The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1846-02-06

would be to violate national faith.
Thus they place us in dilemma, the
direct and sole tendency of which is
to effect delay. Indeed, they say,
some day take Oregon, but not now
forgetting that an independent
people will never think it too soon
to assert their rights, when they find
they have them. Every gentleman
who has spoken but one { Mr.. Win
throp) has said that we had a per-
feet title to all of Oregon; and that
one has said, that of the two, both
being imperfect, ours was the best.
When they said that much, they say
enough to make any further delay on
their part inexcusable. Having
rights, the people will demand their
maintenance; and the more those
rights are endangered, and the grea-
ter the prospect of losing them, the
more clamorous will they be for the
most decisive action. Were our
rights in doubt, delay would be ex-
cused; but knowing them, and open
ly avowing them, and yet bringing
up the fear of war, and setting forth
the terrors of the British force and
British name as a reason for not as
sorting them, is nothing more nor
less than national cowardice.
When party cannot carry its
points in one way, it is apt to try an
other; and have noticed that the
opposition here, when they canno,
reach our better judgments, from the
weakness of their arguments, always
try TO effect our nerves by their pan
les; and it is but natural for them
to do so, since they have failed in
their trial of all other means. But
the venerable gentleman from Mass.
achusetts has told us that there would
be no war; and he, from his superb
or knowledge, age, and experience.
should be good authority with them
SO that need not operate on us. But
war or no war is not the question
and it should not be considered fol
one moment. Let us take Oregon
now, and look to war when it arises.
1t is not for us to fear it, when the
people, who sent us here, and who
will have to lose their money and
lives in consequence of it, bid us or
ward in the execution of their OWL
will.
When the admission of Texas wa.
before us, Ga country to which we
had acquired no right except by the
will of the occupants of the soil who
had revolted from their rightiul gov.
eminent, J the question was not how
shall we compromise this difficulty
with Mexico, how much Of Texas
shall we have-but all said the whole
or none ; and we took it all and the
story is, that we took more than all
by running to the Rio del Norte, fol
the sake of good boundary. This
sanctioned with my vote; and | now
wish, and | call upon my southern
Texas friends to aid me, to let my
patriotism have as full scope on ouI
northern frontier as it had on the
South. If it was wrong to cede
away Texas in 1919, is it not equal
ly so to cede away any portion Of
Oregon now? And if we have had
such struggle, as is too recent in
our experience to describe now, tc
reannex that country against the will
of the weak and distracted govern
ment of Mexico, what will be the
mighty struggle when the future in
habitants of surrendered Oregon,
groaning under British oppression,
shall demand this same just privil-
eye? And such a demand is sure
to come. My doctrine is-"put not
off the evil day"-meet the ciisis il
the face-do justice whilst it is il
yourpower, and leave consequences
to consequences.
Mr.. w. wanted to call the atten-
ton Of tnc house-and, indeed, that
was the main object of his rising
and more particularly of the new
members, to an explanation of the
occurrence in the last Congress, al
luded to by the gentleman from
South Carolina, (Mr Rhett.) Mr.
W. said it was his opinion, and that
of a majority of the party with which
he had ever acted, that if the notice
and the bill were sent to the Senate
separately, one if not both would
pass. There were some senators
who would vote for one and not the
other. He was for both, and want
ed that course pursued that would
secure both. But, if he could not
have one, he did not wish to preju-
dice the other. BY looking at the
journals, it will be seen that all who
voted against putting the notice in
the bill were democrats. After the
notice was in the bill, they however
did not forsake tile bill on that ac-
count. Now look Mt those who yot-