The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1845-11-04
From the Union.
THE OREGON QUESTION IN THE
NEXT

During the last presidential canvass. il was
said. IN allnsinn IN The Texan issue. eve are
about voting on a question of ndfi0nnl identjfy-
an the question "a Ia 'rh1t and 'Ohere mr. r0nn
try ShnH hsncrforih he ?" So far as the Texan
discussion is concerned. that question is nav sub
stan'ially Settled-the recent unsuccessful atrempt
al protest nv the wings Of New York civ, to the
c"nIrary notwithstanding. But the same great
question as Ia ,chnt aud ,rhPre our country shall
ne. NAV r"'ne up in another and a still more i'm
posing shape in the approaching Congress, and. if
81. it will form the great Land question of this
generation.
We alludP, nf course, to what we call, will,
the fullest confidence, THE AMERICAN TERRIFIC
RY OF OREGON. On thus great subject, within
The last three ur foHr years. public sentiment has
ripened fast. In the judgment nf a vast maioriry
at this nation. the tune is rapidly appruachinu-
or say. rather, has now curne-whPn clear rjubt
IN relation to this territory should pmbudy itself
in positi0e lar. For moro than twenty wears.
the people of the United States have seen wi,ar
they regard as their indiSpnIahIe title Ia this i'm.
mrnSe territory swamprd in nego'iation. II was
10 he expected from the wisdom and trne policv
ut the British government, that this negotiation.
so barren heretofore of good result, when entered
npon with a new administration. which, IN its
idcntfy of opinion un this subject, is AS one man
aud which is sustained in that opinion by an over
%wh"lmine mass and mastery of public sentiment
1t was justly To be hoped of the wisdom of Epp.
land. that the new negotiation. under such ausri.
res. aud in such hands, would. ere long, bpyin at
least to secure. instead of DEFEATING. as in n,st
years II has defeated, the great ends of inter
national Justice.
Bni. however this may hc. whether the nero-
tiatIons succeed or fail. there can be no donb, tia,
the democratic Congress now about 10 assemhl.
VIII have a great duty to do in relation Ia Ore.
gon and We hplIeve that. coming tp Wasbir ,,,,
fresh from conference with their constituents ,h.v
will rome lsgeIhPr resolved 10 dn il. \V,th tho
strong resnluiiOns Of the Baltimore cnnveniinn
and The manly and patriotic inaugural words Of
ihe President vet vivid in our meinory. we can.
moi doubt that the administration is fully prep,r
I'd To perform with irmness lis constitutional durv
of recommending To Congress all snch measure.
as may be deemed essential Ia the full and eff
Gent protection Of all our rights over every rod pI
that great dumain, ON The shore Of the Pacific
which Is, by an Accumulated mass Of title. the
rlghtful property Of the United States.
or these measnrps-and. indeed. Of this wbol.
topic Of the American territory Of Oregon-we
snail have frequent occasion To speak. And il
may 6P well enough 10 consider fr a moment in
The outset, the nature and the value of ihIs rut
great territorial possession. This territory lying
between the R'cky mounlains and The Pacific
ocean-drained mainly by the Columbia river
bDnnded "n The north, The east, aud The sou,h bv
mountain chains. aud on The west by the ocean
extends from latitude ~ deg. to latitude "a Lo,
40 mia. nurth. II contains more than 400 O0n
square nIlcs-that is, it is more Than fo,cs as
large IS France. and about half as largo as all ,b.
States now subject to The Federal constiru,i,,
The .8merjcan people claim, against all oUjer
nations. This oohoie domain as n mart oC U,;,
men soil. The climate, throughout nearly lie
whole extent, is mild and temperate. Acccun,s
vary somewhat as to its fertility ana iis natural
advantages; bnt no man doubts that it is caoabIe
OF sustaining an immense population; nor thai.
%hen 50 PeoP'ed' u VIII control The commeres Of
the Pacific, and the oriental trade ofthe world.