The Arkansas banner., 1844-04-17

Committee on Foreign Relations, were very desjrous to conceal This exhibition of my honorable friend remind me of the spelling book story of the impartial Justice, who changed his decision when he found that It was his OK that had been gored. am sorry that gentleman who possessed such large experience in national and diplomatic affairs, and who had acquired a reputation as the representative of his country at torelgn court that will be remembered with gratitude by his country when our party eonihcis oi the hour will be forgotten, and whose lead ] have followed ill support oi the late treaty with England, should be opposed to the con sideration of this measure by the Senate. Ill France, remember that, when the quintuPle treaty was on the very eve oi conclusion, the French Chamber of Deputies (and to their eternal honor be ii spoken interposed, and blew it up sky high According to my recollection, no opposition has ever been made before to the consideration of such questions by the Senate. We discussed the Maine boundary question, and the Caroline, and other foreign questions here. lnacoun- try like ours, where, thank God, the people are every thing, and public lunetionaries only 1 their servants. there could be no conccalment of public acts. The people will never re- proach us for talking here upon questions which interest them, and which ultimately ] they must settle.
 Sir, have now answered, and hope sue cessfully, the objections which have been urged against this resolution, on the ground 1 that it was discourteous to the British go- yernment, disrespectlul to the President of the United States, and inexpedient in itself 1 will now proceed to consider other objec tions that have been urged against the pas sage of this resolution, which are mainly of a domestic character-objeetions which would apply with equal force against the mea- sure, if Great Britain were not our competi- tor for Oregon, and if it were less remote than it is; and if, i'll approaching 1t, there were no deserts Ormomtains to cross, ora Cape Horn to double and, lastly, fl there were no con- templated drafts upon the public treasury for forts, and roads and troops for the defence of the country ;-obj bjections, all of which tend 10 a single point; and that is, that there should be no migration of our people now, or at any time, to the territory of Oregon. Sir, I prominent senators of the Whig party have told us but too plainly what the whole country should understand-that Oregon ought not to be settled now, or al any time, by citizens of the United States. Their ap- peals to Us postpone actionupon this subject, by which alone our title can be brought in jeopardy; their significant hints at an equiya- lent for 1t; their clustering upon the subject of our diplomatic skill ;-all these are but too well calculated 10 create panic in the public mind, followed up by belief that t is the desire of large portion, at least, of q great political party in this country, to see Oregon owned by Great Britain and settled permanently by British subjects. To what other cause can We ascribe their appeals, to defeat the settlement of Oregon, to every in- terest- i'll the country that can be approached -to fear. to ayarice, humanity, patriotism, and to ambition, philanthropy and fanatieism3 : To what other cause can we attribute the ander-eshmated value of Oregon Sir, the senators from New Jersey have uged that the country was without value for agricultural puIposes,-Was a barren waste and unfit for the habitation of civilized man. If so, why does Great Britain want it3 If so, is 1t like ly that Great Britain, powerful and wise nation, should exhibit such anxiety as has ever shown 10 possess a country so poor and so unworthy of her ambition l should hardly think so
 The Senator from Illinois Mir. Breese has favored us with much valuable information upon this subject, from missionaries and oth- CTS, and portion of it official, taken from the journals of Captain Wilkes, of the ex- ploring squadron. According to these ac- i (it,H oh | ! try is well suited for the residence of our people-lor agriculture, for pastoral purpo- ses, for manufactures, and for commercial enterprise. What more can be said of any country, in state of nature This inteIli- gence honorable senators affect to disbelieve; and, in doing so, (unknowingly, perhaps islander both earth and heaven. No coun- try on earth, that was ever heard of, Is so f poor and worthless as they represent Oregon to be. care not what it's value may be: if 1t be ours, we should have it; and that is my answer to this objection.
 One of the senators from New Jersey Mir. Miller could scarcely refrain from weeping, in rcciting to the Senate the heinous sins of our forelathers, in the tfeament of the Indian race upon this continent; and, in that affect iiiS lilCON1 llC oSho to II NG. IObs NOulu GiiN t l the poor Indian of Oregon from his camp and hunting grounds. No, sir; we would civil l ize, edlrcater and christianize him, and, in ev- cry respect, improve his conditions; wewould save and preserve them from falling by the i bloody hand of each other, and make them, as we have other tribes, what they should be under the favor of Providence, better images of their Creator. The Indians of North America with whom we have had peace and intercourse, are, at this moment, but little less civilized than were, few centuries ago, our boasted Anglo-Saxon ancestors. Such of them as have had free and uninterrupted intercourse with citizens of the United States have improved in their condition more rap idly than ever did our venerated barbarian ancestors. Ross and Red Jacket, Pitchlyn and Chilly Mcintosh, arc better educated,