Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-05-23
Correspondence efthe NsO York C9urier.
THE OREGON QUESTION.


OF Supply, lord John Russell, being called
upon, rose pursuant to notice, and stated
| his desire 70 call the attention Of the house
and OF the government, TO certain oIscrva-
tions in The inaugural address Of the new
Presidentot the United States. Whatever
might be his s0plnions on the general terrific
! rial question at issue, he had felt it his du-
! ty, and considered it to be the duty Of every
public man to abstain from publicly advan-
! cling those opinions. while their subject for
med the basis Of negotiations between the
governments Of the two countries. But
this Oregon question had been in Hanner,
taken out OF the sphere of diplomatic nego-
tiatiOn, hy method atonce new and otiec-
tionabe, and which threatened TO Overbear,
by an appeal to popular feeling, the ordinary
methods Of proceeding between nations.
The speech also alluded, he said, Though
he Introduced this matter parenthetIcally,)
to an increase of the territory of the Union
"a very large geimcrease, an increase whose
limits and extent Were by no means def
ned; for Texas was annexed without any
specified boundaries, and the territory thus
acquired might he found to extend even to
the Pacific. Mr.. Webster had expressed
an opinion that the duty as well as the pol
icy of the Union was against an increase
OF territory, and that her proper arm was
the Improvement and development of her
vast existing resources. But this policy
had been openly departed from, and the ac.
cession Of territory almost declared to form
para Of the policy Of the United States.
His lordship then returned to the avow-
ed subject of his remarks, and read a pas
sage from Mr.. Folks address, in which that
gentleman asserts that "our title to the Or
egon is clear and indisputabe," and recon-
nends the American people to carry out
that right by possessing it with their wives
aud children" &c.
He felt himself compelled to call atten-
ton to the state Of the question, and 10 in
quirp how far Mr.. Polk was justified, UHder
eTidiag circumstances, and while negotia-
lions were in progress, in asserting the right
of the United States to bp "clear and in
disputabe," and in declaring his intentions
respecting the assertion Of that right with
out geterence to reales.
He then enumerated the usual methods
OF acquiring claim to territory; first, by
/ ancien, discovery; second, by treaty; third,
bv recent discovery and ancient Occupa-
ton; and inquired by which Of these meth.
ods the Uni:ed States had acquired title
4 to the territory now in dispute.
His lOrdshjp then proceeded to review
and compare the England and American
claims. which he did in very fair tore and
spirit, though, of course, with an undisgui.
sed persuasion Of the justice Of the English
claim and the comparative groundlessness
of the American, and summed up thus; on
Y the first ground Of right-.A0ciem DiScoUe.
ry-the English title was the best OF the
two: on the second basis Of the title, tred.
sV, the United States had no ground torres
upon, except for the right of joint ocCupan
o cy: and thirdly. as to ,M,derH Discovery GRC
Settlement, the English title, acquired by tht
discovery of Vancouver and perfected by
the extensive settlements OF the HudsOnt
Bay company, was farsuperior toany slma
title which the United States could alIege.
He then referred to the negotiations be-
tween Messrs, Rush and Huskisson, anC
TO the fact that they never were brought tC
y any satisfactory result. The two coun
tries had never gone farther than to agree
upon Joint occupancy without any rights
of exclusive sovereignty.
But now new circumstance had occur
red; new and most important event haC
, been brought to bear upon the question:
, President Polk had made aperemptory CLAIM
O to the Whoie territory, and in an unusna
y and an unwarrantable manner called upOI
q the American people TO establish their claim
by occupying it with their families. Ate
= this event it was impossible that the BritSl
" Government should fail TO ask speedy so
K luton OF the whole question; impossible
y that this unsettled state of things SHOULD
/. be allowed to continue. The carrying on
d of Mr.. cPok's suggestions must produce
, hostile collision between English and A
# mericans in the territory itself; and the con
sequences of such collision needed no pro
phetiC comment.
He was not prepared to say how much
70 the English Governmental should concede 10
n the sake of peace. He was not prepared
to say that they ought to yield anything
(He was here interrupted by vehement chee
ring) He thinks no proposal more tavora
bic than the one made by Mr. Canning car
possibly be made. Some persons think i
n does not much matter which way ques
ton is decided, affecting only certain ex
/. tent of barren territory-but it does matter
1t was not to be thought Sf that territory
3 to which England conscientiously asserted
u a claim, should be yielded to what he mus
term mere clustering assertion OF right
q loud cheers)--no to be permitted that the
r tone and character of English diplomacy
n should be lowered by unworthy concessions
/, He repeated that he should have abstain
4 ed from ausion TO this question had it beer
allowed to remain one Of diplomacy; bu
after the removal of it from that sphere il
the manner described, he felt it to be hi'
!, duty to bring it under consideration. HI
lord John RusselD could do in the matter
2 as an unofficial person, what minister
could not, unless they departed from tn
course prescribed by custom and courtesy
while the subject was still under negotia