The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-21


ner not to be borne, and confidence In the French
ought to have its limits. would not offend any o.
them, by needlcssly showing distrust but would
not hazard America by really laying il aside. Lei
them all Keep al a Girl distance"
The great and wise principles here laid down
should never be abandoned. The Father of his
Country wished TO establish an .4mericaa character
that should for ourselves, and not for others
, and not only make the sentiment known, but mair
tain 1t before the world. Our national movement
is onward. Those at home who are in the habit Of
predicting the dissolution Of our Union, may have
believers abroad, but they have no proselytes a
home.
There ore some who, for peculiar considerations
desire the abandonment of our claim to Oregon, and
speak Of a separate republic. humbly conceive
that they will have but few to Join their standard
either ready to parcel out our territory TO foreign
power, or countenance the establishment of an In
dependent sovereignty on its soil. The strength
and durability of the nation in the magnitude
It's surface. Temporary excitements in one sec
ton are spent almost before known al the extrem
ties.
In expressing the opinion that the title Of the
United States is good To the entire Of Oregon, and
the hope that the nation will never abandon liz
desire that it should ACT precipitetely but with dig.
nifty and courage, which avoids all extremes.
WIN. cosT JOHNSON.
We beg leave to follow up Mr. Jolnson's letter
with the last article from the New York News
which we recommend to the attention of our
readers;
The OREGON oUEsTIoN.-Our contemporaries
the National inelligencer and Commercial Adver-
tser, are not satisfied with the position take
upon this interesting question. We certainly re-
greet that such is the fact and not the compli-
ments they pleased TO utter in regard to our
journal, diminish the warmth Of our regret that
papers SO able, and generally worthy of respect, de-
cline to stand forth with u.s. upon the side of our
own country, its positions, rights, and honor.
The National lntelligencer seizes hold of an ar
cle of ours upon the subject war, and gives to il
a direct and exclusive application to the Oregon
question, although that matter was neither mem
toned nor alluded to, with view of justfying there
by its own course and arguments. More especially
the lntelgencer unjustly represents our article as
coverty aimed at our venerable compatriot Of the
"Union," when, in TRUTH we not only did not have
that journal in our eye at all, bur, the other
hand, commend its tone in relation to Oregon Our
remarks were general, and confined rigidly to the
subject Of war.
In all that we said in condemnation of war,
absractly considered, whether in respect to hui
man carnage its inseparable attendant or the wide
spread Generalization 1t produces, the retrogres
sion in mans social and political advancement,
which might very probably occur, we find nothing
which should no. meet the warm approval of every
that we then said. We thought it was well to drop
word in condemnation of set of pot-valiant
heroes, small in numbers, but mighty in boasts and
threats, who talk of war glibly as they would
Of race or boxing match The Intelligencer
justly says, that "there are many of these people
whom fate will leave to enjoy wonderful antiquity,
if it spares them until they found on battle
ground;" yet if you were to take their own
word for it, they are the bravest Of all the
world. Such men, we regret to know, are not
confined to the ranks Of opponents, but
are sort of weed full prolific in our own
camp. There are, however, class of men entitled
to no more consideration, to be found almost en-
hrely among the wings We alude to those who
are SO devoid of patriotism, ever to be arguing
against the position Of their own government. The
fears of one will lead him always to maintain tina,
his own country is wrong lest rerchance, her course
may involve her in war. Another has preudices so
strong in favor of the nation with whom his own is
in dispute, that he only merit in the claim OF
the former. Another is connected by pecuniary or
social ties with the enemy and, fcourse holds that
the right is not with us. Such men will preach to
you by the hour about war, as though every con-
troversy was to be settled solely with view to
avoid it. Now we deride both of these classes-thc
vainboasers and the anti-Amercans. In our opin-
ion, they both do hurt, causing to be lightly
teemed, by constantly prating about it; while the
anti Americans unfortunately numbering both Jour-
ndlS anu nulVluuitS lHuuenCe, 40 great anu pal
paeie de~a.se .h-e~sh ...;. sr"s, g ivssd;' do
enemy to believe that there large class of our
own citizens opposed to the course Of our govern
ment
Now we hold that this is all wrong. Every
question between our own and any other govern
ment, in proper strctness, should be negotiated
upon its merits. Our country should "ask nothing
but what is right, and submit 10 nothing that Is
wrong" and so doing it must calmly await the
consequences which that policy produces, fully pre-
pared to meet them. If war-then war. And that
zoe might not be misunderstood on this point, we
took good care to say in article that 1--WE would
resist, to the last drop of blood, any wanton nva.
sion of our national rights national honor" We
subscribe fully to the sentiment, sour country may
she always be right; but, right or wrong, our coun-
try always" And SO holding, deem it to be
duty public journalists, and that Of every cit
izen, 10 support our government IN its positions in
behalf of the rights honor of our country, that
we may present to the world the appearance Of a
people entirely united and having, as VIC may say,
but one sentiment.
We trust we have convinced the Tn,elligenccr that
1t has greatly mfsrepresented IN Its remarks
on our article. Certainly while we have spoken Of
no person or journal as !'wth shocking familiarity
dealing forth whatever can infame the bad or fool
ish, this side of the Atlantic beyond it, is
grossly unjust 10 say that we did, and then add
that, in saying so, we referred to the "Unon"
Upon the points in relation to Oregon, whereon
differ with the lntelligencer and the Commercial
we have few words to say They dispute the
business Of the ground we take, that this nation
should allow no European power to eriend its do
nnion on this continent The lntegencer denies
that the principle of Mr.. Monroe's administration
as broad as this. But will the lnelligencer de-
NY that the doctrine we have avoWed has in fact
been the policy Of ourgovernment from that time, and
is regarded by the great mass of our people as
rule of action under circumstances to be reaxcd
Does il suppose, for instance, that this nation would
for moment tolerate the idea Of allowing Great Bril-
tain to acquire the island of Cuba' And we do
not know why Great Britain should not be permit
ted to obtain legitimate possession of Cuba freely
of any part of Oregon; for we do not attach any
importance to the position of the lntellgencer, that
Great Britain has u claim in Oregon by virtue
of the joint convention Of 1918. That was grant
Of the privilege of trading and hunting to the citi.
zens and subjects of the two countries, during their
Joint pleasure, and nothing more. IL Great Britain
had no title previously, she gained by the joint
conventions if she had, principle in regard to Eu-
ropean extension would not apply.
Now, as to the charge Of selfshness which the
Inteigencer makes against this principle, we Join