Carroll free press. [volume] (Carrollton [Ohio]) 1834-1861, 1845-05-16
sI7rom he National Tatclliigencer.
THE OR ECON QUESTION,

In presenting to the public, as we have
within a few days done, in sort Of spirit Of
s$he Press on the Oregon question, those
views Of avariety Of Journals which struck
@us as the lustest and worthest of attention,
we reserved it. ourselves to offer, at lei
sure and with delibera;ten, such comments
or such further views as thesubect and the
moment seem to require. Happily, the oc-
'casion Is notone of emergency, and, seri-
Gus asi: is, invites only the calmest consid-
~eration. II hereto fore the matter has heen
weighed ssitfsAntitled 10 be, then the case
"must be felt to be a most grave one; and If
IL has not been so weighed, it is time that it
should be. In neither contingency, ihen,
Can we be blamed, when we seek only 10
touch itaflerhaving maturely examined it.
So large is the thing itself, such its magni-
'tudeof interests and of consequences, that
he who speaks Of it suddenly incurs every
hazard of speaking of trashy, unwsely-
falsely perhaps as TO the very national honor
9whichh he means TO consdit, dangerously us to
public passions, which oughtnot to be rous-
ed unadvisedly ard ruinously as to that pub
lie prudence and rightfuIness which hasty
and inAamatory counsels mustsetat naught.
Be our rights to the territory of Oregon
what they may, tits quite possible to put
ourselvesinih the wrong, by resortng te GER
tain modes of asserting them. WhiIs far
and peaceful means Of realizing them are
yetunexhBusted, II is both entirely wrong
and unpardonabiy inprudent % appeal to ex
treme and violent ones, that bespeak injus-
tce if our opponent be weak, las in the
cIse Of MrxicO,) and risk, if she be strong,
as in the case of Britain.
Under the rules of international inter
course which civilization has by degrees
brought about, there is scarcely any case of
claim and counterclam where nation can
venture to take the violent ground that she
aoW not negotiate. To do so is distinctly TO
announce that, for other nations, all con-
tlct Of pretensions with yours must be in
tOlerabe; that you cannot be dealt win;
that you hold out to all Governments but
the alternatives of SubtniSsioA or GVdr. This
being once announced the erestof the world
will act accordingly; no weak nation will
have any thing to do with you; orsuch will
form general league against you, and, 50
70 the strong, they will, of course, fight YOU
on all occasions, good Or bad, small Or great
tor, to compromise or ConCede any thing to
country acting upon that principle would
lie impossible, and every Misunderstanding
would be at once a war.
So well settled is the rule that no nation
can fight while the opponent of its claims
offers d fair and eqaat negotiation, and SO
lnanifestiy JUST ae well as humane is that
rule, that it would seem incredible that any
Inan who was ever entrusted with public
questions should be ignorant enough to ad-
wise the contrary, or blind enough not to
gee the inevitable consequences, if that idea
were adopted which we heard repeatedly
HUigcd upon the floor Of Congress last ses-
Eion by democratic" members, that tUe
ought aever 10 negotiate!
To set up such u notion Is to revive, up
'on the most gigantic scale, that old umpi-
rage Of private rights, the t0nger Of battle,
which never was seen except in single
era Of brute and barbarous force, and at
which, for it's shocking absmdty, the very
children laugh in the present age Of reason
and Of humanity. Besides, should it not
have occurred to the persons equally vail
Cnt and discreet who uphold such policy
that, If we adop ptittowards others, they will |
all adopt it towards us; aud that, cunse-
-quentIy, all our foreign intercourse must
hot only be reduced toone Of blows alone, |
hut that even in this incessanta and uhiver-
ssal war; we could never settle any terms ofl
peace, nor the articles of captulation,
nor an exchange Of prisoners?
Certainly, by way Of lustifying this mon
Btrous proposition, these statesmen of the
progressive party took upon themselves TO
assert the remarkable historical fact that rue
'aitcays lose by negotiation! That is to say,
that the treatyof peace with Britain in 1888,
that for the purchase Of Louisiana, that Of
'Cfhent, that of Florida, and all th)se nego-
tiated under the Jacksonan dynasty, were
'disgraceful and disastrous bargains, than
which war itself would have been far more
certain and profitable
We are, however free to Acknowledge
tthutif we are to have only such megotistors
o. many Of those appointed in thest latter
days, the Progressive Democracy may be
right, and we had better abolish the henvy
expense Of our diplomatic service at once.
Hut, to return to the duty and the neces-
'sity of negotiating.
IT, in question Of adverse pretentions,
81 nation cahnat decline the offer OF peace
tful and equitable adjustment, it follows, still
'aore strongly that, once entered upon, che
'must prosecute it to the end, as long as the
'other party gives no evidence Of a mere in
'tention 70 deude her. Neither can, except
for known and fair cause, break off the
treaty. ior not only will the original duty
of a peaceful Accommodation still subsst,
Bdt the parties will have bound themselves
Thy mutual pledge, IN the positive act Of
setting on foot the negotiation. in word,
neither can abandon it, unless for some So.
'rious cause afforded by the otherand preju.
Sdicing the event, or else on account otsome
interruption by a third party, that affects
your rights. OF course, when they have
'tegun to treat, good ianh and justice binds
'loth patuse to iorbear to do any thing with
tthe view Of Uhering their respective posi-