Sunbury American and Shamokin journal. [volume] (Sunbury, Northumberland Co., Pa.) 1840-1848, 1845-12-27
DEBATk IN THE u, =. SENATE.
MONDAY, December Is, ls45.
THE NATIONAL DEFENCES.

/ The following resolutions, submitted by Mr..
CAss on former day, were taken up for consi.
deration
Resoirrd, That the Committee on Military
Affairs be instructed to inquire into the condi.
tion OF the hatinnsl Notifications and Of their ar.
maments i, and whether other defensive works
are necessary and into the condition and guam
( tity Of the military supplies and into the state
of the means possessed BY the Government for
! the defence Of the country.
! Resoired, That the Committee on the Mil.
/ tia be instructed to inquire into the present
condition Of that great branch orthe public ser.
vice, and into the state of the militia law and
| that they be further instructed to report such
changes in the existing system as will give more
experience and efficiency to that arm Of defence,
and will place it in the best condition for pro.
tecting the country, should it be exposed to for.
egn Invasion.
Resolrcd That the Committee on Naval AZ
fairs be instructed to inquire into the condition
OF the navy Of the United States, aud the qusn.
tl'y and condition of supplies now on hand and
whether an increase of them is not necesssry to
the efficient operation of the navy, and TO its
preservation and augmentation and, generally,
into its capacity for defending our coast and our
commerce, and for any service the exigencies
of The country may probably require.
The resolutions having been read
Mr. CASS rose and addressed the Senate.
10 II possible, said he. to read the Message Of
the President Of the United States 10 CONGRESS.
and to witness the indication of public opinion
which are disclosed about us without being a.
ware that crisis rapidly approaches that the
present state Of the intercourse between thi.
country and Great Britain demands serious con.
sidnration, and may demand a cordial co.opera.
ton in action on the part Of Congress. and the
whole nation! The President has told us that
the negotiations have arrived at, if not a close
at all events which 10 about tantamount to a
close The claims Of the two nations he finds
utterly irreconcileable, and relinquishment Of
claims to some extent on the part of one or both
| countries, or the Intervention of mediating
, power, seem now to be the only alternatives
which can avert that most disastrous event, a
state of war
If then we cannot, with due regard to ma.
t'onal honor, retrace our steps, as England has
| placed herself in our path what course is before
US! have no hesitation in saying, if Englan nd
adheres to her last proposition, and refuses 10
yalt Oh = -, \
war. hope, nav, say rather, wish that
Eng land would awaken'to a sense of her inus.
tice, and yield when she can yield honorably
But will she do so! 1t is safest to believe she
wifi not and this dictate of caution ia fortified
by the whole tenor Of her conduct. What did
she ever renqnish 10 hold that she had once
! gained The course taken by the two great
leaders Of her administration may be regarded
as pretty sure index of what may be expec.
ted from her policy.
Mr.. CAss here quoted from the London
Morning Chronicle a portion of the debate
which occurred in the House of Cummons, A.
prIl 5. 1Si5, in relation to the proposed annex.
alton Of Texas to the y. States
Mr.. MANGUM said he was not little sur.
prlsed thata gentleman who felt SO strong 4
confidence, then in the Executive, should have
found 1t necessary to move the adoption, by this
body, of resolutions of this description at time
like the present. The public mind was ntla.
med by the rumors which were spread abroad
concerning the state of the negotiations about
Oregon, and it was expected by some tina, we
were to be plunged into a war forthwith. This,
then, he considered very unpropitious time for
proposing the adoption of resolutions such as
these and above all, for holding the language
which the honorable Senator had used this day.
lie prayed God that the greatest of all nation
al evils might not come upon us he was quite
willing to entrust the negotiation to the Presi-
dent; and he would say, that, in his humble
Judgment, all agitation Of the qnestion--vi
peration, recriminaton--all this was calcula.
ted to precipitate US into that condition which
every man who regards his countrys welfare
would deeply deplore.
Sir, when the gentleman tells US that Great
Britain is the mistress of SO many miions-l
beg pardon for urging a vulgar phrase-I will
out bray the Senstor.-If she was mistress nj
the world. and lrampled upon our rights, she
should be humbled Sir, it would be deep re.
proach in the present day that war should be
promoted between two enlightened nations. |,
cannot be justified and in my humble opinion
ifa war should occur, the Oregon question will
be nothing more than pretext.
The world is now apitsted. beayinr and strug