New-York daily tribune., 1844-10-28
Oregon,

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them, advocate the inmediate occupation OF Ore
-on as II territory rghruly belonging TO the United
States They have no need o. treaty Tor It's pos
session. because 10 nation save TINS mas any ciaiii
10 rod OF the territory. Inns IS the rieht ana tKe
true doctrine. IL is time that check was placed
upon the attempt of any nation 10 rob US OF our er-
ritory-io claim il the ground ct illegal occups-
ZION. The Oregon was admitted 10 belong 10 tne
United States, BY ths treaty OF Ghent and was re-
stored TO US Immediately after. Great Britain sub
sequentiy op.ned negotiations tor the JOINT occuPa-
ton OF Oregon and il was granted by our Govern
ment
She has 10 shadow Of right 10 the territory, but
whoever would open treaty with GREAT Britain on
the subecl tac,y admits she has such a right. tor
this reason the Democrats declare tor the extension
of our authority over every incA ol the oregon,
without any consultation with Great Britain.
n We find the above in the Saratoga Senti,
mel, side by side with f,co assertions that MI.
CLAW once said, III we cannot have black slaves,
we must have uh;te ones," &c. This slander
las been SO thoroughly reiuted that none but the
most reckless and abandoned liars now repeat 1t.
in one case, the Sentinel refers to the National
Inelligencer as authority for the bel, but this is
gross fraud. The Intelljgencer never made
an7 such statement. a Mr.. Rich of Vt. who
was opposed to Nlr Clay, reported his own speech
on the hls;oun Compromise nearly year after
/. was delivered, and in note TO it stated that
alr. CLAY the yeat before had said something 10
his efect This charge, which attracted no no.
tice at the time. MIR. Clay has most positively
contradicted, ana nobody has attempted to sub
s;antiate It.
And now es 10 Oregon. That region was moi
admitted to belong TO the United States by the
treaty of Ghent. Both nations clallned 1t then,
and neither gave it up, but England was COM
pel!ed to give up the Little for. OF blockhouae ct
Astoria under general stipulation for the mutual
restoration of conquests; this fort having been
established as private trading post by John
Jacob Astor of this city.
British trappers and traders, as well as Amerl-
cans, had settled in Oregon before we had any
understanding on the subject. Neither nation
would relnquish that territory. 1t was finally
settled by Treaty that the citizens Of each coun-
Try should be unmolesied by the other, but should
10 under the rule Of their own Government.
And it was further stipulated that, whenever
either Government should become dissatisfied
with this arrangement it should give the other
ioelue months notice Of lis intention 10 termi-
nate it. Thus the matter STANDS TO this day,
Various attempts have been made in Congress to
instruct our Executive to give the required no.
,ice, but every one has failed. The only time
james h. Polk voted upon the question was in
1928, and he voted against the proposition, and
in favor Of letting things remain as they were.
Another attempt was made in the last Con-
sress, when John c. Calhoun was foremost in
defeating it, lie demonstrated that we need
only practice "a wise and masterly inactivity y
and we shal! surely obtain the whole without
difficulty. The British in Oregon are main-
ly trappers, and furs are growing SCARCE ; the
Yankees ;here are farmers, mechanics, &C. and
every year is doubling their number. Ii our
Government will simply Let the matter alone,
Oregon is ours 10 certainty, and by process
of which Great Britain cannot complain. But
il we should commence, as the Sentinel urges, By
violating our engagements with England, we
shall have no right TO expect So favorable an
,Ssno