The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1845-05-24
From the (BuIalo) National Pilot.
THE OREGON QUESTION.

nation of the English press toward.
this country upon any and ill Questions
are, upon thatof'the Oregon territory
IN strong contrast just now with the
palliative 'twatte Of a part of the press
in the United States, and the drowsy
indifference which is manifested by an
other'large portion.
Emboldened by her success in OBJ.
tanning from us, in the adjustment oI
the Maine boundary, a portion of the
United STATES, which she had actually
conveyed to US twice by solemn treaty,
England now urges with the more con
fidence claim to Oregon, in the hope
that we may be again driven from our
rights. We lost caste in the eyes Of the
world, by that, and we have now ell
ther to retrieve our national character
or sink still deeper IN national disgrace.
After the evidences which have been
laid before the world, touching our
right 10 Oregon, it is idle longer to talk
seriously of England's having any more
claim than she had TO the part of Maine
which was so disgracefuily yielded to
her by the Ashburton treaty. Yet she
claims ALL that she may secure 4 part;
and after clustering about her readiness
for concession, for yielding up her just
rights, as she names her braggart pre-
tensions, she then comes forward with
a proposition to divide! But there is
a feature IN this Oregon question, and
the English notion of division, there,
to which we fear, attention has not
been sufficiently drawn. The English
are so anxious for amicable adjustment,
say they, that they are willing 20 take
the northern portion of Oregon, bound
ed by the river Of that name, and give
US the rest; and we have in times past
actually made propositions to them of
something of this kind! Did our au-
thorities not know then, and do not
the people now understand, that all the
harbors there are, or can be, upon the
coast Of Oregon, lie north of the mouth
of the Oregon river! England did not
accept any of the offers made; and now
with better kno wledge of the coast,
we may see why she is so ready to
take the north part. Could the harbors
all be shifted to the southern portion,
then we should find her choice shifting
as readily to that. What, it may be
asked, can or could we do with a coast
ON the Pacific, without harbors? With
all the llarbors in the hands of the Eng
lish government, The entire coast for all
practicable purposes would be theirs.
The United States in this matter have
more, much more, to fear from crafty
and corrupting intrigue than from open
force. We repeat that, since their sue
cess in wrestling from us portion of
Maine, our opponents have embolden-
ed in their schemes of aggression; and
if we are ever to have national char
acter--which now we can scarely be
said to have-we must both deserve
and command one.
The language Of some OF the Allan
tic press, upon the pending question,
cannot be too deeply depIored. A
sheet now before US, in commenting
upon Sir Robert Peel's declaration that
England's claim 10 Oregon is clear and
indisputabls, says, she was wrong in
forgetting that he and other British
statesmen had been equally positive
concerning the Maine boundary, while
the very proofs within the possessions
Of their government, that the preten-
tons Of the United States were well
founded"
How then comes it, let US ask, if this
be admitted, as it must be, that we lost
part of Maine by the Ashburton trea-
ty! And yet this very paper was the
standing defender of the Ashburton
treaty which gave away our rights; and
it dwelt again and again, during the
negotiations, upon the vast importance
we were to derive from the free navi-
CATION of the st. Johns; yet when the
treaty appeared, no such freedom was
ours.
In the next paragraph, the language
of the same sheet is
"But how shall the two countries or
either Of them, draw back from the po-
sition in which they are placed; by the
language of their official spokesmen?
Very easily-just as they did in the
matter Of the Maine boundary"
Here, then, is the distinct position Il
te repeat the disgrace of the Maine af-
fair, by again abandoning our rights
Can Americans look with approval
upon such council? We hope and trust
not. however influential the sheet which
promulgates it.
We cite not this censoriously- far
from it-but in the hope of correcting
il. and of showing the necessity there !