The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1846-04-10
IN SENATE.
TIE OREGON QUESTION.
MoSDAY. MARcn 30, 1916.

States be requested TO communicate 10 the sen.
ate copies OF any correspondence that may have
taken place between the authorities OF the United
States and those Of Great Britain since the last
document transmitted TO Congress, IN relation to
tie subject Of the Oregon territory, or so much
: thereof as may be communicated without detri'
D men, TO the public interest,"
Mr.. WEBSTER rose and said shall
advise my honorable friend, the member
from Delaware, 10 forbear from pressing
this resolution for few DAYS.
There is no doubt that there are letters
0 from Mr.. McLane but, as the Chairman
of the Committee on Foreign Relations OPP
poses this motion, | am 10 presume that
the Executive Government finds 1t incon.
yenient to communicate those letters 10 the /
Senate, OF the present moment.
Yet, it is obvious, that as the Senate is
called on TO perform a legislative act, II
ought, before the hour of lis decision
comes, 10 be put IN possession Of every
thing likely to influence its judgment; 9th.
erwise, il would be required 10 perform
high legislative functions on mere conf |
dence. There is certainly some embar.
rassment in the case. Ii the Executive .
Government, deems the communication of /
the correspondence announcement, II can on !
" be because negotiation is still going on,
or, il suspended, is expected to be resumed
So far as negotiation Is concerned, the
communication, or publication, OF the cor
:, respondence, may very properly be thought
: announcement. But then, the President has
} recommended the passage Of law, or res
olu,lon, BY the two Houses of Congress.
In support Of this recommendation, he him.
self sen, W, unasked, al the commence.
ment Of the session, the correspondence up
% to that time. Now, If that was necessary,
the rest is necessary. If we are entitled
to a part, we are entitled to the whole.
In my opinion, the mistake was in call.
:, ing on Congress TO authorize notice TO
! England Of the dlsconiinuance Of what has
been called the Joint occupation until ne.
=, COLLATION. had been exhausted. Negotiation
- should have been tried first, and when that
had aiIed, ard finally failed, then, and not
: till then, should Congress hive Teen called
upon.
| now 90 on the ground, Of course, that
the notice for disseminating the Joint occu.
=" pancy Is properly TO be gisea ~ authority
y of Congress point which | do not now
&c discuss.
1t is said, indeed, tina, notice is 10 be
" used as weapon, or an instrument, IN ne.
: COLLATION.. | hardly understand this. Ii is
~ :, metaphor Of not very obvious applica.
- ton. A weapon seems to imply, no, ia.
cllty, or mere aid, but the means either
Of defence against attack, nor Of maklg
:" an attack. Ii sounds not altogether friend
1' ly aud pacific. doubt exceedingly wheth
err, under present circumstances, notice
r. would hasten negotiation and yet such arr
those circumstances that there may be a
~ much Inconvenience in standing still as il
90 90 going forward.
~ ~ The truth is, that grea, embarrassment
~ arises from the extreme pretensions an,
~ opinions put forward by the President, il
~ his inaugural address, a year ago, aud il
- his message last December. But for these
- notice would have been harmless, and per
haps would have been authorized by boti
~ Houses without much opposition, and re
~ ceiyed by England without dissatisfaction
'" ". But the recommendation Of the notice
- coupled with the Presidents ren";r ~ 1e =
lar 'aia'ons .t.ury VI 10 be "clear and unoues
n HHohnble, " alarmed the county. And vel
II might. And If notice were required, il
or order 10 enable the President to push these
n extreme claims to any and every result,
=, then notice ought to be refused by Con.
~ gress, unless Congress is ready to support
these pretensions at all hazards. Here lies
a the difficulty. Congress is not prepared,
and the country is not prepared, as | be.
a licVe, to make the Presidents opinion Of a
-. clear and unquestonabe right TO the whole
! territory an utlmatum. If he wants no
20 tice for such purpose, he certainly must
- see that 1t becomes grave question whelh.
er Congress will grant il,
=. 1t was a great, very great mistake, 10
n accompany the recommendation Of notice
no with so positive an assertion Of our rrht
to the whole territory. Did the President
mean to adhere TO that, even to the OK.
trem'ty OF war! If so, he should have
known that, after what has happened il
81. years past, the country was not likely tc
no sustain him. Did he mean to say this
10 and afterwards rccede lromii Ifso, why
u say ii at all Surely the President could
es not be guilty Of playing so small a part, as
ne to endeavor to show himself to possess
az spirit, and holiness, and fearlessncss Of
10 England, more than his predecessors, Of
eo his countrymen, and yet do all this in the
TX confident hope that no serious collision
IL would arise between the two countries. So
IS low an ambition, such paluy motives,
al ought not 10 be imputed. When the Pres
e. ldent declared that, in his Judgment, our
ne title to the whole Of Oregon was " clear
Oh and unquestonable," did he mean to ex.
he press an Official or mere personal opin.
e. ION If the latter, it certainly had no place
re IN an official communication. If the for
'e mer-If he intended a solemn official opin.
Is ion, upon which he was resolved to act of.
'e fcIaIly, then it IS a very grave question
IA how Tar he is justified, without new lights,