Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-06-27

cries Otbsilo, when he finds wicked brawl on foot
There is great justice and force in the following
remarks Of the Baltimore "American" as to the
original source of the late Oregon excitement
matter which, now that we are happily through it,
the country should look into closely and severely
holding to the dread responsibility of endless blood
which had like to have been shed through them, the
men who shall now, on calm examination, be found,
either through folly or for interest, party or per-
sona, to have prepared calamities for two friendly
and kindred nations, which have with such difficult
ty been averied. The g American y says:
+" In regarding the assurance of continued peace
with Great Britain one of the most gratifying
results of this settlement of thas Oregon question,
the rebuke which it has given to the attempted
despotsm of political convention,is scarcely less
to be regarded as suspicious and cheering. When
partisan clubs, under the name of convention or
caucus, shall have succeeded in debating in adj
vance the whole action of the Government, as well
in its foreign relations in its domestic concerns
when the functions of Legislation shall be swallow
ed up In the will of unto issuing It's DEGREES as
the organ of dominant party to the suppression
of all deliberate judgment and fair investigation,
1t will have become apparent that the forms of
free institutions still remaining to us are forms
only, and forms perverted to the worst uses Of ty-
ranny. From this threatened usurpation the Senate
= has saved the country, at least for the present..
1t is not little remarkable that we should Just
have witnessed, in that branch Of our National Lee
gisature TO which particularly confded the deli
cate functions of consulting foreign intercourse
and on personal character in appointments, an at
tempt TO compel publicity of elaboration that
attempt being made by men the most thorough
going of party who have begun to settle and decide,
ab initio in secret irresponsible party conclave,
the most momeatous questions Of our public policy
and rights.
Will they, who thus insist on opening to the ears
of alien or hostile nations all our consultations
bind themselves to be equally public, equally open,
in those councils and debates of mere party and its
managers to which they willingly refer, without the
least apparent dread Of secresy and of under-hand
practices, every thing that most deeply and vitality
concerns the country If they will, and will pub
lsh the undlsclosed proceedings of THE BALTIMORE
CONVENTION, the public may be able to learn the
real history and motives of that declaration about
our unquestionabe right to the whole of Oregon
which the President of the United States thought
his duty to adopt fundamental rule for his own
guidance and which-though only foisted into these
caucus resolutions-seems to have been considered,
another great question: far more binding upon the
Administration than the expressed and legal COM
mand Of all branches Of the Government, in the form
Of law. that the question Of boundary Jet,oeen us
and Merico should be settled by negotiation.
What examination, if any, was, in that Conven-
ton given TO the high matter thus absolutely decid.
ed, we have yet to learn. Public debate there was
none. The thing, if canvassed at ALL must have
been canvassed only by few, in some corner, in
Soie blef interval Of those confused and angry dis
cussions about persons and availabilites which are
known almost alone to have occupied that famous
body. And thus, that which could task in deliber-
alton for months the abilities of negotators and the
logic Of both branches of Congress by turns, was
dispatched at Baltimore without, probably, any
;ible or thought beyond that Of him TO whose
sit occurred, in composing an electioneering-
j, to introduce Oregon one of the bats for
= par Of the popular constituency! Even thus, by
neans a. absurd, gross, and, in regard to the
contlrt, as fraudulent as these, have we been car
Fied 20 The very verge Of war without any real
object, and which could not have failed to be
calamtous, as it would have been guilty
Lei he country, then-if it loves its own safety,
It's own clearest well-beng-take warning by this
example, and never again permit any party thus to
make its playthngs Of great and dangerous public
questions. Such questions cannot be settled in the
hurry and amidst the intrigues of electioneerng
conventions and caucuses nor trusted to the motives
which govern them. 1t may here be seen to what
dangerous extent the men who compose such as
semblles will sometimes tamper with the public
safety, and set every thing at hazard, for any hope
however small, of aiding to secure that on which
alone they are generally inten-the success of some
particular candidate. In this instance little public
interest was attached to this old and sleepy con.
troversy for distant region, hardly worth entire
the long dispute about that poor part of it which
was in debate but. there were some whose ina
ginations could be inhamed about it, il was flung
in, as mere makeweight, to turn the scale of popu-
larity with that few, and in the hope that il would
produce no injury among reasonable people, simply
because reasonable people would look on it as an
absurdity, meant only to make momenary dupes.
Such, as every body knows, was the consequence
attached at that time to this part of the declarations
Of that Convention; and certainly small part OF
those who elected Mr.. Polk under it were taken by
surprise, Just as much as they who opposed him,