The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-24

Again: il 10 10 be observed that he did not es
press any determination Of his own mind IN respe'
10 his future course; but the fair differences to
made from the words Of the Message are, tina
poiihoaf "nis eoapeiion,n the American propositio
would not have been Withdrawn al all; and upo
the supposition or contingency OF change Of 9TH
oonyiction, by the British Minister ceasing ION hi
part TO SOP" he did not declare nor intimate ths
his own offer had become also inadmissiblc.
seems 10 me the inference by ut ought TO be precise
ly the other way; and that the constructions give
10 these oft-quoied words are illogical and un,ru,
There the narrative ended, concluding, | again 70
peat, by assigning ''this conviction" upon his min
as his reason for collaborating his propositions ster
hadbesn rejected But nothing more-nothing more
He does not srprsssy ask for the notice as a
instrument OF negotiation al all. That is left 70
Congress to see and DECIDE upon. Re asks Con
gress for LAW that will show the eoncurrens
! Of the two Departments Of the Government in ON
.,..,,.io. ID that is, that the old convention
| 1877 Il 10 be no more, are. years notice. W.
see for ourselves-we know for ourselves ina, .nef
a concurrence will strengthen his hands, and there
fore we will give him the authority at once. and
whilst negotiation is pending. In that form and &c
that extent he asked ID. and in no other. ~
Il 10 true, Mr.. President, that the Message recon
mending certain measures Of lesislution--all Of
them, however, entirely consistent with further pc
gouaiioa---eonlsined this general dtclarstoni All
attempts al compromise having failed. q bssomes
the duty pf Con gross To CONSIDER what meas
ures i, MAY be proper TO adopt" &c, (Page H.
And, after renlarkins that years notIee must be
given before either party can r'ghhuiy assert or
exercise "srelllsrs Jurisdiction over "any PORTION
of The territory The President said: rhis notice il
would, in nv judgment, be proper TO give; and
recommend that provision be made by law for CIV
inn il accordingly and terminating in this manner the
convention Of the 9Th August, lc27." IAN at
tea ptsn are very general words. admit thar and
am not complaining egrins sensIoIs for their first
Impressions; but surely It is not log.esl roT uTs,-
sonable for ma TO insist that, with the light OF his
past conduct now before us-his acts OF omission
and commission, with the words Consider" and
''may" in the same sentsnee-not ENACT" and sis,
or the lke-with the already ascertained fact that
negotiation was and is stl pending,-vith the
knowledge that JAMES X. POLK is not an impe-
rious MILITARY CHIEFTAlN, but a CHRIS
TlAN STATESMAN, to whom politically there
is no expectation Of future at the close OF his
Presidential term.-with the very strong fact that
unless the Presiden, desired TO have this legislative
action as a merely moral instrument to aid him in
his executive duties, and to pursue the negotiation
10 conclusion (if such should be the will Of Con-
gress he could have use for It that IS honorable
10 him or TO his adminisration-with all these
Times as key to their true meaning II will not be
said lat ieasG not by his "friendsD that AL efforts
10 ,6.ei compromise" meant anything more than
call the efforts made anterior u IN. date Of the Mes
sags"-"all the efforts made up to that period" So
interpreted, how harmless the sentence vas! How
unjust, how false the deductions made from IL
But the Message said: al the end Of the years
notice we shall have reached period when the ma
tionai rights IN Oregon must either be abandoned
firmly maintained. Thst they Cannot be abandoned
without sacrifice of both national honor and in;
teres, is too clear to admit Of doubt" (page 49,
l.. L.. k..n al IN ha mazda n
the atrue friends of Oregon" Now observe, that
a the end Of The years notice." not before 1t, IN the
view of that part of the Message, will that period
be reached. BUTT is az clear a. sunbeam that the
period cannot be delayed "a year" unless negotia-
lion is to be pursued. IL the Presidents mind had
been made up to Compromises nothing, and TO nego-
tiats no longer it little less than deception and
mockery to tel Congress that the period for
abandoning or asserting orr rights viii be reached
uear after notice to Great Britain In such cage,
the period had come already. It is now hersi -
Now TODAY and he would have told us to
prepare for asserting "our clear and objectionable
lille to all of Oregon" This ought to have been his
language, il such had been his meaning. But if,
indeed, negotiation was TO be "pursued to conclu-
sion in spirit of compromise" the period for as
serting OF abandoning our Irrational rights" must
be delayed and cannot be reached until the negotia-
ton 10 concuded; and il the notice is passed, it may
continue gear, but no longer.
II, therefore, Mr.. President, lam not most grev-
ously mistaken in the man and the officer-if
have not been altogether deceived by his past con-
Duct and by these records," the President has not
shut the door to peaceable and honorable adjust
ment of the OREGON controversy by COMPRO-
MISE; but, with noble reliance upon his own good
purposes and Just regard for Congress as the con-
siitutiona interpreters and representatives OF the
public will, he has only paused to see whether the
Representatives OF the States and the people will
stand by him or not. Standing in the halls of ne
collation., with the door Of Cancellation as open as
before, he but turns to receive from Congress this
law to aid his progress. He invites their sanction
as legislative body to law for notice to terminate
the existing convention Of 1927. But he stands
there with dignity, moderation, and discretion,
ready To hear his constitutional advisers, should
they bid him to forbear, and If that indeed be the
will of the People constutionully expressed. That
is his exact position as defined by his past conduct
and in no way contradicied by the records alry In
terpretcd. You see what the Presidents position
is, il understand it, and believe that do.
have no fear--no doubt--no dstrust Of it or of him
WHAT WILL NOW BE YOURS What shall
we do' ..- ...
If YOU think the President has done wrong, as
some of 'the true friends Of Oregon" do, and that
he has 'scommitted" himself to surrender TOO much
for honor, compromise, and peace--then close the
halls of the Senate and let those senators meet the
responsibility of advising him to put end to ne
gotiation and until you have told him that, and he
has obeyed it, do not give him this law to author
ize the notice; and then you will be DoMG--voTNG-
someting towards "All Of Oregon or none" That
course would be manly; and less than that will not
be lust to yourselves nor to the President, nor to
the country. He will then see and understand your
position truly, and he will know how to use your
notice. He will know how to advise you for Q
preparation for consequences He will understand
that you have given it to him as sword, and not as
| an olive branch.
IL you think he has proposed too lhie--and fear
there may be some here who do, although no one
has yet declared so-that more concession ought to
be made TO the demands Of Great Britain than the
offered compromise line al 400 that because the Pres
dent has not, and probably may not, make that
il were better to remit both countries to
their ancient condition Of perpetual feud and o
Joint occupancy under the existing convention Of
1897; and that this can be safely done in full view
Of coming events, then it is certainl admit it with
out hestation--that the notice ought to be RE-
FUSED by you. .,.,.
But il this Senate have made up their minds thai
the line of compromise at 40 is substantially all
that we ought to yield, or can yicld-and If they
are willing 10 strengthen the arm Of the Executive
in his efforts to setils this dispute THERE, and by
a COMPROMISE, to preserve the honor and peace
of our country, satisfied we must be that no"