The Arkansas banner., 1844-04-17

Oregon, because he dreads an extension ol our settlements. He says such extension oi our settlements is weakening in its tendency and fatal to the existence of the country. If 1 could think so Mr. President, ] could not onls readily excuse, but would zealously aP- l plaud his opposition to the settlement of Or egon should want no other reason than that for my opposition to the settlement oi Oregon; 1t would be reason enough for me, and would swallow up and aqsorb every oth- CT consideration. An extension of the set dement's of our country weakening in its tendency and fatal to its existence Has-eX- periencc-the best of all teachers-shown this to be the case No, sir; on the con- trary, experience has shown that, as our set dement's have extended, and as new States have been added to the coniederacy, our country has become stronger and stronger, not only externally, but internally. Inher- iting from our ancestors an immense surface of country, and having purchased an empire, since, wild and unsettled and uncultivated, we have been enabled to invite emigrants from all countries to our shores, and to grant each of them the right of citizenship and po- litical equality, never by them before enjoy
 ed. Grateful for such blessings as these, and having nothing torememberin the coun- try from which they came, but their wrongs and their expressions, they at once love and venerate this country, and all her institutions. They incorporate themselves into the masses, and become a part of them, ready, at all times, 10 discharge any public duty required at their hands by the country of their adop- ton. This policy, founded upon the extent and condition of our landed inheritance, has produced the rapid and unexampled growth of this country-a growth extending from three and half to eighteen millions of pop ulation. in the lifetime of a single generation an increase from thirteen to twenty-six States, and three Territories, in less that 50 years. Shall this wise policy be abrogated now? Shall we make no further extension of our settlements And wherefore? On account of internal danger? No, sir; the people of any country are not apt to become dissatisfied, or corrupt, or treacherous, if the government be wisely administered. If the rights of the people, for whose benefit erclu- sjUeiy all governments were established, are but properly respected; if they share in common with all others, equal political rights and enjoy equal privileges, and bear but an equal and proper proportion of the public burdens; If they have homes, and comforts. and independence, and ownershipin in the soil, room, air, and the means of a livelihood, and are not crowded, dependent and starving- you will never have either treason or rebel lion to encounter and conquer ' ou will have nothing to fear, however extended the cC,
 in country like ours, based upon the rep resentative principle, where all the wants and wishes of the glorious and majestic people, however widely apart their domicils, are cer- tainly to be attended to, as the representa- tive holds his station by the tenure of their appreciation. An extension of the settlements of our country weakening in its tendency ! Has experience in this country established the truth of this theory l have answered that question. We're we taught this phiIos- ophy when boys al school, or have we leaIn- ed 1t from observation and history in our manhood2 Neither, sir And yet the sen- ator tells Us that sparse settlements are apt to fly of. Can he give ls all illustration ?- No, sir Tie only traitors we have ever had were from the old and pePulous States, and near the centre. The only alarming dis affection we have ever had, or now have, has existed in the old States, and near the centre. The senator tells us that, as our settlements become more and more remote, their attach ment for the country becomes less and less ardent-that they become like citizens ofthe world, who have no ties. had before thought that the objection to a citizen of the world was, not that he had no ties, but too many Where has the senator found any evidence to show that our remote settlements have lost any of their attachment to the Union3 Will we find itin the history of our wars2 Will we find 1t in the records of our i courts think not Where then is the evidence of our want of attachment to this Union' The senator has not made, and can not make, any specification. It is, sir, a mere fancy sketch.
 Sir, the honorable senators on the other side attempt to check our ardor for Oregon by representing 1t as poor and valueless ;-- they appeal to the E'milz of human kindness which oyerfows in our breasts in behalf of the poor Indians who reside there; they appeal to our patriotism and excite our fears, by telling us, if we persist in this favorite de- lliO1SbtiC IlCttouiC9 tllpb NC liCul tIC lIdLdlNi of dissolving this confederacy; and, lest all these should fail, they appeal to our pockets. Sir, the senator from Massachusetts made a similar appeal the other day He told us that our policy would rekindle the fire of the forges of Pennsylvania, which were now ex- tinguished; and that the looms and spinning jennies, and all the other whelps of the pro- tected interests, would spring once more in- to life and activity in all their monopolizing vigor, eXtortion, and oppression. They tell Us of the immense sums of money our Quix- otic project of settling Oregon is to cost the nation for building forts and roads, and in i subsisting our little army in that remote and sterile region. They remind us of the taxes which will have to be assessed, and the bur dens we shall have to bean, to meet the enor- mons evDausos of tLic wild aod bagar,J o,te