American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper., 1845-06-03

| u HbaslDlll1-lS dDIOICuI lO Tie ndLlOnd NINA.
A war party, properly so called as regards the
United States, does not exist There is moth
ing to mark its Influence. The mooted point
the Oregon-is not generally believed to be
worth fighting for. 1t Is not point which APP
peals TO national pride or prejudice, or power
Every one feels that this little island has terri.
tory enough, and colonies, and subjects, which
own its sway in every part of the habitable
globe, that plume themselves on their identfi-
cation with the British name, without measur
ing lanceS with kindred people about few
thousand miles Of barren and proGtess waste.
After rcmaIking on what the Times consd-
ers the indiscreet remarks Of President Polk in
his inaugural, itproceeds:
Rssty men are generally obstinate men. The
President has committed himsef-wil the Re-
pebble sustain him? He has SO precipitated
matters that the question must now be settled.
lie las thrown down the gauntlet, and it has
been taken up; he has jeopardized the Ameri-
can claim, and flung to the wind the ''wlse and
masterly inactivity which Mr.. Cahoun's far
seeing sagacity recommended as the best policy
for the United States to pursue. Back out he
cannot, without personal compromise, for he
has shown his cards to his opponent, who will
work the game accordingly. 1t is well under
known at Washington, that the British Cabi-
net have come to the conclusion that the pre-
sent is the time for bringing this matter to an
issue. To let it slip would prove them as ar
rant bunglers as their antagonist Diplomacy,
Ike the chess-board, consists Of series OF sue
ccssful moves, and skilful player can hardly
be blamed for Checkmatlng his rival. The af
fair might have remained in abeyance another
Iquarter ofa century, as it hes done during the
last half century, and every year would have
Increased the means, on the part of America,
of successful resistance decreased, in the
same ratio, the power of Britain to sustain, or
take forcible possession of, the Oregon.
The tide of emigration, which is daily flow
ing to the West, would have peoped it in
few years, with the Anglo American race, who
would have held their owR against all invaders.
4 These advantages have been cast TO the winds;
and nothing appears to remain but mutual con-
cession, or the settlement Otthe question by the
strongest arm Here, again, the evil genius of
the President contronts him. The temple of
Janus is closed-we are at peace with the
world. Our Indian empire is consolidated
our colonies in China are progressing. The
British ,Exchequer is full to repletion-its navy
is in admirable trim. Our steamers sweep eve
ry sea; our means of transporting troops, whc-
theIfrom Europe or frosE Asia, were never more
complete-more perfect. There never was u
period in the history OF this country, when it
= was better prepared fer war-never did Il ques-
, ton exist, not on its abstract merits, but be-
! cause of its concOmtant swagger, on which less
, diversity of opinion prevails, and with heart and
, soul would the dernier resort be entered upon
and pursued
Wo do not write in partizan spirit No
!. thing, Heaven knows, should we regard as a
greater national calamity, than rupture with
the United States, and we should be sorry to
say or do any thing which could in the remot-
est degree precipitate it. Il is painful-harrow-
ing-even to contemplate such a contingency.
The elements of society would be convulsed,
commerce would he swept from the ocean, and
the ties of interest, and even of consanguinty,
would be rudely snapt asunder Upon Eng
land it would inhict ak but an irreparabe in
jury, and America would hardly suffer less in
tensely May so fearful consummation be
averted.
If the President is obstinate, and will con-
cede nothing, the party which elected him may
feel bound i'll consistency to sustain him, and
the voice of the more sober and discreet portion
of the Union will probably be drowned in the
avalanche. We sincerely hope that discreet
councils will prevail, and that both Govern
ments, conceding something for the sake of
peace, may bring the matter to a timely and
satisfactory adjustment. But it sfalloy to blink
the fact, that the "black cloud in the West, ;" to
which Sir Robert Peel SO portentously alluded,
looks threatening, and may burst with devast-
stng fury.
In this crisis it is not unnatural that public
feeling in America should be watched with
some anxiety. The commercial classes can
have no desire to fight Britain about the navi-
CATION of the Columbia. The Northern
States are identified with the continuance of
peace and the progress of manufactures. The
Southern States would not like to sacrifice their
trade in cotton, tobacco, and other produce,
for so lllusory an object. The brawlers in the
West may desire row, from an inherent love
of sport and of mischief or thirst for gain.
But, after all, the matter will probably resolve
itself ato contest for political supremacy.
With any country bnt America, war, with
all its wly-acquired horrors and improved in
struments of destruction, would be fearful, yet
speedy. But with such line of coast on the
Atlantic, and the barren waste in dispute on
the Pacific side, it must, in the nature of
things, be protracted.
Possession Of the Oregon by an armed force,
would, OF course, be the first, and the destruc-
ton Of the Atlantic sea-board the second OBJ
| ]ect OF BRUSH annoyance. But we pause, and
sicken at the bare idea of evils so appalling,
and yet so apparently immediate, resulting from
the language of hasty and incorporate man,
raised, Unexpectedly, to position, in which |
his capacity for making mischief appears to be
the only capacity of which he has yet in the
opinion of the Britishers, given any proof
Unfortunately for our sagacity, we foretold in |
this journal, the very day following the arrival
of the Presidents Inaugural Address, the hub.
bub to which his indscreet remarks on the |
Oregon would give rise here, and our state
ment has been verified to the very letter.
| APPALLING CATASTROPHE IN New GRENA-
pA. The Manchester Guardian, on the autho-
e lniIl oI1.4 4I.a4 L Il