The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-24
nREdoN.


mary expose of MIR. Gushing on the Oregon ques-
ton, which he has recently delivered to res.
pectablc meeting OF the citizens of Boston, He
reduces the whole question to nutshell. Those
who desirea more expanded statement Of the facts
of the case, and Of the arguments in favor of our
"clear and enquesonable" title to Oregon viii con-
suit public dispatches, the reports of commit
tees, the debates in Congress, and the admira-
bic History of Oregon and California" by Robert
Greenhow, esq, of the Department of State. We
recommend Mr. Cashings speech to the readers at
tention II is conciatory, but FIRM pacific, but de-
cided II goes for prompt and decisive action; for
an honorable peace but if necessary, for the strong
est measures to support the rights and honor of
our country.
The seals are soon to be broken The Presi-
dents message will explain to the representatives
of the people the course which he has taken since
he came into power--with tho results Of the ne
gotiaiion which he has pursued. He will ex-
plain the present attitude Of this important ques-
ton, the views which he has formed, and the
measures which he will recommend to the adop-
ton of Congress. If the wigwam OF the nation,
which is to reassemble Monday next, shall reflect
sen'atives, we may expect great degree of concer.
and great energy of action. Even Mr.. John @.
Adams then declared, that "the time for action had
come" and that she believed the time had come
when they should give notice to Great Britain
for the termination Of the Joint occupation--he was
for bringing this issue to point" Mr.. Preston
King, Of New York, declared in debate, that he
"woad repel the first intimaon that any portion of
Oregon was to be ceded by negotiation to Great
Britain" 1t was in the same debate, on the bill
providing for extending the jurisdiction of the
United States over the territory of Oregon that
Mr.. Thompson, of Mississippi, repealed the idea
that 'the Oregon question was Northern one"
He declared that 'the North was no more interested
in it than the South; that the only question was is
this territory ours:n He then contended that Ore
gon was as much an American measure as Texas
was; 'that the public mind was as firmly fixed on
the occupation of Oregon, as it was on the annexa-
ton of Texas that at the last CANVASS the subjects of
Texas and Oregon occupied large space in the
public mind any other subjects that were brought
in issue; and he believed that, by the election Of
Polk and Dallas, these questions were clearly and
deciaivey settled by the American people," In this
shape the question is probably destined to come
before the next Congress. Texas and Oregon were
both held, during the last campaign to be great
american measures" they were both adopted in
that character by the Baltimore convention and SO
recognised by the people; and, what is more strik-
inc still, they embraced in the same resolution,
and thus indissolubly connected in public opinion.
From the Boston Post
We have only room to ask the careful a.ten-
ton of our readers to the candid patriotic, and ex-
ceedingy able address upon Oregon, delivered in
this city on Wednesday evening last, by the Hon.
Caleb Gushing, our late minister to China. We
ask subscribers to preserve for future refer
ence and perusal, il presents full and impartial
history of the whole question:
HON, CALEB CusHING's LECTURE ON OREGON.
There is, at the present moment, no subject of
such deep and general interest to the United States,
and there is, at the same time, in regard to
which, judging from the language of many of the
public journals such complete and extraordinary
Misrepresentation prevails among us, as that of
Oregon. Having been much connected with this
question myself, while in Congress, my attention
has been drawn very naturally to the passing dis
cussions regarding il. find some persons of opii-
ion, that the British title TO part, or even the
WHOLE Of Oregon, is equal--nay, superior--to that
Of the United States; although, as appears from
official public documents, the British government,
ed, but, on the contrary has expressly and une-
quivocally disavowed, title TO single Of
ground in Oregon. A respectable newspaper now
before me- published in this State, in which it is
assamed--by ourselves at least--that great degree
of knowledge is difused, through all classes of men
deliberately afrms that, if possible, the British and
American claims be equal north Of latitude 40, yet
to the south of that parallel, the British claim is
clearly better than the American when the exact
reverse Of this is the fact One writer argues with
perfect sefcomplacency Of belief that the establish
menis Of the Hudson's Bay Company in Oregon
give title to England, notwithstanding the contrary
is positively agreed by treaty between the two
governments. How often il is said, also, that
Great Britain would willingly compromise this
question: and that the unreasonabeness and obsti-
macy of the American government are precipitating
the United States into war; when, to the contrary
of this the United States have several stages Of
the controversy made the most liberal offers of
compromise-such as to divide the disputed territory
INTO two equal parts, by continuing our present
boundary from the Rocky mountains to the Pacific
ocean, although our government thinks we have a
good title to tie whole Of Oregon; and the British
government admits that England has no title TO any
part of III which offers have been most unreasonaby
refused by Great Britain. ] am unwilling to as
| cribe all these, and host of other prevailing
rors on the subject, TO mere party prejudice; and /
| am sure they cannot come from want of patriot
ism; but apprehend the evil to arise from the de-
plorable tendency which exists among us to copy
our IDEAS from England; from the many popular
English essays on this question which have been
republished and widely circulated in the United
States; and from the consequence that under the in
sensible influence of our want of intellectual indie.
pendence, Americans have suffered their judgment
Of the merits of controversy between us and Great
Britain to be fixed by the interested, disngenuous,
false, and, let me add, profoundly ignorant argu-
ments Of our adversarys press regardless Of what is
said by statesmen, and of the truth Of the
as exposed in the official correspondence Of the two
governments. And in view Of all this, feel conf
dent there is nothing could say the present
casion more welLtmed and useful, or, trust, more
acceptable, than briefly to explain the real nature
| and present state of the Oregon question.
| beg leave, in advance, to say to the gentlsmsn
present, that, in the discussion of this question:
shall of avoid all party matters; to the ladies'
that--historical and diplomatic the subject isl
trust they cannot be unwilling TO understand the
merits Of question upon which their fathers and
h.aahaada da raaailalsx be sIiuaraancd Ia