Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-11-08
THE OREGON QUESTION.

Ii gives MS sincere Satisfaction 10 discover at
length some signs Of the awakening Of the common
sense, as well the intelligence of the People, to
the magnitude of the considerations and conse-
quences involved in what is familiarity called THE
OREooN QUESTION; and that that question is be-
ginning to be seriously regarded by those whose
destiny, for veal or woe, may hang upon it. We
refer to the Mercantile Interest," the Navigating In
.erest, and the universal Agricultural Interest.
Hitherto the question has been lef almost altoge-
her in the hands of political theorists and specu-
ators, who, instead Of calculating the cost and the
moral evil Of such conflict, intent on the
amount of political capital they canshope 20 make
rom involving the country in War with Great
Britain, and the vast amount of additional patron
age it will secure for their party. These persons
ind their organs have indeed been laboring to ex-
asperate the public feeling to war-heat, with as
much zeal as-instead of meditating the atrocious
crime of punging their country into an entirely UNI
necessary but bloody and destructive war-good
men and true patriots would show in guarding and
rescuing their country from so dire calamity.
At length however, the public sentinels are shak-
ing off the lethargy under which they have appeared
to be stlessly slumbering, and sounding the alarm
to the-People whose dearest interests are at stake
upon this issue. .s
AS one Of the most recent evidences Of this fact
we copy the following paragraphs, which have just
caught our eye, from paper which cannot be ac-
cased of any such bias against the Administration
Us is likely to influence its judgment in matter Of
right and wrong
PROM THE JOURNAL coMMERcE, OCTOBER 80.
THE OREeoN QUEsTIoN.-We fear that our fell
low-citizens not sufficiently aware Of the pre-
curious state of our foreign relations. 1t is well
understood that the Oregon negotiation is making no
progress, the claims Of the two parties being ire
eoncable, and neither being disposed yield Meanwhile
another session Of Congress approaching and is more
than probable that the House of Representatives will
give England notice of wish the joint oc
eipancy of Oregon the end Of year. according to the
treaty Neither will il surprise if the Senate concur In
his case have little doubt that England will consider the
negotiation end Not that she would call question
right to terminate the joint occupancy by giving the
CURED notice. that the giving Of such notice would be
sef any ground Of offence Il the act ITSELF but The
circumstances and implications Of it, which would make il
oensive. England would consrue il virtual abando
aent Of negotiation, and appeal to the power Of the sron
There great dead Of sersrus defamation about ON
lights to " the whols Of Oregon and generally comes nom
men ignorant as they stupid What do they know
about claims to the whole Of Oregon Perhaps they have
read article in their county newspaper which told them we
had good right to Oregon to Massachusetts, per-
laps they dreamed it. But venture say that
thousand of these noisy declamershas examined the subject
understands its merits. It is, in TRUTH subject of great
difficulty. The evidence, far south as the Columbia
iver all side by great deal And when we
come latitude 400 the claim of England is better than
There doubt of this any disinteresed man
auanted with the would say And here is another
.rsl~..
concede and in the next refuse reference. What al
tentative remains but total abandonment of the territory by
Great Britain, war We know Of no other alternative
Now certain that Great Britain never will abandon
the entire territory TO us up $40 40 the Russian
boundary, what will She do il without dis
honor What have put it into the heads of neota-
make such demand Have again and again
offered adopt latitude forty and long since the ques-
ton would have been settled that basis had not England
refused If we rightly understand the case she might posi-
bly, to that boundary far the Pacific
ocean, retaining herself the whole of Vancouvers Island
which extends about half degree below latitude 49o The
right of navigating Columbia would be of importance
her latitude forynne adopted the boundary
If the question be adjusted this basis namely by
extending present boundary, fixed by the Ashburton
treaty of the Rocky Mountains the Pacific ocean, we
contend that Government is guilty Of gross derelicon
of duty in accepting the compromise and thus putting
end to this last boundary dispute which have with
England Perhaps mistaken in the extent of
son which England prepared to make by way Of compro-
mise but latitude 400 has been openly advocated by
the more moderate English papers, including the London
amne as the per boundary, and there every reason
believe that the British Government disposed to meet us ON
what deems liberal terms Although conscious Of her power
England does not want with any nation and least Of all
perhaps with the United States whom she can pse "a ,,b
better advantage by trading with her than bv 6ohtno ber
England does not want war; but she will have it, and we shall
have surely we undertake grasp the whole Of Ore
gon latitude $40 40, above latitude ago. The conv;c
ton is strong in England that she has rights TO Oregon
and although they admitted be imperfect speaking q
Oregon WHOLE yet they too valid to be wholly sban
doned to be wrestcd from her by any other Power
These grave and timely suggestions by the Jour
! nal Of Commerce are followed up in that paper by
some observations on the probable character of a
war with England, which we reserve for publication
on another day.
In the same paper Of the 3lst Friday last we
shnd the following notice of an important rumor
concerning this matter:
IMPORTANT RuMon.--Tt Is rumored that Mr.. Paken-
han the British Minister Washington, finding there is
ma hope OF adjusting the Oregon question: either by
promise or arbitration, has proposed the whole terrific
N Its present condition for twenty years. under the Joint
protection of England and the United States and with the
stipulation that at the end Of said period its then inhabitants
may attach themselves to either country or erect themselves
% an independent sovereignty they may prefer II sucb
proposition has been made, that il win be occen
En- he eff fcf q H.. - A.