Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-04-02
Gmentp- Ninth Congress.
SPEECH OF MIR. CALHOUN,
or SOUTH ~cARoLISA,

MIR CALHOUN being entitled 10 the floor, rose and ad.
dressed the Senate.
The question under consideration is, whether notice
shall be given tn Great Britain. that the Convention OF
JOINT occupancy between US and her shall terminate at the
end of the year. To that question, and those Immediately
growing out of it, / shall confne my remarks l shall
say nothing in reference 10 the title 10 Oregon. Having
been connected with the negotiation in its early stages, it
would he indelea'e on my part to discuss the subject of
title. / shall sbstain from ell personalities aud every thing
csiculsted to wound the feelings Of others; but shall ex-
press myself freely, fully and ~candidiy on all subjects on
which / may touch, in the course Of my remarks. With
these predatory observations. | shall proceed at once to
the discussion Of the question Of notice. There is one
point in which all must be agreed; that a great change
has taken place since the commencement of this session IN
reference to notice, in its bearings upon the question Of
peace and war. AT that time notice was a question OF
the FIRST magnitude, on the decision Of which, 10 all
appearance, depended the question OF peace or war; but
now it is one of comparatively minor Importance, and may
be decided either way, without any decisive effect on either.
The cause Of this change will he explained in the course
of my remarks. So great. indeed. has been the change,
thai it has not only rendered inaPpieabe the reason urged
in the message, recommending notice to be given. bpt has
Uttered materially the position Of the Executive and that
OF the several parties in the Senate to which it has given
origin, as | shall next proceed 10 show.
That the recommendation Of the message is founded on
the conviction that there was no hope of compromise Of
the difficulties growing out Of the Oregon question, is
too clear to admit of any rational doubt. Its language
Is express. IL states in SO many words the conviction.
that no compromise could be effected which ought to
be accepted. On that conviction it announces, that the
offer which had been made to the British Nil lister to settle
the controversy on the 49th parallel of latitude had been
Withdrawn afles its rejection, and our title 10 the whole
asserted. On thu same conviction, il recommends TO Con-
gress to give the notice in order TO annul The Convention,
with the view to remove all implements TO the assertion
Of our right to the whole Of territory. Assuming, then,
that there would be no compromise, it informs us, that at
the expiration Of the twelve months a period would arrive,
when our title to the territory must be abandoned or firmly
maintained and that neither our honor nor our interest
would permit US TO abandon it ; in other words, that we
must then assert our exclusive goverei0utv 10 the whole IN
the exclusion Of that of Great Britain, unless the latter
should. in the interval abandon its claims TO the territory.
Throughout the whole recommendation there is not the
slightest lntimalon that any compromise Is expected. On
the contrary, the very opposite is constantly assumed.
But it is alleged, that the reasons for believing that
there could be no compr omise was derived from the evil
dence which the negotiation itself furnished, and espe-
cialiy by the rejection Of the offer to compromise on AGO.
Such l admit to be the case, and also that it may be fairly
inferred, if England should renew on her part the propo-
sition rejected by her Minister, or one substantially The
same, our Executive would accept the offer, and settle by
compromise the conflicting claims to the territory. But
the message intimates nowhere the slightest expectation
that such an offer would be made, or, if made, that any
compromise could be effected.
Such is the view which / have been constrained to take,
after a most careful and candid examination Of the portion
of the message recommending notice; and such, | infer,
Is the view taken by the portion Of the Senate who be-
iisve our title to the whole territory to be clear and unques-
tIonabie. On no other view. can their warm and decided
support of notice be explained. They not only believe
that our title is clear and unquestionable to the whole, but
also that the honor Of the country demands that il should
be asserted and maintained by an appeal TO arms without
the surrender Of any part. Acting on this conviction, it
Is manifest that they can only support notice on the belief
that 1t would not lead TO compromise. On the opposite,
they would be compelled to oppose il.
Such. also. would seem to be the view taken of the
Message by the community at large at the time, if we
may judge from the tone OF the public press, or what per.
hsPs is a still truer index-the conduct of our intelligent
business men. The message had a most decided effect in
that respect. Stocks Of every description fell, marine in
RuraQce rORa- cOmmPrciai nursuita MARA cusDan1aJ oJ !
our vessels remained inactive at the wharves.
Such also was the view taken by a great majority Of
that portion of the Senate who were opposed 10 giving
notice, and among whom / include myself. We opposed
il on grounds directly the reverse Of those, on which those
who believed our rights 10 the whole territory 10 be clear
and unquestionable, supported it. They supported notice,
because they believed there neither ought to be, nor would
be, any compromise. We, on the contrary, opposed il
because we believed there might be, and ought to be, COM
promise. They opposed compromise because, as has been
stated, they believed our title to be perfect to the whole
while we supported il, because we believed The title of
neither to the whole TO be clear and indisputable and that
the controversy might be adjusted by a fair partition of
the territory. With such impression, we believed that two
such powerful and enlightened countries as the United
States and Great Britain, would not resort 10 arms 10 settle
a controversy which might be peacefully and honorably
settled by negotiation and compromise.
Entertaining this opinion, we were compelled TO oppose
notice, because il was necessary to prevent an appeal to
arms, and insure the peaceful settlement of The question.
BY defeating it, a breathing time would at least be afforded
to both parties for calm aud mature reflection, under the
influence of which, it was hoped, that negotiation might
he renewed, and the difference honorably compromised.
Or, in case that should fail, things might remain as they
have been without a resort to force. In that case, the ter
ritory would be left open TO emigration, and the question,
10 whom it should ultimately belong. would be decided by
settlement and colonization, unless Great Britain should
give notice on her part, in order to prevent it. If she
should. we would at least gain the advantage of transfer
ring the responsibility from US to her, should war ensue.
Another portion of the Senate appeared to be in favor
both Of compromise and notice. Their views were not
explicitly expressed; but, as far as they were developed,
they, too, seemed to think that our title was not so perfect
as to exclude an honorable COMPROMISED; and appeared TO
anticipate it in opposition to the Message in recommending
II on the three following grounds: first, on the ground of
the general declaration of the President in the latter part
of the message, that he hoped an amicable arrangement
may be made of the question in dispute, in connection
with a declaration Of Mr.. Buchanan 10 the same effec,sin
one of his letters TO Mr.. Pakenhan. 1t is impossible for
me, with every disposition to support the recommendation
of the President in favor of notice, to concur in the oPin-
ion that a mere general expression of the kind, and insisted
on it in another portion of the message, even when backed
by q similar declaration Of The Secretary of State, could
be fairly construed TO oyerTule the opinion clearly and
explicitly expressed by the message in recommending no.
lice, that no compromise which ought to be accepted could
be effected. l cannot admit Of such a construction, not
only because I think il unreasonable, but because I regard
the duty of the President, imposed by the Constitution,
TO recommend measures 10 Congress as one Of a solemn
and important character, and that it ought to be performed
with the utmost candor and sincerity. Being addressed
10 q co ordinate department Of the government, it ought to
express plainly and explicitly, reasons and motives
for Recommending the measure, emitting none which
he regards as material, and inserting none but such
as be believes ought TO have an influence upon the
deliberations Of Congress. Ii ought to be free from
the suspicion Of being diplomatic. To admit the contrary
would destroy all confidence between the legislative and
executive departments to the great detriment of the gov
ernment With these impressions, il would be to dispar-
o. the characfer Of the proeidanf far M AZ conrort ~ 49,.