Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1846-03-05
territory, becomes question of peace or


both and the citizens or subjects al bnIi
Powers were permitted To occupy any par
OF IT. The lncon, enlences of that lcmpornr,
arrangement were well understood at ~,
tine. The British fur companies had eslab
shed factories on the banks. and even soull l
of The river COLUMBIA within the limits al
that portion Of the country which the UnIico
States had whenever the subject was dts
cussed, claimed as belonging exclusively Ia
them fhc conditions Of the agreement
were nomlnally reciprocal; but, though Iacy
did not give. yet they did IN fact leave the
Brush company in the exclusive possession
OF the fur trade. Tins could not b. prevent
ed otherwise than by rcsorrng to actual
force; the United States were not then
either ready or disposed Ia run the risks of a
war for that object; and 1t was thought more
eligible that the BRUSH traders should re-.
main on the territory OF the United States,
6y virtue Of a compact and with thcis Consent,
than IN defiance oi their authority. II IL but
very lately that The Americans have begun
TO migrate 10 lhat remote country; a greater
number will certainly follow; aud they huYe
under the convention perfect r ghi Ia Lceu-
Ipy and make settlements IN any part of the
territory they ipay think proper with the sole
exception OF the spots actually occupied by
the British company.
What is then the object in view, IN giving
the notice at this time ? This has been de-
clared without reserve by the President !:
/" Al the end ot the years noiIce, should con.
/" grcss think 1t proper 10 make provision Tor
|" giving that notice, we shall have reached n
|" period when the national rights ~ Oregon
+" must either be abandoned or hrmly main
i tanned. That they caanot be abandoned
/" without sacrifice %! both national honor
/" and interests, Is too clear to admit OF doubt
\" And il pust be recocctrd that this candlu
avowal has been accompanied by the declar
alton that our tile To the whole Oregon ter
" rl,ory had been asserted and. as was be-
/" icved, maintained by lrrefragable facts and
Arguments Nothing can be more plain and
explicit The exclusive right of the Unued
States 20 absolute sow rclgn,y over the whole
territory must be asserted and maintained.
II may not be necessary for that purpose
10 drive away The British Fur Company, nor
10 prevent the emigration INTO Oregon oi
British emigranls coming from the British
domlnions. The company may, It decmed
cxpedlent, be permitted IN trade us hereto
fore with the Indians. British emlgrants may
be treated IN the same manner as the other
sixty or eighty thousand who already arrive
yearly IN the United Stnirs. They may at
their option be nntuTnllzed, or remain on
the same footing as foreigners III other parts
Of The Union. in this case they will enjoy
no political rights they will not be- permit
ted TO owa American vessels, and To SAL
under the American flag the pcrGlsslgn 10
own real property seems, so long as Oregon
remains a territory, to depend on the will OF
Congress. Thus far collision may be avoid
ed.
But no foreign Jurisdiction can be per-
mlttcd, from the moment when the sovereign
" of the United States over the whGle ier l.
tory shalt be asserted aud maintained. To
tins. all those who reside III the territory
must submit. After having taken the decI
slvc step of giving the notice, the United
States cannot, as the President Justly states,
abandon the right of sovereignty without a
sacrifice OF national honor.
1t has been expressly agreed by tho con.
venton that nothing contained IN !, should
affect the claims OF either party 10 the ter
ritory. The all important question OF SOW
erc;gnty remained therefore ~ allegiance. -
Negotiations for DIVISION ot the territory
have failed the question of sovereignty re- 4
IIlhlnS UnUeClueu, as III was PRIOR W wv CbIl'
ven,on. 1t the United States exercise the re-
served right to put an end To the convention,
and # from the time when !, shnll have cX-
pred, they percmptMIIy assume the r.ghl of
sovereignty over the whole, II cannot be
doubted that Great Britain will at once re-
slst. She will adhere 10 the principle she
had asserted prlor to the Nootka convention,
and i.as ever since maintained, that actual
can alone give right TO the com
try. She will not permit The jurisdiction at
the UuIted States to be extended over her
subjects: she will oppose the removal, ar
resi- or exercise OF any other legal process,
against her Justices Of the peace, against
any other officers directly or indirectly act
under her authority, against any one oi her
subjects; and she will contlnnc To exercise
her jurisdiction over all of them throughout
the whole territory. Whatever either pow
cr asserts must be maintained military oc-
cupailon aud war must necessarily cnsue.
A portion ofthc people, both IN the West
and elsewhere, see clearly that such must
be the consequence ol giving thc notice 49,
Such men openly avow their opinions, pre-.
fer war To longer continuation ut the pres
ent state of tIngs, are ready 10 meet nll The
dangers and calamltics of the impending
conflict, aud to adopt at once all the m"as.
urcs which may ensure success. w nh
them, the discussion brings at once the
question Ia l,s true issue. w3T necessary
for the object they have IN view Or m1y
It not be attained by pcaceablr mcaus ?
1t Is question of war or peace, aud II is
fairly laid before The nation.
Bat many respectable men appear 10 en-.
terrain hopes that peace may stl b" pre-
served after the United States shall have
assumed, or attempt to assume, exclusive
sovereignty. The reverse appears to ne so
clear, 50 obvlons, 50 inevitable, that really
cannot understand on what grounds Ibcsc
hopes are founded
l., It thought that The President will not,
after the assent Of Congress has been OBJ
tanned. and whether Immediately or at the
end Of Ilns session. Is quite lmInatcrlal give
the notice which hr has asked Congress- Ia
auhorlzc Or - 1t supposed that n change
~ the form winch, m order to avoid RESPONSE.
b,lIy. would give hun discretionary power
could lead to different result, or he any.
llIiug else bat transfer by Congress to The
Executive nl The power iu declare war
Can It be- presumed that when. after The
expiration uf The term oi notice, the couvcu-
ilon shall have been nbrogatcd, tie Prcsl.
dent will not assert and maintain ihe SOW
,.,,,,,u,y ~ t,t,,.I hv t,r Ifutcd Statps >