The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1845-11-08
THE NORTHWESTERN TERRITORY.


The National Inteigencer, with deal Of com.
placency, refers to paragraph in the Union, in
which was expressed our astonishment that il 1.-THE
lntelligencer) should have endorsed with its appro-
val, declaration from the Journal of Commerce,
avowing that to all the territory Of Oregon north of
40 degrees, the claim Of England pas better than our
o,cn. The Inelligencer of course does by no means
deny its concurrence Of opinion with that quoted.
Such deninl would have been too uncandid for a
paper of such transcendental Independence and be-
sides, quite too american for the National lntelli-
gencer With infinite grace and selfpossesson, the
editor fortfes the position he ventures to occupy,
by bringing up to view certain resolutions offered in
the Senate by Col. Benton in 1923. The one upon
which he particularly relies for the purpose in
hand, and which he stamps with all the force and
authority which italics can confer, is in these
words
Resciped That it eIp,dieni for the Of the
United States to treat with his Britannia Majesty in refer
to said claims and boundaries upon the bas Of
ration of interests and the establishment Of the orynnth
degree Of north latitude q permanent boundary between
The Intelligencer has thus, in an eager pursuit Of
justification, found what denominaed democratic au-
thory for what it has endorsed and finding it in this
resolution, vauntingy proclams our previous igno-
rance Of its existence. We think that the following
editorial passage from the "Union" Of Thursday
should have protected us from that reproach What
did we then sayi "If il have ever been deemed err
psdient Gas a matter Of compromise, and to hush
up dispute, to gire a,cay to England certain por-
ton of that land, all Of which we consider ours,
&c.') These remarks pointed to all that had ever
been done in the way Of compromise. But when
before has it been concluded, that in the difficulties
which occur between nations, (any more than those
which arise among Individually proposition to
compromise, or yield an asserted right, involved
thence forward the utter and final abandonment of
that righti The opinion conveyed by such a suppo-
sition is too irrational for serious consideration.
We asserted, that Gas the question has been dis
cussed for quarter Of century between and
England, we are not aware of one argument--
scarcely of one phrase purporting to be an argu-
ment-which carries our title up to 40 degrees, and
there stops"
Let respectfully inquire Of the Intelligencer If
the quoted resolution of Col. Benton be any proof
TO the contrary
Does the resolution surrender the ground Of the
solidty of the American title beyond 40 degrees'
Did the mover of the resolution, in any argument,
abandon the business Of our title beyond that de-
greer Does Col. Benton notc-as it is inferentially
alleged he did in 1828-mean to abandon as untena-
BILE our title to Oregon beyond the 49th degreei If
no person at all acquainted with the sentiments of
that distinguished senator believes such to be his
purpose-if the National lnteligencer has reason to
know the contrary, with what face can it presume
to put an Interpretation upon resolution which s
language does not justify, and which he who drew
it would repudiale ut oncei
The Intelgencer has not met the issue presented.
Our declaration was, that no authority, or shadow
of authority, worthy Of consideration, could be adj.
duced, which, sustaining our title to Oregon, fixed
our limit to the 49h degree.
The title to this territory we shall soon discuss in
all its bearings.
With regard 10 the novelty of the fact which the
Intelligencer complacendy congraiuates itself on
having brought forward for the enlightenment Of the
"Unonn on this subject, we have only to say, that
we have known for years, and we supposed ill now
that the In,egencer knew, that, in most of our ne
gotations with England on this point, we have al
ways urged compromise, by line running to the
49h degree-not because our title stopped there but
because we wanted the matter settled without delay.