The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1845-12-17

Id Union. After which,
le Gen. CAss moved the adoption Of the resolution
n which he submitted last week, 10 wit: instruction
p 10 the Committee on Naval Affairs, TO inquire int
" the condition Of the navy, and to the Mllitar
Committee to institute a similar inquiry into tn
II coalition of the land deiences, and TO the Mlitis
y Committee respecting It's reorganiZation-all O
: winch enquiries were 10 be considered with the view
d OF an efficient preparation by land and sea, agains
y the dangers apprehended OF foreign invasIon.-
J. Gen. CAss said, II was impossible 10 read the an
e nual message OF the President and the commenta
IT ries OF the pubic press, without the apprehension
IS that crisis Is arriving which will demand the cor
+ dial cooperation OF the whole country. The Presi
J. dent tells us In his message that negotiations arr
closed-tha the claims OF the nations have fail
ed TO be settled by arbitration The influence O
England with the European powers from which ar
! arbitrator would have had to be chosen had doubt
less decided our authorities against the process
that we had better hold than submit to rova
arbitrator Conceding his entire and cordial adhe.
sion to the views OF the President in the present
ttude between the two nations arising from their
conflicting claims, what are we TO do! Shall
we recede, or stand still, or GO onl To recede
was MOTTO be thought OF at this state of the question
There was nothing 10 be gained from national pusli-
animlty-we cannot purchase present peace at the
expense OF the national honor II would he Sowing
the wind and reaping the whirlwnd." No! He
(Gen. Cass) would now repeat what he had ex-
pressed heretofore, that il better TO fight for the
first inch of Oregon than the last-better meet the
enemy at the threshold, than await his approach to
| the hearth-stone. And, however separated now by
party differences, or by space, all parties, through
out the Union TO Its extremites he knew would be
united IN defence OF the national rights. Our des-
ny Is onward-lfs westward movement cannot be
reslsted You might well attempt stay the waves
of the Pacific, hetlde OF our emigration setting in
that direction. We cannot recede-we cannot stand
! stll-our claim must be maintained or abandoned
Our hardy population of Oregon demanded the sup
! port OF the government, or they would establish
! government of their own. We had an explicit and
able memorial upon this very subject last week,
setting forth that the memorialists were tired
OF waiting Tor you, and would cast off all
diplomatic chlcanery and national pusillanlmi-
ty,, and set up tor themselves. II was impos-
1 sib!e that a people under two distinct govern
ments at the same time, as are the people of
Oregon, could, under the existing state of things,
long remain So This Joint government was not
designed tor civilized and growing community,
nor adapted 10 them; and 1t continued could not
fal TO lead 10 bloodshed and intestine war. If we
can neither, therefore, retrace steps nor check
them, we must go on. We must give the twelve
months notice, and prepare for the alternative that
awaits their expiration Peaceful in its Character
as VIII be the notice required it at the termination
OF the time designated, it it shall be required, and
Great Britain persists in her claim, must amount
at once TO declaration of war-it must at once
bring on the struggle. Ii was to be hoped that Eng
land would yield, rightfuly and honorably in order
10 the peaceful settlement of this question. But
WIN she! was safest 10 act upon the conclusion
that she will not. When did she, in any case
where she had fastened upon claim to territory or
power, relinqush it of her own accord Never.
She had exhibited no symptoms of relaxation of
10 the London Morning Chronicle of April 9TH last,
and read extracts from the debate in Parliament of
the previous day, particularly from the speeches Of
Lord John Russell and Sir Robert Peel bullying
Brother Jonathan upon the Oregon title-the Presi-
dent OF the United States having assumed that our
title to the whole of Oregon is $ clear and unques-
honabe, SIR Robert Peel on the contrary, roundly
asserting that the British claim was " clearly ire
sistbe Gen. Cass, In his commentaries, here
dwell. upon the capacities of England, and congratu-
lated our country that secured Texas in spite of
her collisions 10 wrest II from us l-Recurring to
what ne esteemed as almost an inevitable alterna-
tive OF the future Gen Cass briefly reviewed in the
aggregate the power and dominion Of Great Britain
Ihis little narrow island on the western from
hundred and fifty three millions of peo-
/ pie, or nearly one-lifth of the population of the
| globe. She held subject 10 her laws an aggregate
territory OF 3,sl2O00 square miles, or nearly one
eighth of the surface of the habable EARTH all Of
which, from the subugation OF Ireland, Saving the
acquisition OF Scotland, and certain discoveries IN
the South seas) she had torn from the original pos
SCISSORS by the sword 1t afforded no pleasure to
review her ambitious policy; but we could not shut
our eyes TO the fact, that she had been prosecuting
and Is now pursuing systematic attack upon our
| institutions. And yet we had been charged as an
ambitious and grasp,ng nation. To this, we can re-
ply ,hei we have made but three acquisitions OF
rtory, tiorida, Louisiana, and Texas,) all OF CON
tguous territory, and all peacefully. and with the
oil the possessors and the inhabitants and oul
latest acquisition and best, (Texas) was proud ex-
ample OF the moral power OF our Republican system.
IL was our latest acquisition, but he hoped not our
last. He would go for all future extensions OF our
general area where they could be rghtfully made.
There was nothing TO tear from the extension of cur
borders. The spirit OF institutions, and the tenn
per OF our people, We're better than fleets and armies
to the security OF internal concord And if this adj
mlnistraton could secure the peacesble acquisition
OF cailiornla It would receive the lasting gratitude
OF the people. Voices on the whig side OF the
-"Caliiornid"-"Of course California;
''We must have that"-"And then Cuba"-'We
have started, and must go ONT We must give the
fyua afrnl h.. 10 ri,
her claims, war must inevitably follow. And it will
be war in which all the strength and the preudces
OF both nations will be brought into force. Let us
then make adequate preparation. Let Us show to
the world that we are united people, anxious for
peace, yet prepared for The President had dis
charged his duty ably and fearlessly. Let us
co operate with him, and sustain him, not
/ by words but by deeds The only means of preven-
ting war. is an immediate preparation for prosecu-
ting II with all the means and energies we can COM
mand Vast portions OF our country bat sparsely
settled, and they without defences-our navy is
not III condition tor active and efficient protection
OF our coasts Means and materials are wanted
men are always ready. We have to do with peo-
pie who have arsenals, depots, dockyards. &c. filled
than ours for prompt action. But let show to our
constituents that we ready for duty; and that we
meet the assumptions of England, not in a spirit Of
depreciation, but in tone of frmness and sef-rei-
ance. Let us show to the world that republics are
jealous OF their rights and prepared to defend them
as well as rnonarchies
Mr. MANGuN, In a. very energetic and eloquent
manner, followed against the adoption OF the resol-
tons. We regret that time will not permit even
thread of his remar ks. He argued that the resolu-
tons and the remarks upon them by the Senator
from Michigan were lnJudlcious. This matter
co1d be more properly confded to the Executive
he could advise the Senate with closed DOORS of the
means OF defence required; and this would be
wiser than invitlng the enemy by an exposure of
our weakness. Besides the committees would in
quire, OF course, into the subjects Introduced in the
resolutions, without instruction He was opposed
10 plungng the country into war--he prayed to
God that this worst OF all evs might be averted; but
if it did come, then there would not, ne believed. be
an an-war man on the continent. He believed.
however, there would be war; but that this dis.
pute would be yet satisfactorily and amlcably adj
Justed. II war were to break out it would be not
war Tor Oregon but war between the antagonls-
TIC systems OF the European monarches and rrpub-
can institutions. II would enlist every man on this
.4.s.1.a L ~