Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1843-04-08

be as valid as the warmest advocate OF
this bill asser's it u be; the territory to
be, as To soil, elm tie, production, and
commercial advantages, all that the ar
dent Imagination of the author of The mea-
sure paints it 10 be; and Great Britain TO
be as formidable and jealous as she has
been represented. | make no issue on
either OF these ppints' ! controvert none
Of them. According TO my view OF The
subject, il il not necessary. On the con.
trarv, the cle ,rer The tile. the more valn-
able the terri DRY; and The more powerful
and hostile The British Government, the
stronger will be the ground on whiah |
rest my opposition 10 the bill.
With these preliminary remarks, re-
peat the question, Has the lime arrived,
when it would he wise and prudent for Us
To attempt to assert and maintain our ex-
elusive righ! 10 The territory, ag inst the
adverse and conf ing claim of Grea, Bri-
tain? ! answer, No, it has not; and that
for The decisive reason, because the at.
tempt, ifmadc, must prove unsuccessful
ag ,nst the resistance oil Great Bltan.-
We could neither take nor held u against
her; and that, for reason MT less d. CT.
sive-,hat she could in a mu h shorter
time, and at far less expense, conrentrllc
IL far greater force than we could in the
territory.
We seem to forget in the discussion Of
this sub ect, the great events which have
occurred in the eastern p ri OF Asa
during the last year, and VIII h have So
gre atty extended he pom er pi Great BrI-
tain in tn t quartz o, tie G nUc. She his
there, III hat pcuoj, tefunna''t s|'ceSs-
fully two wars; by one Of Wi h Sic hl>
given increase q iel and S'abiry 10 her
poss esSrns IN India; and by the other. h rs
firmly plant. her power on the eastern
coast OF China, where she will lie ly
keep up, at least for time, strong mill
larv and naval force, for The purpose Of m
I'm dati'n and strengthening her newly
acquired possession. The INT she Gu
pies there on the weste II shore of the Pa
cifir, is almost Oil ecty opposite 10 the Or
eg,n Territory, at the di't lance Of about
five thousand five hundred miles from the
month OF Columbia river, with tranquil
ocean between, which may be passed over
in six weeks In that short time, she Gighi
place, ~ 4 moce'"'o expens~. Il ST org ma
val and military force at the m )u'i' =. tA Il
river, where formidable boiy OF men, us
| hardy and energetic as any on this CONT
nen, in the scr,i e of the Hudson Bay
C mpanv, and numerous tribes OF Indians
nndcr its control, could he prepared SIS
tain and cooperate with il. Such is the
facility with which she could cnnre' trdte
n force there to maintain her claim 10 the
territory against ours, should they lie
brought iulo collision b, this bill.
now turn to examine our r,eans of
concentrating an opposing forge hy land
and wafer, should it become necessary To
maintain our claim. We have no military
or naval position in the Pacific Ocean
Our fleet would have to sail from our own
shores, and would have to cross the line
and dnubIc Cape Horn liz So degrees OF
south latitude; and, turning north. rerross
the line, and ascend to lllitnde 46 moth,
in order Ia reach the mouth of Columbia
rivera distance from New York Cover
the srraightcst and shortest line) Of m prc
than $4,000 miles, an viii h would re-
onire run of more than Is 0 10 of actual
slilino on the usual route. Instead o; SIX
weeks, The voyage would require SIX
moths. Ispeak on tie authority OF one
Of tie most experienced officers attached
to the Navy Department.
These facts are decisive. We could do
nothing by water. As far as that element
is concerne !, we could no, Oppose to her
gun or a soldier in the ierrlturv.
But, a. great as are the impcdimcnis y
wafer, they ore, at present, n It much less
so bv land. II we assume some central
point IN the Slate Of Missouri as the p &c
of rendczy Gus, from which our military
force would commence ITS mIrch for the
territory, the distance t. the mouth If he
Columbia river will he fund t. be alb II
two thousand IN les; If which murh more
Than thousand miles would lie over an
I'm, etled country, consisting OF naked
plains or mountainous reglhns, without
provisions, except such game rs the rife
might supply. On greIier portion o'
,hi, long march, the force would lie liable
to lie attacked and harraSSed by numer u
and warike tribes Of Indians, wn"e hos.
tiiities might he readily turned against u
by the British traders. To mar III IN q
distance without opposition would take up.
warts of h20 days, ass inning The march Ii
he at the usual raIe for m,Itary ftrce,.-
Should it i G :mpeded by the hnsIlitles I"
In ians, the time would be greatly pro.
longei
Iuow ak, I!w COLL any considerable
fuce sus,a n iet IN - Ing a mr h
rhr mgh a reeion d st lie # suprhe,i
A small detachment night I've on game