The Kalida venture. [volume] (Kalida, Ohio) 1841-1865, 1845-04-04

that she is willing to have it divided. If|
England thought her title had one ounce of
right in it, she would spend millions Of
pounds before she. would consent to divide
or share any part of Oregon. She would be
the last nation on earth to surrender an acre
of so valuable domain to which she has
just title. There is an illusrious precedent
contained in the hook of books, and history
of histories, which of itself condemns Great
Britain. BY her proposition to divide, she
furnishes evidence Of want of title, which is
most beautifully illustrated in the judicial
decision of an illustrous king of Israel:
1.-Two women brought child before the king;
and the one woman said: % my Lord, l and this
woman dwelt in one house, and was delivered
of child with her in the same house; and 1t
came to pass, the third day after was delivered,
that this woman was delivered also; and we were
together; there was no stranger with us in the
house save we two in the house. And this wo-
mans child died in tho night, because she over
laid it.. And she arose at midnight, and took my
son from beside me, while thine handmade slept,
and laid it to her bosom, and laid her dead child
in my bosom. And when | arose in the morning
to give my child suck, behold, it was dead; but
when had considered it in the morning, behold,
it was not my son which did bear" And the
other woman said, MAY, but the living is my son,
and the dead is thy son." And this said No.
but the dead is thy son, and the living is my son..
Thus they spakc before the king. Then said the
king: 1.-The one saith, This is my son that liv-
eth, and thy son is dead; and the other saith,
Nay, but thy son is dead, and my son is the Ii
wing" And the king said, 6 Bring me a sword"
Aad they brought sword before tho king. And
the king said, y" Divide the living child in two,
and give half to the one and half to the other"
Then spakc the woman whose the living child
was unto the king, (for her bowels ycnrnod upon
her SON. and she said, % my lord, give her the
living child, and in no wise say it," But the
other said, Let it be neither mine nor thine, but
divide it." Then the king answered and said,
{! Give her the living child, and in no wise slay
it, she is the mother thereof"
So we say, in the language of the true
mother, and in the language Of the king of
Israel, we will not permit this child to be di-
vided. If one half of the child belonged
to the Israclitsh mother, the other half be-
longed to her also. If one half of Oregon
belongs to US, repeat, the other halfbelongs
TO US also.
Having briefly discussed our right TO Orc
gon, l next proceed to the consideration Of
the policy of its practical possession and
Jurisdiction That we should occupy and
control Oregon, and that it is our right 20 do
so ultimately, few will be found TO deny.
And why procrastinate? Why permit the
thief of time 10 gradually diminish our title I?
We have already permitted ourselves 10 be
negotiated, until it is thought, on the part of
some, that our title is doubtful, or that we
fear the contest of its title. Now is the
time to possess ourselves of Oregon. Now
is the time when the American people have
demanded that The egis of our laws should
be extended over it. Shall we be told (as
we have been in relation 10 Louisiana and
other Territories which we have possessed
ourselves of) that Oregon is poor, barren,
steril, and mountainous, and not worth the
blood it will cost to own it? That argument
will do for the man who looks more 10 his
own immediate interest or peace than to the
glory, honor and interest of his country, in
time present as we'll as to come. Such an
argument will do for the "peacc man." who,
when he receives smite on one side of the |
face, will, in Christian piety, turn the other:
but such is not the American character,
however imperious the moral duty. We
have evidence of the beauty and fertility of
Oregon, by those who speak of what they
know what they say to be true. But if Ore
gon were barren rock, with nothing OH its
summit but a dead fish, it is ours, and we
will have it. Oregon is part of our north
west coast; and we are, in national honor,
bound TO permit no foreign power, friend or
foe, to occupy it. Oregon is our territory; and
we owe it to ourselves and to those who are
TO come after us TO fence it in by our laws
and our jurisdiction, TO preserve our fshe-
ries, our timber, and our valuable animals
from the rapacious plunderers of the wide
world, who may, and who are now despoil-
ing it. If we have no immediate use for
Oregon, that is no reason why we should not
occupy and defend it. 1t is rich inheri-
tance, which we are bound TO transmit TO
our posterity undespoiled.