Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-21
THE ENQUIRER
RICHMOND, VA.
Monday Morning, April 20, ls46.
THE NOTICE.

Of this Oregon question. We believe that 10
any event, our Government would have been
called on at the present time 10 take decided
stand upon The subject. The thousands OF Anne
rican citizens in Oregon, embarrassed as they are
by the operation of the "ioint occupancy, nave
appealed 10 the Government 10 take them unaei
its palernal care and to break OF at once the
evils OF the "entangling alliance" with Orea'
Britain They fel, lha, the present state oil thIngs
could not much longer continue without serious
iniury-ihat the conflicting Interests OF the f1ud-
son Bays Company and The American settlers
would break on, in open hostility, unless some
definite arrangement was at once agreed 10, ana
American and British rights clearly marked ou''
But the question is not now with the past
MIR. Critenden has his own views, and we en-
,ertain very different ones. We have 10 ac'
upon things as We find them et present-and we
ask the careful attention Of Wings and Demo
Gratis 10 the powerful and conclusive arguments
he adiuces in favor OF termination OF the JOHN
occupancy He defends the "Notice" as peace
measure, and makes lha. proposition as clear as
light. From the start, we have advocated Inc
Nolice upon the grounds which Mr. Crittenden
so ably advances.
We refer 10 the remarks of Mr.. Cri"enaen as
The bes, answer 10 Mr. John NJ. Bolts volunteer
letter in Saturdays Wing, which maintains thai
the notice will inevitably produce war. With the
Wing Parry, Mr.. Criuehden's Wing testimony
should weigh as much as that Of MIR. Bolts, who
i, no better Wing than MIR. Criitenden. Mr..
Bolts saws, that the notice will produce war; On
the other hand, Mr.. Cril'enden argues forc'o'y
,ha, j, will be tae most efficient means OF main
tanning peace, and he is sustained IN his views 10y
the votes OF every Wing Seuaor but Two
(Messrs. T. Clayton and Evans.) And here we
would refer to remarkable fact. The Wing
press have denounced mir. Polk as pressing The
"noiice with The design of involving the country
in war, 10 promote his Presidential aspirations.
The notice itself has been condemned by The
Wings. as a measure fraught with danger, ane
fatal 10 The peace If the na'icn Andyet We sec
nearly every Wing Senator voting 10 confer The
power urou the President, 10 giveihe notice al us
discretion. While, in our opinion, the Senate II
self should have shared The responsibility Of the
step, instead Of shifting it upon the President
alone we are satisfied that ,hey have done
much towards removing the embarrassment in
which the subject was involved. ln passing This
resolution. they have given a complete refolalioh
to the unjust charges ofthe Wing press. lI;he Pre-
siden, be lhe vacilatiny, selfish, unpariolic man
the Wing journals have represented hin-ii The
notice be the Pandora's box ofevii, as the Whiss
,,om Main. 10 The Rio Graadc have reilefa-
led, he Whis Senator'S have deliberately violated
heir own obligations Of dnly, b. investing him
With This great powe, Of conducting, singe-handed
most delicate negotiation. They have paid
him high unpimeni BY the course they have
,,rsrsd. They might have defeated the notice;
IN, hy voting for it in a body, they have shown
confidence IN the Presidents patriotism and
ab,li,y, and in bis honest determination 10 main
tain the rights and honorable peace Of the country.
To The Richmond Wing and Mr.. Bolts then,
who contend tina, the notice will bring war, we
oppose the solemn action oil every Wing Sc
major bu, two The Wings in the Senate
have shown confidence in The President, which
We are sure he deserves He will meet the
high responsibility thrown upon him. lie
will do his whole duiy 10 the nation. He
will aim at an honorable peace, il IT can be
attained. And il war should grow out ofthe no,
,ice of which we have but ie fear he vii! lee the
proud consolation that be has done his whole duty,
and will be sustained by all parties. He Will act
under a commission from majority ofeach parry
They have armed him with the power ana ne
will do what he regards necessary to The peace
and honor Of The whole nation. Lei US, Then,
hear no more OF he Presidents deliberate scheme
10 bring III. country TO war he has been
most anxious Tor an honorable adjustment OF The
Oregon controversy, and both parties, Wings and
Democrats have shown their confidence in his
high purposes, by authorizing The notice, as Inc
great measure Of speedy and pacific settlement.
The Wings are esiopped BY their own acts from
charging the President with mischievous designs.
The presen, position Of affairs reminds US OF The
events in MIR. Van Rurens administration. He
was denounced by the Wings for every thing that
was baa-his standing army" was harped upon
aud yet The Wings Of Congress, in The expected
crisis on the Northeast boundary, showed their
confidence in him by investing him with The dis
erection OF expanding ten millions OF dollars, 10
raise an army Of SC, o0o soldiers.
Mr.. Critienden addressed The Senate. The i'm
mediate question was, that OF giving or Withhold
;ng The "no.ice;" and he therefore did mol feel it
necessary TO enter into any minute analysis OF The
claims OF the respective parties in 'hs con'roSeI-
~. Mr.. C. then briefly ske;ched the progress Of
~ ctth.
failures 10 se,lle liue Of boundary dividing The
possessions of The two par,iesin Oregon Il was
10 be regretted in his opinion, that The question
had been agitated al the present time. Had il
been allowed TO s!uulber, the territory would gra
dually have heen settled by emigranls from the
United States, thus creating power on the spot
of great importance In maintaining possession,
and also constituting an important fact which
would have exercised influence on any future ne
eotiations. But the question had been agi;aled.
II had been thrown into the arena OF political dis
cussion and party conflict. The subject hadthsn
been thus asilated. Il must bs disposed OF, and
the question was, was il TO be disposed oil in the
manner recommended by the President The
objection 10 the notice was, that ], would not ia
cilita,c negotiation and might possibly he looked
upon as an unIrierdly proceeding, and as dimin-
ishins the chances OF friendly relations between
the two countries. But, in itself, the 'noice' was
not an untriendly proceeding. II was purely
conventional STEP We had presidents for such a
notice. Il was our right as j. was the right Of
England to give it. But although not Of itself a
hostile proceeding, 1, nigh, be mado to assume
color OF defiance; il might derive a character Of
hostility from the circumstances in which il is
given. How. then, coulc it be said to b. warlikc,
or diminish Inc chances oil psace7 Bn; af-
ter giving the notice IN The most amicahle
way; after taking all rrcca utions, we might
fail in the negotiation, and war might en-
sue Well, if snch should happen, lha, would
not be the fault of,he notice, but oftne ill-iem-
per and bad spirit in which parties approached
negotiation. For thirty years, all their attempts
had been mere failures all lha, had been said
mere verbiage, towards settling this question.
And was no, that likely TO continue 10 be the re
sol, of perpetua,ion Of that convention I
Would the other parry ever agree 10 'ine7
To negotiate under shelter of that convention
was TO negotiate without object, or responsible
,y, or effect. Why then continue III When il
wa. abrogated then the subject would become
one OF powerful attraction. Negotiation would
then be a sensible, RESPONSIBLE, and efec'ual