Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-29


he has given ptoot, 10 his much criticised dosu
menl, OF he possession of literary powers IND
command respect il they Go no! always iofc
conviction.
"Upcn The whole, then, if the Message ma
not given all the satisfaction in England WING
The friends and wewi3hers OF Aueiica 0es'i'
/, has its favorable poinl-lhat OF Free iraue
and The pending triumph OF Free Trace Pf'hcl
pies will. in all probability, be accompanied D
a satisfactory adjustment of that bone OF conen
uon-lhe Oregon. Polk and Peel agree as
The necessity oflhe first, why not oi Inc ias' amer
na,ive?"
| rE,,,, ne I.ou3on Times, If DsceMber Il
In this. the first legitimate act oil his Presden
80 Mr.. Polk does nothing more than inpefsonal
he Democracy which bore him into power. In
siye OF his address is all that can really be calie'
his own and that is unusually readable, simple
| and clear. On such minor topics as are mol 10 u
matters Of practical discussion, or are even OF
sor, to call for commentator, the Message WI
| be read with interest," and sometimes win pea
l sure.
The annexation oil Texas is treated as mat
! ter of history, and al the same Time WIN INA
!, breviiy o. recollection in which the short-liVet
/ dcalors Of The Union are 50 tempted 10 indulge
! Texas, no mater how, WAS Independent; ih'
States oi Europe Acknowledged II Mexico her
sell a, last acknowledged il, though with an often
sive and impairment condition, and too lfle &c
answer her purpose. The cilizans, Whoever
whatever, or whenever they miSht DC, desifes
annexation. and, on The great principle oil sell
government, had right 10 bc governed as they
liked. With The same sweet oblivion oil !exar
ANTIQUITIES. the interference Of Great Britain anC
France is treated as simply an alIemp' 10 nam
tain balance of power against the encfoachmenis
OF The Unicn. Ii IS asserted 10 be The Indeleasi
/
resist European interference, but 10 be utterly deal
10 Inc suggestions Of European discretion and
humanity.
On one point. the message exhibits symfa'
ihy with our own ministerial intentions as mar
vcllous as il i ausp!cious oi International 2'i-
~ Tic principle OF protective Guie*, as orros,
et TO those for revenue, IS clearly deEned aha
strongly condsmnrd; and the Legislature is re-
commended 10 pot an ena 10 the oppressive me
Qualities Ut what is called the minimum" pm
cip,e, retained in the tariff OF 1872 with the &C.
neral adoption Of 0d raio,em duties. Inc Ffesi-
den! Laws down the important MAXIM tbal TAXA
lion oush; 10 fall as lightly a possible on the ma
leriais Of profitable employment and me necessS-
ries o! lie
Oregon is The subject which The almost ianal-
cal inleres, with which il has been agiatcd by
The States, and lis consequent bearings on The
peace OF the weird, renders the most prominent IN
Inc address,. The long and animated comments
Of he \ merican press show how Little di>p"sed
The citizens have hitherto S-ca 20 <; on lne
President on This painful and delicate SUBJECT
what is actually saii, is neither mere hur les
than what million Voices have & caed, ana We
have long known. II need not augment me Ter
rors of The European aIarinisls, 0na a eeT'0'n9
,rW nat change Gtc resorss, ar 0Gafo ne prepa'@,
tions al tie Braisi Cabinet. IL IS cbeadyres'fre2
and PR pared.
Mir. Polk, after a3veriing TO the recen, neso-
tialions ana attempts al compromise peioie ne
came into office, informs US oil what ne mas cone
towards The conclusion Of ibis unfortunate dis
pu,c In reading his simple narrative, II becomes
necessary 10 remember that an American exists
in a sphere Of his own, ana can harily &c
Judged by Erronean ideas ol moderation, decen
cy and honor. The President takes great credit
10 himself for having Trade an offer Which he
acknowledges 10 he less than what The British Go
yernmen, has repeatedly declined.
Here follows an extract from the Presidents
Me>sage.l
In making this proposal, already twice refused,
the President thinks II necessary 10 apologize TO
his democratic supporters: he pieads WIN an
he humiliation OF one bound BY prescriptre
compiances ,ha, he had been obliged to proceed
on the basis OF compromise, and asks The pub
lie cGndonance for that, under tnis bondage he
has offered what il was known would not be ac-
.epted. To make amends for IN sel-lmposed
ndignilY he declares that the day Of compromise
: now over.
Ifie.e follows an extract from The Message.
GAN attempts a; compromise having failed,
Nr Polk recommends mat notice shooid he si-
zen TO terminate ne joint occupation o; The coun-
~: hai he laws and institutions o! the Union
should be extended 70 tae American settler ii
Oregon; and that military posts should ne eStao-
ished cr their protection All formidable
enough, could VIC believe it possible that any CT
'ilzed nalicn would really plunge into SO fatal
md suicidal an error, as 10 defend by war The
mere RICH, Of occupation, and the sill more ina
,inary claim 10 which MIR. Polk also reters-ne
Inlecedenl right OF the Union 10 all The unset
led and undecided territory in the North Amerl-
an continent The declaration isloo premature
however, 10 he really alarming II proposes 10
ring things 70 an immediate issue, and that I'M
Mediate issue must lie One OF negotiation, mel
rms. A s!owei course might have been more
nsidiors and more certain. Mir Cahouns po-
lev Of giving no notice, but pushing the undonb'-
q right oil joint occupancy 10 The uimos!, couid
iardly fail, in the course OF ten years. 10 result
n repetition OF The game Of Texas or rather
If the original Declaration OF Independence
Oregon. should the American population ever al
Il
.emain British colony; but occupancy: though
IN irresistible porer, is not right, AND aepenos
IN numbers, not arms.
The terms Of The message imply, then, the al
ernalive of war or conclusive Negotiation. war
Is TOO monstrous TO be thought of Tor moment,
except after every effort al compromise mas
been exhausted. Britain and America must De
100 sensible Of their mutual benefits, mutual de-
tendency and mutual respect 10 peril Inc SUD
,tan,iaI blessings they now enjoy and are cary
in the relations OF peace for me boooy
and prccaiinus guiies 81 war. IL is all Dul ili-
1ossib,e tina; Two great and kindred nations, d.
;er healing wide a breach and hclPibS one
another 10 SO great a common prosperity, should
become again mutual AMI unnatural deslroyefs
Tor mere ront Of homer, for remote wilderness,
from both by journey otmanv monlhs
hy stormy seas and and almost impossible locss
ma deserts. Unless Mr.. Polk is merely riiiins
with words and secretly soothing al The universal
sentiments oil humanity he is himself incapable
of SO great an outrage and injury on the country
of his ancestors, on The land OF his birth, and me
whole race o! uian. What means he hy saving
tha, he has adopted The maxim 10 ask ho'hins
that is mol tight and 10 submit to nothing thai IS
wrong?" And his further toas that iii> his "anx,
IONS desire 10 preserve peace with all nations
Tha, the Union should be anxious 10 heal this
sore. ana should ,hiEs il rnnhn!v and impo''nc
d beonca,h a qaarrel 10 pos,eri;v, is naiu al
enough. That lhcy should think 10 strengthen
their claim with strong language, is also in con-
f,rnily with many examp pies. But il The deci.
sion is 10 be speedy, can only he by negotiation,
either by reference or BY recurrence 10 The
method which, in the case OF the disputed boun-
dary on our Canadian frontier, proved SO entire
lysuccessiul.
The lelier-wr,er for the European Times gives
the following statements Of the declaration OF
some OF Tie Paris papers:
"But. 10 return 10 The comments Of The Partisan
journals on the Message. The Constitutional
vi. Thers's organ, SAYS that it thinks Mr. Polk
is Guile disposed Tor war with Eng and, and that
had II not been thar he bei@rctl The Senate will he
aqaius, him, hs wond have spoken much more
violently than he has done. L SEXES his remarks
on ,he ccrdnc, If France 10 the Texas Affair." 10
adde's reprcaches 10 NJ. Gn;zo'. The Courier
Francois says that The Message is very v rlike
il fo,m. hu, very peaceful al bottom; il barks
loudly, bu, has M intent n 70 bite. This Jour
nal also turns he Presd- nlia fl CHI about France
INTO an attack on the Ministry The Prcsse finds