Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1845-05-03
SPIRIT OF TIE WING PRESS.
FROM THE NEW FORK COMMERCIAL ADvrRrrsra.

and of the English press and il seems formidable
enough yet we do not hesitate TO express our con.
viction that for Oregon the peace of the world will
not be disturbed
We remembers in the first place, that the final
adjustment Of the Maine boundary was preceded by
a concurrence of circumstances so like those now
presented that the only difference is in the change
of subject The darkest hour is that which precedes
the dawn and it seems to be law that the adjust
ment of great disputes between nations cannot be
effected until they are brought apparently to the
verge Of open quarrel.
In fact there is good reason for this course OF
things. The settlement of great dispute cannot
well be effected until the serious attention OF The
disputants is forced upon it and its possible conse
quences So long as the matter is kept at arm 5
length, and affords occasion only for angry talk IN
Legislative assemblies and the columns OF newspa-
pers the men of action willing enough TO stand
quiet, or give their heed to affairs of more pressing
moment but at length the pear riPens ard the men
of action take it from the hands of the scribes and
the debaters. II was so with the Maine boundary
and So we feel assured it will be with the Oregon,
Notwithstanding the babble of newspaper adventu-
rers and the gasconade Of talking politicians who
are not statesmen.
It's great mistake to suppose that the deep
rooted and operative sentiment of countries like
England and the United States is habitually ex-
pressed by their fluent orators and writers. In
each there is potential body of judicous thought
and right feeling which sustains itself in quiet until
emergencies occur; then it finds voice rather In
action than in speech, and its action is very apt to
be wise and Just. The apparent possibility of war
is such an emergency. The interests, the religious
sentiments the moral sense, and the intelligence of
the two nations are identified with peace; and we
feel perfect confidence that these will never want
the power to shield themselves from the outrage OF
actual hostility so abhorrent to them all.
But what do you say to the speech OF Sir Robert
Peel it NAV be asked. To the direct issue raised
between him and Mr. Polk I! We say that each of
these gentlemen has talked unwsely and that the
stigma of fooshness is divided very equally between
them Mr.. Polk did very uncalled-for thing when
he asserted so positively and even Extensively the
unquestionable right OF the United States to the
Oregon Territory; because he ought TO have SAID
nothing about it until he had made himself acquant-
ed with the state and progress of the negotiation
pending new man, just stepping into ohce,
should have been content TO discourse positively
only of matters about which there could be no
question.
Sir Robert Peel was wrong in following bad
example, and in forgetting that he and other British
statesmen had been equally positive concerning the
Maine boundary, while the very proofs were IN the
possession of their Government that the pretensons
of the United States were well-founded. Sir Robert
has the excuse that his unqualified assertion was in
some measure provoked by that OF Mr.. Polk--that
it was in the nature of retort to challenge: Mr..
Polk has the equally good excuse that his occurred
not in an official document, intended for foreign
countries but in sort of private discourse between
himself and the American people, of which the
British Government not bound TO take notice.
Both were morally wrong in putting forth so dog
maticaly an unqualified claim TO portion OF the
earth to which neither country has morally any
better title than it has to the moon-except IN the
simple fact that Oregon can be COL al and the moon
cannot
But how shall the two countries, or either of
Them draw back from the position in which they are
placed by the language of their official spokesmen!
Very easily: just they did in the matter of the
Maine boundary. The simplest thing in the world
is for politicians and statesmen to eat their words
by wise negotiation; and perhaps it is not to be
regretted that statesman sometimes bring themselves
in such direct collision as Mr.. Polk and Sir Robert
Peel have done, because then the necessity of wise
negotiation becomes irresistible and obvious. Ii
may be taken as an intimaton that both are IN
earnest or think 1t time for the matter 10 be dis
posed of.
That Lord Aberdeen, Sir Robert Peel, and Lord
John Russell had this object in view, when they
made their speeches Of the 4th instant, take TO
be sufficiently demonstrated by the detention Of the
steamer. If they had spoken only for the British
people-to Justify themselves before that people in
preparing seriously for struggle with the United
States-their policy would have been TO let the |
steamer go before the debate they would have had
so much the more time for preparation. But they
spoke as much for the American Government and
! people as for their own. In plain English their
discourse is to this effect +" Mr.. Polk, you have
put the Oregon question in such shape, now,
that we must take hold of it in earnest; it cannot re-
main any longer theme for provocation and threat
ening words. We do not want to fight about it, but
we are very DESTROYS to have il out of the way.
!. We hope you do not want TO fight either; butyou
have thrown out hint to that effect, which we
must take up-the necessities of our position COM
pei us to notice it; we shall therefore get ready
to fight in case Of accidents and in the mean
time we beg leave TO suggest that you had better
unite with us in a serious effort TO dispose of the
matter amicably"
This we take to be the literal meaning of what
was said in Parliament. As to the newspapers, we
hold their talk in very light esteem. They always
insist, Of course, that England has the right, and
with all their sneers at American buster, they are
as fond Of clustering as any body, though they ge-
nerally do it in choicer language. If this article
were not already so extended, we would show how
utterly they deceive themselves through ignorance,
in their estimate Of the military ncapacity Of this
country but perhaps there is no necessity for do
ing this, and at all events another time mus serve.
We will only remark, therefore, in BRIEF that strange
as it may seem to them, the military power of the
United States is greater, for defence, than that OF
Enoland mr. any other Power for attack Rut VIC