very bold or a
very wicked man to give the West Somersetshire Mem-
bers as a toast. We suspect it was wickedness in the
Chairman, who said—
" Allow me to give you, with gratitude for their services, the
Members for the western division of the county.—(Loud
shouts of ' No, no,' laughter and confusion.)
" Sir A. Hood rose—Gentlemen, I'm sure you'll be generous
—(Renewed cries of ' No, no, we won't have them,' Zsc., and
increased confusion, amidst which the Chairman rose and
gave the hips.') Some thirty gentlemen rose with him,
but the great body of the farmers remained sitting. Two or
three cheers were given, mixed with notes of disapprobation,
and at last the hisses grew so powerful that those who were
standing resumed their seats, and the Chairman significantly
said—' We shall be obliged to the gentlemen vocalists for a
song.' This good-natured effort to turn the attention of the
company elicited loud cheers and laughter, and apparently
restored general good humour.
" Song—' The Flaunting Flag of Liberty.'
And deeply must Messrs. ACLAND and DICKINSON now
rue the day when that flaunting flag seduced them. We
pass on from them to Lord ASHLEY. Is he, too, a
traitor ? Then many will say, there can be no character
left in the country. Virtue must have taken wings and
flown. But so it is. The Yeovil and Wincanton pro-
tectionists even impeach Lord ASHLEY'S veracity. No

less than three of the speeches have a fling at him.
Lieutenant Steele—He lived in a retired part of the
county represented by a Noble Lord, who had recently sent
a letter to the papers, which he might say had not given him,
for one, any great satisfaction. He hoped to meet with that
Noble Lord face to face, as he now met that company; and
he hoped to have the satisfaction of hearing from his lips
some better explanation of his conduct than he had given in
that letter. _ _

" The Chairman—Might he allude to the letter that had
been addressed by the representative of Dorsetshire to his
constituents. He had said (he might be stopped if not
quite correct) that he had made terms, compromised, com-
pounded— (A. Voiee—‘ No, no')—or something to that
effect.
" Mr. Pope—Reference had been made to the letter of Lord
Ashley ; it was with considerable regret that he had read
that letter, inasmuch as it first conveyed to him the intimation of
a requisition haring been signed. lie had made many in-
quiries, and had not yet heard any one who knew anything
about the requisition; but let him observe this, that an affir-
mation of any statement by Lord Ashley was sufficient to
make it a fact."

We cannot go so far as Mr. POPE. There either was
a requisition or there was not. If there was not, Lord
ASHLEY'S saying that there was will not make a requi-
sition to satisfy us. Mr. POPE'S statement seems con-
clusive as to there having been no requisition. Lord
ASHLEY'S letter asserted that there was. Alas! for
poor human nature.
Mr. SANFORD, the former Whig Member fir West
Somersetshire, a Whig but a protectionist, unchanged
while his Tory opponents have veered from protection
formerly opposed by Mr. BICKHAM Escorr as a greater
Protectionist than himself, turned out at the last
general election by Mr. DICKINSON, spoke on the occa-
sion, and was entitled to indulge in a little self•gra-
tulation :

" lle had felt in these days of unhappy and lamentable
changes,—changes, some from conviction, some from a de-
sire to be attached to a political leader, and some for not so
high an object, the gaining of a little notoriety—(Hear, hear,
and cheers)—he had felt it to be his duty to come some
little distance for the purpose of being present among them,
to prove that among some people there were no changes,
and to prove that those opinions which he entertained in
former years he still maintained.—(Cheer!.) . . . They
knew, and he had himself heard the Premier's words, for he
was sitting opposite to him, that Sir R. Peel had said, ' I
will not put into the lottery of legislation for the purpose of
getting a better corn-law than now exists.' A few short
months, not a year, elapsed, and he did put into the lottery
of legislation, and they (the farmers) had not drawn the
prizes but the blanks."
Even if Mr. SANFORD were not Whig,
1.-a
should
have preferred him, as an honest pro"„ectionist to a
shuffling l'eelite; and the farme,--
s of 'West Somerset-
shire now lament the do.):
wlvim they substituted Dicsuzi-
SON for SANFORD. A•',s West Somersetshire is not a
singular case. ere are other counties which, at the
last generPj, election, sent Whig gentlemen into retire-
ment. ',or Conservatives, then calling out loudly against
iord JOHN RUSSELL'S eight-shilling fixed duty, but
since steadily following PEEL against protection ; and,
having thus strengthened Sir ROBERT PEEL'S bands
against themselves, they will have, many of them, to
thank themselves at the next general election for a state
of Things in which they can return neither Peelites nor
Protectionist Whigs, but will have to submit to being
represented by total, immediate, and unconditional free-
traders.

We have received Madrid journals of the 16th. The
Gazette of the 15th contains two royal decrees—one
appointing PEREZ DE CASTRO Vice-President of the
Council of State, and the other nominating eighteen
additional members to that body. According to the
Government papers, the new election to supply va-
cancies caused by Members accepting office were pro-
ceeding favourably ; and it was anticipated that nearly
all the successful candidates would be Ministerialists
It was reported in the capital that the reply of the Court
of Rome to the ultimatum of the Spanish Cabinet had
been received, and it was not considered altogether
satisfactory. Rome, itis said, is willing to sanction the
sales of national property already effected, and the
Spanish Government, on the other hand, will restore tAI
the clergy their unsold property, and leave them to
manage it. Nothing of a very positive nature is said, as
to the acknowledgment of tt,e QUEEN. Accounts
,from
Valencia of the 14th announce that on the 12th it` eor-