The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-18

mating its labor in behalf Of the wings, pronounces
the title Of this country to Oregon ga han,b,g" il
may not he unimporlani to recur to the opinions OF
one Of the most distinguished men in this country
to the opinions Of Mr.. Calhoun himseIf--as to the
validity Of this "humbug" title. The MERCURY, u
though 1t may, in the spirit of exalted ndepen-
dence, differ with that statesman, will hardly ques-
ton the purity of his motives, or disparage his au-
thorty. Even the lntegencer will probably have
the candor to admit that the opinions of MIR. C. are
not OF less consequence than those so ostenatously
| paraded in its columns
Its very true that Mr.. Calhoun, in affirming the
goodness of the American title to Oregon does not
employ the unmeasured language of Mr.. Clay. He
does not say that England has mo COLOR Of title; but
his opinions clear, and his words, in de-
claring it, are plain and unequivocal We will
show, in addition to this, that that eminent man
went farther, and was for extending Jurisdiction
to the extent of furnishing protection to American
citizens who had gone to Oregon.
| In a speech pronounced in the Senate of the
United States, January "a, ls43 the Oregon bill,
then before that body, Mr.. Calhoun said, 81 shall
assume title to be paiid the earnest advo-
cate of the bill asserts il to be-"
| Proceeding to urge considerations of expediency
against the adoption Of the particular measure before
the Senate, he says "But, it may be asked, shall
we abandon our claim TO the territory' No am
utterly opposed 10 that" "My object is TO preserve,
and not to lose the territory do not agree with
my eloquent and able colleague that ii the territory
10 worthless He has moderated it, both to soil
| and climate" "To that may be added its CONNER
ciai alpanfagrs, which will, in time, prove to be
great"
In another part of the speech in which he argued
| against the measure before the Senate, upon the
ground that in his opinion it would violate treaty
stipulation, referring to the committee that reported
the bill, he inquiries, ''Why should ii, with ,uhai
WE ALL beiiere TO be good title on our part, &C."
Now, in another important aspect of this
question: let what he says at the close Of this
condensed and very plausible argument. Comment
| ing briefly upon that provision Of the bill which
| looked to the protection of the American emgrants
TO Oregon, lie declared, 81 am not indisposed the
provision, if properly guarded, ,cheh proposes TO
tend jurisdiction citizens in the country.
1t ought not, however, to be carried farther than the
provisions Of the act Of parliament of 1921. l am
to emigrate to region where we cannot at pres
ent protect them; but if there be any who may
choose to emgrate, would be far from opposing
| them, and am unwilling that they should lose by
emigration, personally, the benefit Of our jurisdiction
and ia,os."
We hope that these views and limitations of Mr..
| Calhoun will abate little the opposition of the
| Mercury, and moderate its confidence in those ar
guments which prove the title of the United Statea
to Oregon to be "humbug.n
But there is an accusation brought by the Charles
| ton paper against Mr.. Polk, which, we beg leave
to assure him with all courtesy and respect, is, in
view Of facts well known to the whole country,
! one of tie most unfounded and chmerica that
| can well be conceived. That paper gravely
asserts that "Mr. Polk had determined to cast
himself into the arms of the tariff and anti Tex
as wing Of the party, and look to the Oregon ques.
ton as the means of raising them again to power,
| retaining IL himself" And again speaking Of the
| alleged dispostion of Mr. Polk 10 push the Oregon
question TO the point of war, with the belief enter
| tanned by him, that the South would come to the
rescue and redeem The country from that peril the
Mercury says that this result would be brought
| about. "The protective, anii-Texas, Oregon wing
Of the party will then rise in the ascendant
and Wright, Benton, and company will grasp
the honors and WELD the power of the Union"
In the name of all that is just, and fair, and can
did, what is there to give color of pansbili-
ty to such an impeachment Of Mr.. Polk' What
has he done to authorize suspicion that the pur-
poses ascribed to him have, for one moment, been
entertained by him. On the contrary, how entire
y justified has he been by the party which elected
him, in reasserng, after his election, the very opin-
ions which tina, party had previously adopted. In
the name of wonder, what motive can Mr.. Polk
have to see any southern democrat prostratedbe il
Mr., Calhoun, or any others Where is there title
evidence going to show that the President is mimi
cal to southern policy? Every bond of sympathy
| every inspiration Of gratitude-every impulse Of
patriotism, forbidsihe suppositon that any such
wish can be entertained We asseverae most
solemnly deep conviction, that the President is
pure Of any such designs or intrgues. He has al
| ready mounted TO the summit Of power. His am
bition has been fully satated, except the desire for
| that "honest fame" which every honorable man
| and grateful patriot must feel, to use the power
with which he has been trusted for advancing the
interests of his country. He is no candidate for re-
election. He disclaims second term. He means
to keep aloof from the question of the succession.
He wishes to preserve the party united, to whose
| union he is indebted for his own success He has
no wish to offend or to oppose any distinguished
| republican, for he is indebted t them ALL What
possible motive, therefore, he have in dabbling
in the miserable intrgues Of Office, in sacrificing
such man as Mr.. Calhoun, orinpromoting any other
man over his headl With one more remark, we
close these hasy structures, and then wait the devel
opmens ofthe official documents and suspend all fur
ther discussions of the Oregon question for the
present.
We respectfully ask, them our southern brethren,
after so much Of the North and the West have uni-
| ted with the South in the remuneration Of Texas,