The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1843-12-15


North, and South, the East and the West,
are now thoroughly convinced that Eng
land has not the shadow of claim to any
portion of that country but that IT be-
longs, of right, to us. This first step was
a wise one for unless we have right up
on our side. the United States should lag
no claim to Oregon. We complain of the
aggressons Of other nations; we ought
therefore, to stand up before the world,
with clean hands .-But once satisfied that
our tile is just, we can afford to take high
ground. ....
"Thrice is he armed who has his quarrel just"
For this reason, all that England's abest
advocates had said upon this important
subject was maturely considered, the let
ter of "a distinguished member of Parlli-
ment,' and the statements Of the British
Plenlpotentiaries, have been published.
Both sides have been fully heard. Equa
Justice has been administered. The argu-
ments, for and against, have all been
weighed in the same balance, and those
Of our adversaries have been found wan
ting. Their claims and pretensions are
contradlctory-their assertions are unloun-
ded in fact, and reasoning is unsound.
They have displayed at every step errors
and discrepancies, easily detected by the
unbiased, but which, we regret to say,
there are men of high standing among
them who either do not, or who affect not
to notice. They appear to be utterly
blind-lolded, and rush headlong to the
possession of the country in dispute, con-
,rary to reason and the law of nations
Blu! these errors and discrepancies will not
be lost sight Of before the great tribunals
of public opinion Of other nations and
we even hope that the wise and the good
of their own country, the recent pointing
of them out, will not be entirely unaval-
ing.
On the other hand, the title of the Uni
ted States to Oregon is plain, simple, and
conclusive; any one the least accustomed
to matters Of this character cannot fail to
understand it. ....
Having established the right of the Uni
ted States to this Territory, Americans
were not tardy in finding out that it was
of vast importance to every portion of the
people of the Union to possess, unmoles-
: ted, those broad lands in this delightful re-
: gion of country. .....
|. was no, a mere desire to possess
: more ample territory. No indeed; we
: have ground enough, without Oregon, to
crafty the most ambitious. Ii was to
$ give to us and to our posterity a shorter
s and easier route to the East Indies; to
e furnish us with a direct and safe transit to
e China and the rich Isles adjacent; and
. to find us a market for our lead, our lum-
= Der, our peltries, and our manufactures of
! various kinds. 1t was to insure to the
= numerous citizens concerned in our vaua-
r bic whale fisheries, safe and commodi-
; Gus harbor for their vessels and, above
e all. it was to keep at distance insidious,
} grasping and dangerous neighbors, who
= are surrounding US with Gordon of forts ;
g who are standing between us and our nat
e ural western boundary, the Pacific Ocean.
, There are many other cogent reasons,
I which will be obvious to you, who are re-
t siding in Oregon, TO urge upon us to III
sist upon our just rights to that Territory
= What is to be done make another treaty
= with Great Britain! We want no treaty.
! We might as well make a treaty about
f Philadelphia Make war! We desire no
e war; bu, when war comes we must meet
r it, as we, must all other evils, like men
e like freemen We IRISH TO settle the coHya-
' tn. Let 10000 Americans, each man
with stout heart in his bosom and good
4: riae in his hand, cmigrate to Oregon, and
S we shall have no war. The Hudson Bay
, Company amounts to less than thousand
| sous, all told, and would in very few
y years be lost amidst the population from
| the Atlantic States. The Hudson Bay
e Company are Fur Company and as
: soon as the Territory shall be settled by
a the agricultrist from the States, and the
, fur bearing animals become extinct, or
: even sensibly diminished, the Hudson
Y Bay Company will seek in California, or
r the more northern regions. of America,
e now claimed by Russia, countries more
h adapted to their pursuits. Should any OF
e them turn agriculturalists, and wish to re,
n main in Oregon, let them do so; provided
: they will conform to the just and equal
: laws of the United States. ..t
e But how, and by whom, is this emgra-
!. ton and settlement to be effected! II
t Congress will do two things, the emigra-
/ ton to Oregon and the settlement thereof
e will follow, as naturally, aye, and as ire
e ss,ibly, as water flows down an inclined