Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1845-11-20

ing more and more explicit and direct. -
Il denies that there will be any, connec-
ton between tina, question and our com
mercial relations with England. Further
we are gwen TO understand tha, al the
session the next Congress our clear right
in relation TO the Oregon will embody il.
self in pos,tire lac that our claim ex.
tends 10 the whole territory; and the in
ference is plainly implied that an ,mme-
date and final settlement of the whole
question will be had upon the indispensa.
bic basis Of our exclusive right and the
sithdrawal Of all British preiens ons.
"On this great subject, " let us hear the
Union speak in its own words, "within
the last three or four years, public sent.
ment has ripened fast. In the judgment
Of vast majority of this nation, the time
is rapidly approaching say, rather,
has now come--when clear right in re-
lation TO this territory should embody IL
self in posaiipe kp. For more than TWEEN
iy years, the people OF the United States
have seen what they regard as their in.
disputable title TO this immense territory
swamped in negotiation. |, was to 6e
expected from the wisdom and true policy
Of the British government, that this nego-
iation, so barren heretofore OF good result,
when entered upon with new admins
tra;ion, which, in lis identity OF opinion on
this subject, is as one man, and which IS
sustained in that opinion by an over.
whelming mass and mastery OF public sen.
timent--l, was Justly 10 be hoped Of the
wisdom OF England, that the new nego,ia-
ton, under such auspices, and in such
hands, would, ere long, begin al least TO
secure, instead Of defeating, as in past
years it has defeated, the great ends Of
international justice.
"But, however This may be, whether the
negotiations succeed or fail. there can
be no doubt that the democratic Con-
gress now about to assemble will have a
great duty to 90 in relation to Oregon !;
and we believe that, coming TO Washing
ton fresh from conference with their con.
sttuenis, they will come together resolved
to do it. With the strong resolutions of
the Baltimore convention, and the manly
and patriotic Inaugural words OF the Pres
dent yet vivid in our memory. we cannot
doubt that the Administration is fully
prepared TO perform with frmness It's
constitutional duty of recommending to
Congress all such measures as may be
deemed essential TO the full and efficient
protection OF all our rights over every rod
Of that great DOMAIN, on the shore of the
Pacific, which is, by ar accumulated
mass Of title, the rghtful property Of the
United States"
That there may be no mistake as to
the extent of our claims to the Oregon,
the Union gives geographical outline Of
the country, describing il as reaching
from the forty second degree OF latitude
to the line of 54 deg. 40 min. north, and
saws, in its own iaiics-"Ihe American
people clam, against all other nations, tli,s
mhole domain as a part of Mear opn SOIL"
The intima,ion which we published in
Saturdays American, from the Washing.
ton correspondence OF the N, Y. Journal
of Commerce, TO the effect thai the Brit
ISL Government was willing 10 leave the
whole territory for twenty years under
the joint protection OF the two countries,
and that at the end of tina, time the ia
habitants should attach themselves to eli.
Their according to their preference, or es.
tablsh an Independent government for
themselves It they should prefer that
this iutimatlon receives no countenance
from the language Of the official paper
1t speaks on the other hand of the opera.
tons of the Hudson Bay Company and
asks, "Does this country-does Congress
wish TO know how it will work 10 the
West, in Oregon, if we only sit quietly
by as spectators, and let il alone The
problem is easily solved. We have only
to turn to the lives OF Robert Give and
of Warren Hastings, and read the pages
which tell of their doings ia Madras and
Bombay J"
There can be no mistakiHg the purport
of words like these. They can have but
one meaning. 1.-THE Administration acts
up to the ordinations here given the Ore
gon question can be peacefully settled
only on The condition Of an entire surren-
der by England Of all her claims upon the
territory. This is manifest. And 10 view
OF the alternative which presents itself on
this momentous subject, We have only to
express the hope, as We have taken occa-
sion to do before, that Congress will weigh
well the responsibility OF its actions and
prepare for consequences. /. is hardly
to De supposed tina, the British Govern.
ment viii recede from the position an
nounced by Sir ROBERT PEEL 10 the
House OF Commons in relation TO the Ore.
gon, however unwilling that Government
may be to go to war on such question.
VIII our Government indulge in the vain
expectation that the British Cabinet will
find some pretext for Withdrawing from
its position without loss Of dignity, with.
out fatal wound to its honouri Aad in
this expectation will the Government rush
into extreme measures, thinking that no
crisis of difficulty will follow' There
should be no mistake on this point; it
might prove to be dangerous one.
WnoIs REl-A Cincinnati paper says that
there is a "Na,ive" in Lancaster who car
ries his principles SO far that he refuses 10
eat Iyssh potatoes