The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-21
OREGON.

Mercury" whose articles il publishes and probably
adopts, it may denominate "perfect humbug." II
is in pursuance of this system that il is circulating
all 1.-THE paragraphs which il can Gull from other Jour
nails. One of these is the "Ncw York Morning
News" II is well, therefore, to show that the
rent is not running all in one direction and we SHALL
therefore, republish some articles occasionally, by
way of offset TO the quotations of our neighbor.
We accordingly introduce, this evening, TO their at
tention series Of articles nmencing with distu-
guished wing politician, VIM. Cost Johnson, esq,
late member of Congress from the State of Mary
land
WAsmNeros, Nov. II, 1915.
To The Editors Of The Journal e( Commerce:
GENTLEMEN; My attention has been called to a
letter in late number of your paper, in which some
pointed allusion is made to opinions of mine on the
Oregon question: while acting IN AN official capacity
AZ chairman of select committee in the House of
Representatives the United States.
believe with your correspondent, that many Of
the wings in Congress in favor of asserting
the title Of the United States to the whole Of Ore
gon.
His statements in regard to thesreport on State
relief made by me in the session of 1928, seem
TO call for some explanation.
When acting as chairman Of that committee, it
became my duty TO make report in accordance
with the views Of its members. In the progress of
those labors, called on the Commissioner of Pub
lie Lands, foran estimate of the number Of Of
all the public lands Of the United States. He fur
nished me with copy of a table in which the area
Of the public lands calculated to the 49th degree
of north latitude. This statement was unwilling
to incorporate in the report, and required the Com
missioner to make the calculation to the latitude of
81 degrees 40 minutes. The Commissioner inform
ed me that he previously furnished Lord Ashburon
with copy ofthe same similar table, calculated
to the 49th degree.
As considered the title of the United States was
good to all Of Oregon as part and was valid as
to the whole, required the calculator to embrace
what believed to be oil the lands of the United
States. 1t was accordingly madeyand entered on
the books of the Land Office, and | was furnished
with a 6opy,' which will be found in House Re-
port 296, Sd session of the 29th Congress, fol-
lows:
"In making the foregoing estimate the parallel of 40 de-
grccs of north latitude taken the northern boundary
utes se northsrno,t line claimed BY the United States,
be taken the boundary then l0 5000 will be
added to the whole surface and the aggregate amount of
tn. public domain remaining to be sold BY the United States
will be l0ia73i 615 acres, which at the minimum price OF
the public lands would yield revenue Of sl,ao3 4la
7o6.
"a true COPY from the record,
THOMAS il BLAKE,
"Hon. W. Cosr JOHNSON, Commissioner.
Chairman Select Committee
ION State Relief House of Rers'
In the body Of the report at page 10, is the fol-
lowing sentence: "By the estimate of the Commits
soner of the General Land Office, referring to the
Commissioners report in the appendix the guam
tity of land yet unsod or claimed by the United
States is one thousand and fory-two million seven
hundred and thirty-one thousand seven hundred
and sixty five acres, which, estimated at dollar
and twenty-five cents per acre, the minimum gov
eminent price, would make the sum Of their value
to be one thousand three hundred and three million
four hundred and fourteen thousand sever hum
bred and six dollars and twenty-five cents--bcing
nearly seven times the amount Of government stock
proposed TO be issued"
When the report was read to the committee, it
was approved, and signed by the members in the
following order:
William Cost Johnson, James Cooper,
Meredith p. Gentry, Thomas F. Marshall,
John Quincy Adams, Calvary Morris,
Iadok Casey, Jacob M. Howard
James III. Cravens
The appendix being not completed at the time,
was authorized by the committee to prepare it, and
il ordered TO be printed by the House Of Repre-
seniatives the Cd March, Is43.
How far the several members Of the committee
may consider themselves in favor of the
claim Of the United States to all of Oregon, only
be decided by themselves. / examined the subject
at the time, and subsequent examination has con-
frmed my convictions that the entire claim of the
United States is good.
hope it never will be- What results party excite
ment may produce, will not speculate upon.
Notwithstanding there exists treaty between
the United States and Great Britain for the joint
cupation OF Oregon, as far north as the 54h degree
40 minutes, it is sometimes said, that if we assert
our right to all of Oregon, II may produce serious
difficulties between the United States and Great
Britain; and for this reason II is urged, by some,
that the United States should abandon their claim
to all the territory beyond the 49th degree of north
latitude, &c Although the treaty did not settle the
question in dispute, it did not strengthen the Eng
lish claim, nor weaken that Of the United States.
1t left the right and title Of the United States pre-
vlously existlng and nothing since has impaired
either the validity of our original title, or lessened
our capacity to maintain it. IL is doubtless unwse,
in either England the United States, to desire a
between the two countries nor do the people of
either country desire it, but the people of the United
States are the last in the world TO abandon just
right under the apprehensons Of a war II is not
their character.
This is not time when the United States can
abandon any Of her proper rights. The recent cf-
forts OF England and France TO prevent the aDnexa
ton Of Texas, and thereby prevent the spread Of
republican institutions forbid it, if there were not
other high considerations.
Whether the language of MIR. Guizot, as the Or
gan Of the French cabinet, (Which was, substnn-
tally, that France will interfere in restraining the
growth and power and glory of this republic by
maintaining the balance of powerO was induced in
consideration OF the expected protection and guard
ianship Of the English government in the lneal de-
scent Of the French crown, the result of candid
repugnance on the part of the King Of France to
the growth Of republican Institutions, will not at
tempt to decide. If the former controlled, it
an insult to the French peoples if the latter,
indigny to the United States.
The American who looks around, and behods the
elevated position Of this great republic, and contem
plates the distant future, when millions of people
shall be prospecting the shores of the Pacific, and
secs the blessings which this government has con-
ferred, and is yet to confer, upon it's own citizens
and the oppressed of other ands--ifhe believes in
the power of overriding Providence, who de.
signs results for wise purposes should neither be
disturbed nor annoyed, when the question is asked
too often by far--what is to be the course of Eng
land and France'
The principles Of the illus;rous Washington ex-
pressed in his letter to Patrick Henry of the date Of
The 9th of October, 1875, in which he invited him TO
accept of the Office of Secretary of State, should be
familiar to every American citizen. The original is
now before me, by the favor Of friend; and from it
4 folIo TALL tta unrIg