The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-10

eede, great purity Of private character, fne talents
and unqaestioned patriotism. He, sir, Is militia
Try ehieftaip. panliDg for batlle-feds and military
IN years, and without children on whom TO bsstow
/ Office or emoluuasnts, OF his tame. He il no ad-
venturer, having nothing To lose; but, on the con
trary, is gentleman Of fortune and holds heavy
interest dependent and resting upon the blessing9
| Of peace. He is now safely seated in the highest
office IN the gin Of his oountrymen, if not in the
world oDe-fouth Of the period OF It's tenure already
expired, and is candidate for reelection. Whut
possible lndueement such man have 10 sacrifice
the best interest Of has country, or 10 involve thai
eounlry TO which he owes everything, IN an unjust
war Have we no security for this, in his long past
llie Of sagaci,y, virtue, and fdelityl None Ia his
able and patriotic csbineR Mono in the limited ten
Ire Of has oiiee' None IN tho appropriation bbF,
by which armies and nayes raised armed, Ind
tedl None IN the royisoty power Of a stern, yigl-
liant, unquailing Senate
Is there no security in the teuors Of the iInpeaeh.
ing pc weR None An tho uniform, and beautiful
and fascinating examples Of all his predeeessoIsl
Sir has the interest Of this country been be-
trayed 10 foreign power, or an unjust war brought
upon II, by any Of our executives Never, sir,
never. All Of our executives, no matter TO what
party they may have belonged, have extended
widely and more widely the just fame Of this
ny AID yet, SIR, We ind senators, with full
knowledge Of all these things doubling and hesita-
that the President, by his rashness, or folly, or
wiokedness, may involve the country 10 war.
Such fears and such suspicious as these are un-
worthy OF as, and unjust TO that distinguished
fanctionary. They cannot trust him, because, in
his inaugural address, he stated, what be believed,
that all OF Oregon ives ours. He did make that
statement, and no believed H. And yet sir, 10 a
spirit Of compromise and in Difference to the acts Of
hrs predecessors, he yielded up his own opinions,
and offered TO settle this boundary on the 49th
parallel. But, oh, the Baltimore convention! He
70 bound by the edicts Of that convention Sir, |
was member Of that convention, and claim to
know something Of "the open day aud midnight
transactions" OF that asssmbage; but Of rhem
shall not speak. IL can now do no good to the
democratic party 10 revive a discussion Of our
family difficulties, which are no~ happily forgot
Ten by the family, and arc sin the deep bosom OF
the ocean bured.p repetition OF these family
Jan. u now rather stale even for the tender sym
psihies Of our sympsshizinx friends over the way;
and therefore, ouS Of proper regard to them, they
will be spared the lnhicnoa Of such a recital.
there, sir-w4s one Of those who, on the meeting OF
that convention, was called by some Of the ardent
traitor TO the party but three days thereafter al the
eio. OF that convention, my associates and myself
were esteemed patriots and sayiours 1.-THE party
thus furnishing, IN this instance another illustration
OF The truth OF history, that elassiestons generally
are the results Of successes er failures in any enter
prise OF msgnnude. I was there, sir; and
1.-THE Brutuses who helped to slay our Caesar (Mr
Van Bureau "net that loved him less, but that
loved Rome mccei" and, like Brutus, have reserved
tho same dagger, 10 be used by some friendly hand
upon myself whenever, like him, | shall 80 far for
set or mistake the interests Of my country viii
barely add SIR, that there was nothing which occur
red, IN my Judgment at that convention, inconsistent
With settlement Of this question by negotiation.
The action Of the President on this question shows
IN what light he views il.
Mr.. President, I have now said nearly all | in.
tended TO say upoa this subject shall detain the
w m |
war have no taste for fields Of carnage, or for
the conhagration Of cities; no desire unnecessarily
TO interrupt the business or peaceful pursuits Of
men. Feeling thus, sir, l hope, Notwithstanding
my fears TO the contrary, that we shall have
war ! desire that this notice shall pass, that the
resident shall be left untrammelled; that he may
VI possible, secure our rights in Oregon, which can
never be abandoned, and at the same time avoid
this war. war, however honorably 1t may ter
inmate, (for Of that | have no fears,) would be
Troublesome, expensive, and inoonvenient to the
United States. 1t would be the same to Great Brit
ain; and she, hope, is not disposed TO overlook
that consideration, Her people, like those Of the
United States, live by their labor, and flourish by
their commerce. A war between the two countries
would interrupt those pursuits. To her il ought
to be as desirable as to the people Of the United
States that this irritating question: long an open
one, should be settled amicably, and settled soon
She must learn the lesson new, if she has not already
learnt it. that however desirable il may be TO her. this
N
ent posluon'-that the conventions OF 1878 nd
1927, whatever may be the results, already
doomed to humiliation This is settled
am ready, sir, 10 confess that have no psrtcu-
lar partiality for Great Britain / have, perhaps,
inherited prejudices against her. But still, sir, II
she will eotto this question fairly and justly, and
will add promptly, and by so doing preserve the
peace between the Two countries, shall be ore OF
the first to forget the past Of two wars--the many
Irritating disputes since, and in my own time, with
her-her unjust diplomacy-and, in the honesty
and sincerity Of my heart, do all can to cultivate
the most amicabc relations and intercourse with
her, henceforth and forever. Let her, in the elo-
quent language of our secretary, "removo the only
cloud that now intercepts a long and prosperous
peace between the two countries" and no one
either side Of the Atlantic will rejoice at it more
| than myself And in doing this, ask no favors at
her hands l am too proud to ask her for conces-
| sons OF the two, would sooner give than
oeive them. All want is that to which my
try is justly entitled All ask, in the settlement Of
this question: justice and fairness, and these will
hngly granted, in frank and manly spirit. Let
her do this and our ancient differences and late
and present irrations will be forgotten, and
peace will shed its happy influence over the rea-
tons and intercourse Of hase two great and power
full nations Of the earth She has the honorable offer
of peace on these terms, war, If she desires it,
on any other; and in selecting this option it is to be
earnestly hoped that wisdom and justice, and not
petty eaouses Or passion, viii rule her councils.
u