The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-29
WHO is THE FRIEND OF PEACE,

compromise on the 49th parallel, which was rather
preciptaely and not very coureousy rejected by the
British plenipotentary he still hoped to see the con-
troversy amicably adjusted" Such is no doubt
his sincere wish. He desires peace with all the
word-peace with England--but it must be an hon.
orable peace. The clear and unquestionable" title
to Oregon rests with US. Yet the last offer was
made by us--and for compromise. England has
refused it. With her. therefore, rests the issue
She cannot resort to hostile measures without put
ting herself in the wrong in the face of all civilized
Europe. She cannot take a hostile step, which may
embroil the world in general war, without draw
ing down upon herself the rebuke Of the whole civ
ilized world. We cannot renew the negotiation,
and make any other proposition, without disgrace.
No impartial people expect it from us. We
cannot solicit the opening of the door with any
credit to ourselves. No American who desires it can
have proper appreciation of what is due to the ma
tiona honor. And let US say further, that one
who seeks to weaken our title, or to thwart the
measures which are due to our national interests,
can DO considered the best friend of the peace of
the country Unite the people Of the United States
not only upon our rights, but upon the remedy ne
cessary to them and there be little doubt
of the efficacy of every measure which we may
adopt. We repeat, that an honorable peace is the
desire of every patriot but, at the same time, every
serious opposition that is made to the rights of the
country, and the measures Of the government is cal
cuated raise the hopes Of Great Britain to defeat
our success, and to endanger the peace Of the two
countries.
In this point of view, is, that we regret the
course Of the ''New York Journal of Commerce. y
and approve the following criticism Of the last "New
/, York Evening Post":
| The OREGoN QuEsTroN.--Though this question
still darkens the air, have no belief whatever in
any serious difficulty growing out it; bu: we real
| ly think that a dozen papers like the journal of
Commerce" scattered about the country, and vigor-
! ously conducted on the same plan, would make as
pretty chance Of as the most ambitious lieu
tenant could desire.
| The Journal of Commerce processes to be peace
paper; and the best way it can devise to promote the
great interest of peace is to publish, almost daily,
article either editorial or editorally introduced,
charging the party in power with 'demagoguism,"
undertaking misstang pretensions in the dis
pute, besowing nck-namos or other abuse upon men
| prominent in the administration ranks and in short,
espousng in the most vigorous way the anti meri-
can side Of tho controversy. With all due Difference
| to paper seventeen years DID," we do not think
this the best mode of preserving peace Of indu-
cling the government to pursue conciliatory line of
policy
The Journal Of Commerce deserves, in our iudg-
ment, credit for its steady freetrade course for
time past Those opinions threw it last fall into the
| wake of the democratic party, and without giving
Mr. Polk any particular support, 1t certainly threw
no obstacle in the way of his election. For all this
it certainly deserves credit but it must not suppose
that have forgotten its hostility 10 the subtreas
ury, its dry-nursng of the native party the 9th.
er heresies with which, during "sevehteen years."
| it has been so often touched. Immediately upon
the election, however, it seemed to fancy itself taken
into full communion and the public has been fire.
queEty amused with the phrases, sour President
"Thc President whom we elected !" &c.
| The very instant however. that the Oregon ques-
| ton was preached, "our President" seemed to have
lost favor in the eyes of his young friends, and
since the message, in particular, the Journal has
been very consistent in course that would do credit
to the most virulent opposition journal.
| Without making any unnecessary fuss about a
| seventeen years independent course, the position
of the Journal is very Ineligible. 1t lives in and
by commercial community. Peace is the breath
of its nostrils--of course peace is it's policy.
| We say these things merely to explain the situa-
ton Of the Journal. Now for its course In an arr
tcle on Thursday, well sprinkled with "humbugs,n
| "stcboys," "frebrands," and the other specimens
of choice and diomatic English with which, when
under any excitement, II frequently favors us, it
stands godfather TO anonymous communications
written by some person very nameless but very
distinguished, and who it seems is far superior to
| many of the most eminent men in the Senate.
| Some of the positions assumed by this writer and
adopted by the Journal, are worth considering.
l. "The nothingntss Of The dispute"
! The nothingness in dispute is simply whether we
are to have any ports in the Pacific; and it would
really seem that person living within twenty miles
| Of Sandy Hook might know the value of harbor.
! From the 42d degree Of north latitude up to the
Columbia river the Oregon shore is a bluff coast,
without any harbor worth having, and the British
retaining all the land bounded north by the 49th de-
gree by the Pacific, and south and east by the
| Columbia river, region about twice as large as
| Massachusetts, magnanlmousy proposes to surren-
der to us headland the Straits Of Fuca, utterly
unconneced with the remainder OF our territory and
separated from it by hundred miles of British Orc
gon. The mere statement of such proposition de-
| feats it. We must have ports on the Pacific, con-
| nected with and supported by our own territory;
and is perfectly plain that Great Britain has never
made any offer that could have been or should have
] been accepted by us.
| O. "The people of Grent Britain will be entirely
satisfied with such settlement" lie. ON or near the
| 49th degree.
Il might be germane to the matter inquire what
the people of .1nerica would say to it. 10 the in
habtant of Wall street, well understand that this
dispute 'nothing but the matter is 10 be disposed
| of BY statesmen in national point of view, and
| none has yet been found TO favor any adjustment
which should cut of from the ports of the Pa
| ci6c.
3. "The British administration will agree to this,
| if not prevented by rashness and violence our
partn Where is The proof of this gratultous asser
| ZION. For twenty years we have been endeavoring
TO induce the English authorities to agree TO the 49th
line, and they have steadily, perinaciously refused
And the "rashDess and violence" is always on otu'
part. The correspondence recently published shows
that the urgency foF settlement has perpetuaIly
proceeded from England. With the whole matter
before him, Mr.. Polk says-"our lille to Oregon is
unquestionable." Sir Robert Peel reples"ire have
rights in Oregon, and prepared 10 maintain
| hem" On which side is the violencei On which
he blusteIl And, in regard to the correspondence,
III parties here, it has produced the extraord
nary unanmy in regard to the merits of our tile to
/ he whole territory against England The prior
| discovery of Spain, and the cesson TO US being
once established, Mr.. Buchanan has most eifectuaL
/ Iy demolished the Nooka Sound convention.