The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-12-16

100, ne tine senator from Michiganl ia ~
ed the attention OF senators 70 ii.
made six months ago in the British parIi,ne,..na
leading member OF that House, in relation ~
state of their foreign relations-which rems,a@
uttered in reference to the Presidents innna,,ss
the senator requested them to consider l1sas
ions as indicative of tide feeling Of Cres, u Y
upon the whole question. The honor,bls
was, therefore, aware of the importance N. 'eH
be attached TO him, and anything thai mstre
from him on The subject, distinguished as t
not only as diploma,ist, but as leois.,ar't w
Senate, and as soldier in the field; SO tbat IN
as the resolutions were to be considered ~ as
as well have had hlS remarks incorpors,ssIl IN
them. He might have begun with dis,ins, W
sion to Great Britain. He might have ncor0.' ~
i in the resolutions by way Of preamble 3
he had leit no doubt, no room for conis,,
as to his motives. He told them that nv
mere resolutions Of inqpiry but the hoporS5I. vi
tleman, by his Introductory remarks, gave NV W
fxedness, by applying them to Great Britain y
tinctly, and eft no room to doubt as to his mo,s
and If his views be correct, he desired TO nrov;S.
the security Of the country. He (Mr RI
concurred with the senator from Mcbsan !,
views and anxiety not to disturb the peac. !, y
country and the question then arose, was i !; y
rous, where il was simply question as to lbs srs.s
ency of adopting such resolutions, 10 have Introd..
them in the manner In which they had been M.
ed by the senator from Michigan. He III, ~
presumed that il was not necessary to oo,Gs, :,
resolutions by entering on the question as 10 III,
eign relations of the country. Presenting The r..
olutions in the manner in which thew had hs.'
done by the senator from Michigan was No, o1i'
irregular, but it was departure from the essbT.t
ed usage of the Senate, and not called for by N,
igencies Of the case, or from any peculiar aspcc
their foreign relations. The constitution Of bs NJ
ted States required that the President should -
them information; from time to time, on all ms,w
of public moment, and particularly on the asn,,,
their foreign relations. In accordance with M, I,
vision, the President had done this, and brought
fore them in detail the whole question az 10 n.
foreign policy. He had also given his view, y.
fully, and recommended the measures which \
thought desirable; and while the whole of The ma
sage remained on their table, and before il wa, !.
ken up for consideration, the senator from NM
gan called upon them 10 take an important stem
relation to the subject-matter contained in the M
sage. He would ask honorable senators. wa,
usual or was it an entire departure from the M
scribed forms of the Senates The rules IN M
chamber were adopted by those who preceded INN
and would it not be wise to await action on the mh
iect until it came formally before them, and had ",
fully discussed by both sides of that chamber 4, /
involved so important a question: He submitted \
honorable senators whether such course would
have been more prudent. There was yet anoAs
aspect in which he wished to view the question NJ
that was, that the senator from Michigan should IL
have considered the state of the pending negodsts
| on this subject between them and Great Brian
He (Mr. By did not hesitate to declare, from M
very face of the correspondence, that the nesorI
ton was not at an end. He based his opinion n
the language, it true, which was contained in M
first protocol in the negotiation between The NIL
ties. The negotiation was u negotiation lbuI
was entered into in the spirit Of compromxI
and he would ask what was compromise Cos|
promise admitted that each had rights but il nj
cluded the exclusive claim of either. They COOL
menced the negotiation with the fact that Ctu|
Britain had rights in the territory. They aSns|
this by an understanding, when they enleflansde
proposition of settlement as to boundary, Tbea
narration of boundary for territory was mulua
claimed; the proposition of compromise was mus
ally offered, and mutually rejected; and it was dr|
withdrawn by the American negotiator. But !
was not mere act of his own, the Withdrawing 4
it; for the American secretary said he was dirdd|
by the President, and also to declare that there u
hope that there would be no interruption 10 NJ
harmony existing between the two countries. VI
/ (Mr. b. would ask, then, was this termination
| the negotiation and was it the appropriate in
when the negotiation was in this delicate posda
to interfere with it in this manner, and assert an a.
elusive right to the whole of this territory Htm
objected, with much pleasure, the opinions eyprs|
ed upon that floor heretofore by an honorable srs
tor, when the question Of occupation Of Oregon vu
before them for consideration, as to the propney n
providing grants of land to establish chain Of poa
He recollected with great pleasure the opinions sS
pressed by distinguished senator from South Cars
lima, not now in his seat, but who had lately bsa
again called out from his retirement by his admlnY
constituency. He (Mr. b. could have wished hII
the course suggested by that honorable senator in
relation to the subiect-matter in debate had been
pursued; but he feared the time was gone by when
they could avail themselves of these valuable uug.
gestions. He feared that Great Britain, admonih.
ed by the action of the two houses Of their nauoni
legislature, would consider it time 10 bring this mai
ter to conclusion. But whenever Great Brian
should move in hostile manner upon this coniSss''
all diversity of opinion between them would ceaG
The President had recommended certain measu'a
| in his message, and expressed his opinion fully pa
them. On one of these he Mr.. B desired lom
a brief remark: besides the passage Of the enss
ment which the President suggests, he also rscon
mended the compliance with the terms Of the tweN
months notice. Upon this subject, he would y
that he would prefer that the notice should Origins
with Great Britain; because it would place them
a more favorable attitude before the nations OIL Y
| edTtn. TIC WOuiu prefer III LOO, pecauso -
animate our own people; and he did not hesl a.
believe, too, that the notice would begven BY uls
Britain, for the obvious reason that the suhlecini
ter in controversy concerned Great Britain m0'
than themselves. The territory was so great, OH
their advantages so numerous, that emigration y, v
going on there to considerable extent. anan
creasng every year. This would greatly emearln
Great Britain; and he would therefore prefer sn'
she would give the notice, unless there was s ,om
reasonable object to be gained He desired, NOV \.
ever, representing portion of the Union VINO " \,
double interest in this question, to say, that "
exercise Of the utmost power of imagination ~ y
not see how either Of these two civilized ana ou'.
tan nations could go to war upon such preleN'
was here contemplated. The senator Mr. ot'L
told them that it was for seven degrees Oh al'u \
Ged of Heaven what was TO be placed III
other scales But was it contest about seven
grees! In the true reading, it was but confess y !
the navigation of the Columbia. river, and 70
northeastern branch. Was this sublec1 W ".
which two nations SO intimately connected as ~. ~.
Britain and the United States--havlng 50 ma
relations binding them TO each other IN mu'
regard-was this question upon which Two =
nations should draw the swords They had a y
clple to maintain--not to allow another 70 nast.
this river; and Great Britain had principle 70 ma
tan--not TO cut herself off from the naVga"
Shall they allow a foreign power TO nassa.
river through their territory They had nos W. :
anybody assert it; they did not believe 70 ine y
and yet il could not be refused. And was R'ne ="
semblance of imagination that induced sena s.
Il III - : Il