Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1845-12-31

unsettled. rr.
Meanwhile, our government agreed,
by the convention of 1918, as modified
by that Of 1927, that Oregon should re-
main free and open to the vessels, clti-
gems, and subjects Of the powers without
prejudice to the ultimate rights Of either;
this agreement subject to be terminated
on years notice by either government.
In virtue of this convention, settlers
from the United States, end also from
Great Britain, have entered Oregon
The Britons consist of the Hudson's Bay
Company and its officers and agents
one ofthose monsters, like the East In
dia Company. commercial corporation,
having powers ofsoverelgnty; and, what
il. worse, an illegal intruder in Oregon;
since, as we have seen, the charter oi
the company confines it expressly to the
country this side Of the mountains
This country treats with ciyiiity indiyid-
ual Americans in Oregon, but takes
care, by the lavish use of its capital, to
drive out Of il all Americans who seek
to engage IN the fur, trade or coast COM
merce; and, by means Of it, the British
government has planted it's posts in eve-
ry part Of Oregon. And the British
government has. by acts Of Parliament,
in palpable violation Of treaties, .extend'
ed its laws over the whole Of Oregon.
Now, therefore, the British Governs
ment is becoming uneasy, because, wit
Messing the influx Of emigrants into Or
egon from the United States, it sees
that (lf events be left to themselves they
will speedily overrun the whole coun-
try. And the American government Is
becoming uneasy, because it cannot
permit the Hudson's Bay Company to
continue to usurp the jurisdiction and
military possession of Oregon. The un-
easiness, on both sides, induces, Of
course, much solicitude in the minds oI
those, whether English or American. who
deprecate the calamities Of war at all
times, and especially ofwar between the
kindred nations of England Sc America.
And the question arises-what, then,
shall be donei
Many well-meaning persons are 10
favor Of submitting the question to some
friendly power as arbitrator | am not Of
this opinion, for two reasons.
In the first place, there is no way to
enforce an award between independent
States. Arbitration. between individuals
in society is very well, for those who
like it: because the courts stand ready
to compel performance, if the award be
valid in form. But it is otherwise in the
case Of governments; as to which, as ex-
perience proves, arbitration only cree
ates new difficulty, by adding to the
pre-exIsting controversy another in re>
lation to the validity Of the award.
In the second place, do not know
any power in Europe which has not
mornarchial bases against the Ameri-
can democracy; and if a king could be
found who is perfectly impartial, ws
should have no safety in submitting to
his arbitration. because the European
kings do not transact the public busi-
ness themselves; it is done by their
ministers; and to submit question to a
European sovereign, is to leave it to
some Secretary, or chef de bereau, or
clerk in the departments, whom you do
not know, and who, however, upright his
sovereign is, may be subject to class
biases or to pecuniary influence fatal to
the integrity of his decision. In private
affairs, we can always find impartial ar
bitrators, and I'VE kno,p the men; which
10 impossible in its arbitration by gov.
ernment.
What remains then for the United
States in this important question? an
swer-
/. Time, the great regulator of all
things in this world. If nothing else
occur to dispose Of the Oregon question,
in time, the backwoodsmen Of the West
will do it with their axes, cattle and
ploughs, and, if need be their rifles
from the United States have
l land journey to Oregon, which is,
comparatively speaking. easy; for their
horses and cattle feed themselves on the
road, carry or furnirh provisions for the
emigrants. and carry the utensils and
constitute the capital with which the set
tiers are 10 begin life in Oregon. Emf
grants from Great Britain have much
larger land journey to make. besides
sea voysge Of 5000 miles; or, in the
whole, seavoyage Of enormous length
and expense, If they 60 by the Cape Of
Good Hope or Cape HON. Besides
which, all British emigrants have a great
tendency to cease to be Britons and to
become Americans.
2. Nsgotiations.-And it is deeply to
be regretted, that in the whole course of|
:his affair, the British Government has
manifested SO little OF the spirit either Of
equity or conciliation. The continue nee
of this root of bitterness between the two
nations, is no fault, repeat, of the U.
States. We have stretched Cancellation
and compromise to tho utmost verge of
honor, in an effort Of arrangement, and
in 50 long suffering the divided occupan>
cy oftcrritory believed to be wholly our
own. Or shall we, the United States,
tameIy place ourselves In the attitude Of