The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1845-12-02 00:00:00

THE OREGON QUESTION.

The practical question arising out of the termination of
the last attempt at an adjustment of the dispute, and out
of the threatening intimations of the semiofficial journal
of Washington, is simply this—WbJt do Mr. Polk and his
Cabinet propose to do next ? What are the Americans
prepared to undertake by way of giving effect to these
claims to a remote and almost inaccessible rug on? They
must either do nothing and leave the Oregon territory to
the chapter of accidents ; or they must discover some
means not only of establishing their power in that dis-
trict, but, what is far more difficult, of expelling our own.
They have a right to send emigrants in any numbers across
the Rocky Mountains, and to possess themselves of any
lands not previously occupied. They have a right to let
these emigrants take with them their own laws, usages,
and even the jurisdiction of their country; for we have
done the same thing, and the right of both parties are
equal and concurrent. But they have no right to infringe
upon any existing privilege of any British subject, nor to
encroach, in any manner, en our power, which is still
north of the Colombia, de facto, undivided and uncon-
tested. This brings us to the point at which these ano-
malous and imperfectly defined rights may come into direct
collision and even assume a hostile character. But such
a result cannot occur until something of an active and
aggressive character he don ; and whatever may be the
ill-humour of the settlers, or the extravagance of the Ame-
rican people, there are luckily very serious impediments
in the way of so deplorable a catastrophe.
An uninhabited and uncultivated country, two thou-
sand miles west of the frontier of the state of Missouri,
situated on the coast of an unfrequented ocean, cannot by
possibility become a theatre of regular war. No army
could be conveyed there, no army could be fed there ; and
if such a force were, by some miracle, dropped in that re-
mote region ,it would find no enemies but winter and the de-
sert, and no positions to occupy but a few blockhouses and
stockades, built to protect the trappers and fur-merchants
from the incursions of the Indiana. Nor is it much more
easy to take armed possession of such a territory. The
Americans have already experienced the difficulty of that
kind of operation in the Florida war, and in all their con-
tests with the red men. Where there is no property and
no fixed population, the soldier is a less powerful instru-
ment than the husbandman, and he .commands no more
than the ground he stands upon. By sea, we have still
less to apprehend from any act of aggression. The Ame-
rican squadron in the Pacific is strong, but it can only re-
ceive reinforcements round Cape Horn by a run of 18,600
miles; ours is within the reach of our stations in China,
Austrialia, and India. Moreover, although the boats of
a man-of•war might burn a fort by a coup de main, such
an attack could have no effect whatever on the occupation
of the country. In short, we have the high authority of
Mr. Calhoun himself, backed by the opinions of the Army
and Navy Departments in the United States, for the as-
sertion, that " the attempt to assert and maintain en ex-
Moire right to the Oregon territory against the adverse
and conflicting claim of Great Britain MUST PROVE UN-
SUCCESSFUL." The reasons by which he supported this
opinion are unanswerable.
Are we, then, to suppose that since Mr. Calhoun deli-
vered the memorable speech to which we allude, the pro-
gress of the American democracy in. its passion for terri-
torial acquisitions has been so rapid that President Folk
will actually a. tempt in 1846 or 1847 what the ablest and
unscrupulous statesman of the democratic party pro-
nounced to be a hopeless undertaking in 1845 ? If we are
to believe the Washington Union. such is the case; and
to be consistent with this announcement, the first step of
the American Cabinet must be to declare that the treaty
of 1827 is in twelve months to expire. Such a measure
might lead eventually to hostilities, but it would not
amount in itself to a casus belle. Perfectly confident of
the justice of the cause of England, and no less secure of
the superiority of her forces on the north-west coast of
America, we should then await the result with composure
—still most reluctant to endanger the peace of the world,
but most ready and resolved to punish those who may
presume to break it.—Times.

1 INVITATION TO UNITED PRAYER,

FOR TUE OUTPOURING OF THE HOLY SPIRIT, ON THURS.
DAY, IST of JANUARY, 1846, BEING 111 E FIRST DAY OF
THE NEW YEAR.

DEARLY BELOVED IN THE LORD,

The priv►lege which I have enjoyed for the last NINE
years, of inviting you to commence THE NEW YEAH, BY
UNITING IN PRAYER FOR THE OUTPOURING OF THE
HOLY SPIRIT; is, by the kind providence of God, again
vouchsafed to me. And it is with a heart desiring to ex-
press its thankfulness to the Giver of all good, fur count-
less mercies that I would renew my annual Invitatation
for this GENERAL CONCERT FOR PRAYER, which, by
Divine permission, will be held ON THURSDAY, JANUARY
1, 1846. •

he present is a period which very particularly calls for
such a devotional union; for, surely the important events
which have occurred during the present year, and which
it is probable will be more unfolded in the coming one,
are of a nature which, in a very special manner, make the
abundant outpouring of the Holy Spirit, in his enliven-
ing, enlightening, purifying, comforting, and sanctifying
grace, especially needful. Oh! that our Heavenly
Father, for his dear Son's sake, may first grant to his peo-
ple the Spirit of grace and supplication, and then in
answer to their prayers fulfil that gracious promise, "I
will open the windows of heaven, and pour out a blessing,
that there shall not be room enough to receive it."
To mention only a few of these remarkable events :
First.—The grant of the Finnan for building a Pro-
testant Church iii Jerusalem by the Sultan, which has
been at length obtained through the powerful influence
of her Majesty's ambassador at Constantinople.
The following sentences are extracted from this interest-
ing State paper :
" It has been represented, both now and before, on the
part of the British embassy, residing at my court, that
lititish and Prussian Protestant subjects visiting Jerusa-
lem, meet with difficulties and obstructions, owing to their
not possessing a place of worship for the observance of
Protestant rites, and it has been requested that permission
should be given to erect, for the first time, a special Pro-
testant place of worship, within the British Consular re-
sidence at Jerusalem. My royal permission is therefore
granted for the erection of the aforesaid special place of
worship. And my Imperial order baying been issued for
that purpose, the present decree, containing permission,
has been specialiy given from my Imperial Divan.
" When, therefore, it becomes known unto you, Vallee
of Said, governor 01 Jerusalem, you will be careful that
no person do, in any manner whatever, oppose it."—
Written on the first day of Itaniazan, 1261.
This finnan may strike the student of prophecy from
its date, 1261, or the year of the Hegira; one year beyond
the term for which it is said, "The Holy City shall be
trodden under toot of the Gentiles." (Rev. xi. '2.)

It is the more interesting, as it records that the grant
has been made, for the first lime for a Protestant place
of worship, and this, by me desire of the Queen of Great
Britain, and the King of Prussia, reminding us of that
well known prediction, " Kings shall be thy nursing
fathers, and their Queens thy nursing mothers;" and as it
also affords a very pleasing example of the benefits to be
derived from the spiritual union of Protestants in the
cause of our blessed Saviour. Seeing then that full
liberty is now obtained for erecting a Protestant church
in Jerusalem, and this when our mission there has all the
advantages of a representative of the Protestant Church,
who is by birth a Hebrew, but by the grace of God a sin-
cere believer in our Lord Jesus Christ; has at the same
time a band of faithful watchmen set upon her walls,
(Isaiah lxii. 6,7.) who hold nut their peace day nor night;
seeing also that it is written, "Not by might, nor by
power, but by my Spirit saith the Lord of Hosts," (Zsch.
iv. 6.) who would not entreat the Lord to pour out the
abundance of his Holy Spirit, 0 That out of Zion the law
may again go forth, and the word of the Lord from
Jerusalem?" (Isaiah ii. 3.)
A second event which calls for this devotional union, is
the very remarkable success which has attended the
preaching of the Gospel in Preece, and the present move.
went of the Roman Catholics in Germany. In France
whole communes have lett the church of Rome, and
placed themselves under the teaching of Protestant Minis-
ters. One French Pastor alone, during the last year, was
instrumental to opening six churches, and gathering in six
Cbrisiian flocks, all of whose members were previously
either Humanists or indifferent to all scriptural religion.
As to the movement in Germany, hswever difficult it
may be to speak of its exact nature, every one who takes
an interest in the welfare of his fellow sinners must desire
that it may lead to that suing faith in our Lord Jesus
Christ, which may give peace here, and eternal glory
hereafter. And this can only be obtained by the gift of
the Holy Spirit. Oh, may this gift be very largely be-
stowed for our blessed Saviour's sake • that those who are
at present in bondage to the Church of Rome, may attend
to the divine warning—" Conic out of her my people, that
ye be nut partakers of her sins, and that ye receive not of
her plagues."
Such a grant is the more necessary from a third event
connected with the present year—the encouragement
given by our linters to the Church of Rome.
No doubt they have done this with the best intentions,
and from a desire to promote the welfare of her Majesty's
suljects; but not taking the word of God as their sure
guide, they have alas ! overlooked the unscriptural tenets
of the Church of Rome, and the dangers to which those
Ivor are in her caurtnunien are exposed. But you, my
beloved brethren, who unite with our Protestant fore-
fathers in their belisf regarding that corrupt church, you
regard those concessions with serious alarm, and poignant
sorrow ; the noire so from the jeopardy into which our
dear Protestant brethren in our Sister Island have been
brought; and from the schism lately made in our Church
by some of the Leaders of the Tractarian Novelties, who
have le t our communion, and united themselves to the
Church of Rome; now more active than ever in spread•
ing her pernicious errors.
Surely these are loud calls for prayer, that enlightened
by the Holy Spirit, we may retain our privileges as the
Protestant nation, that our divisions may be healed, and
that our beloved brethren in Ireland may stand fast in the
faith—cheered by that gracious word, "Fear none of
those things which thou shalt suffer." "Be thou faithful
unto death, and I will give thee a crown of life."
There is yet one more event of which I desire to remind
you, which in a very special wanner, should lead to this
concert for prayer. The desire which has lately arisen in
the Church of Christ, for the scriptural union of all sin-
cere Christians. _ _ _ _ .

This invitation must of necessity be brief—but this sub-
ject is of such vital importance that I trust to your indul-
gence for stating the following reasons for every sincere
believer exerting himself to the uttermost to promote this
uni n.
_ _ _

Ist. That the whole Church of Christ in its present po-
sition, is in a state of sinful disobedience to the command
of our blessed Lord "to love one another." The guilt
conne ted with this state, will lay as a heavy burden upon
the conscience of every one who reflects upon the fre-
quency and urgency with which this command is enforced,
and the little regard which bas, in practice, been shown
to it. For who that sincerely asks himself, Have I loved
me Christian brethren with the love wherewith my blessed
Saviour has loved me, but must feel guilty? And feel.
ing his guilt, he will desire that his burden may be re-
moved. Whilst, therefore, be entreats forgiveness for the
past, re-
moved.,
aim will be that his love may be fervent fur the
future; believing that the insensibility of Christians to
this burden may have been a principal cause why our
prayers have not met with greater acceptance.
2ndly, Tbat the great Jehovah delignts in union : whilst
there is a great diversity iu all His work*, his purpose is
unity—" to gather together in one, all things in Christ,"
to make Him the Head over all his Church. The Lord
has also revealed our future blessedness to us by unity—
one Father's house—one city—one country—one kingdom
—one King over all, who is liing of kings and Lord of
lords; therefore, as we promote union, we are in our degree
following the divine mind—using our endeavours to bring
all into one bond of brotherly love.
3rdly, That whilst the Lord Jehovah delights in union,
it is very dear to the heart of our blessed Saviour, he not
only giving this as his new commandment, but making it
the subject of his last prayer. Doing this in this very
affecting manner, that if the belief and knowledge which
are mentioned in Juhn xvii , v. 21 and 23, are saving be-
lief and knowledge, then our Lord seems to soap rid the
blessedness of the world upon the love of his people. If
it be only a belief and knowledge of conviction, then the
glory of our Saviour is connected with it—the love mani-
fested by his people being the proof to the world of his
Nlessiatiship. Whichever mode of interpretation, there-
fore, is adopted, it proves that the advancementt of Chris-
tian union is of the first importt.nce.
. . .

•
4thly. That the promoting Christian union is in perfect
accordance with the ordination vows of the Church of
England, and with her devotional liturgy. At our ordi-
nation for the priesthood, the Bishop asks will you main-
tain and set forwards, AS MUCH AS LIETH IN YOU, qui.
etness, peace. and love among ALL CHRISTIAN PEOPLE.
Previously also to receiving the Lord's Supper, the first
prayer which we offer to the Divine Majesty is Beseech-
ing Thee to inspire continually the universal church with
the spirit of truth, unity, and concord; and grant that all they
that do confess Thy Holy Name, may agree in the truth
of Thy Holy Word, and live in unity and godly love "
When, therefore, clergymen are promoters of Christian
union, they are carrying out their ordinatiou vow, and all
other members of our church are acting in conformity to
their frequent prayers.
s'hly. [he great benefits which would follow such a
scriptural union. It would put to silence the cavils of
those who now speak so loudly against the party spirit of
Christians. It would much lessen those angry strifes and
contentions which alas! at present subsist between dif-
ferent members of the Church of Christ. It would pro-
mote a kind and courteous spirit in the ordinary affairs of
life; remove the prejudices which distance and strange-
ness occasion, lead to an earnest desire that these consci-
entious differences which now keep them from a full uiiion
might, if possible, be removed, and produce friendly dis-
cussions upon such subjects, iostead of hostile disputes—
each desiring that the Lord would give clearer light to hi
people, that they might at length have "the same mind
in all things."
Gaily, It would enable Christians more readily to re-
alise their final blessedness—that happy day when we
shall see " eye to eye," and when clothed "in robes wade
white with the blood of the Lamb," we shall all stand be-
fore the same throne, and unite in the sante song.
These are some of the reasons which I would respect-
fully offer to you, my beloved brethren, which would lead
sincere Christiaus to use their efforts to promote the scrly-
' tural union of all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity.
And as this cannot be expected without an abundant out-
, pouring of the Holy Spirit, it forms a very powerful nio-
' live for uniting in this concert for prayer, on the first day
of the new year, the more especial! as the spirit ~f bro-
therly love, mutual forbearance. and harmonious concord
and unanimity, which, as I am informed by persons who
were present, was manifest at the late meeting, et Liver-
pool, for promoting Christian union, warrants the pleasing
hope that this gracious God, whose name is •'Love," and
who is ever ready to hear the prayers of his faithful peo-
ple, will vouchsafe a gracious answer to our petitions.
Bearing, then, in mind that the same general cau.es
which have led to previous concerts for prayer, on OA

first day of the new year, in former years still remain—
Let me request you to reflect upon the various important
events connected with the present period to which I have
referred, as calling for special prayer for the abundaat
outpouring of the Holy Spirit; and giving them the
weight which 1 trust they merit, cheerful accept this
TBNTH INVITATION FOR PRAYER, ON .NEW YEAR'S
DAY, THURSDAY, JANUARY IST, 1816.
The following suggestions are respectfully offered, to
assist those who are desirous of this union:-
Ist. Let Christians follow the example of our blessed Lord
(Mark i. 25), who rose up a great while before day for secret
prayer. Let them thus secure the blessing of Him who says,
" Pray to thy Father which seeth iii secret, and thy Father
which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.
2nd. Let them call upon the Lord in their families, for his Spi-
rit to be poured upon themselves and their households, their
neighbours, their country, including Great Britain and Ireland,
and our Colonies, the ministers of the Lord, the churches of
Christ, and more especially the Jerusalem Mission, the remnant
of scattered Judah and outcast Israel, and upon the Gentile
world.

3rd. Where circumstances will admit of a mauling service,
let the congregation be assembled, and, in a dition to the ap-
pointed prayers and a suitable sermon, let all who a,e devoutly
disposed partake together of the Supper of the Lord—or, as may
be more conven'ent. let the whole congregation meet in the
evening for public worship, and let an appropriate discourse be
preached.

4th. Let the Ministers of the Lord meet on the following day,
with their brethren of their own communion, in earliest prayer
for themselves, their flocks, the whole body of Christ, and the
world at large ; and then especially consult together upon the
most effectual means for hasteningthe coming of the Lord's king-
dom, and particn:arly for the continuance of such a general con-
cert for prayer, that the year may proceed according to this de-
vout commencement.

May the Lord accompany these means of grace, or such
others as may be adopted, with his abundant blessing !
Oli ! may it indeed be a season of special refreshment
from the presence of the Lord !
Let this be the prayer of all who read this paper; and
as the new year is now approaching, it would be a great
kindness if those who approve the object, and have influ-
ence over the press, would republish and circulate this
invitation, which any one, into whose hands it may fall,
HAS FULL PERMISSION TO DO.

Peace be with all who love the Lord Jesus in sincerity!
Thus prays their affectionate Brother,
And Servant in the Lord.
JAMES HALDANE STEWART.
Si. Bride's, Liverpool.