The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-17

what vii be our position Immediately after the no.
uce Is glvsn Is no change Ia our position effected
by the mere act Of giving notice. take 1t that a
very important change Is thus effected. Are We
TO remain inactive after giving notice TO Great Brit
ain that at the end Of twelve months the convention
must expire Do we mean that the expiration Of
these twelve months shall hnd the country In its pres
ent defenceess condition, with declaration then
meeting Great Britain in the face that we mean. AZ
the expiration Of twelve months, TO assert peaceably
or forcbly according she yields 10 resists our
tide to the whole Of this territoryi And knowing Ihs
state Of armament in which she Is, do we mean to
suffer the intervening period between the tune
when notice Is given and the expiration Of the
twelve months, 10 be passed In inaciionl DO We
mean during all that time, relying upon the hope
OF compromise, to abstain from putting the country
into state Of defence | trust not. Whatever
hopes OF compromise may exist, Il will not be prl-
dent relying upon them TO refrain from putting the
country IN state Of defence Il will not tend TO the
realization Of those hopes to present TO Great Brit
ain the spectacle Of our inactivity and consequent
inability to assert our pretensions at the end Of the
period OF notice. Well then. the immediate act Of
giving the notice without waiting for the expiration
of the twelve months, will Of itself, from The yery
moment of giving nouce, impose upon US new and
high obligations. IL totally changes our rea-
tons. Now, IN relation TO this territory we have
a friendly compact with Great Britain; so long az
subsiss and is faithfully observed by each party
there is no conflict, collision; but when The no
tlce is given, our relations to Great Britain arc
Immediately changed We Immediately Impose
upon ourselves the obligation to put this country in
a state of defence. And now | ask SENATOR'S arc
they prepared Immediately after giving this notice
To commence the work Of arming the countTyl
Gentlemen who look TO this notice as the means by
which may Ultimately assert our uue TO the
whole country, will answer this question in the az
frmatiye. They are ready 10 do that now which
a N he nhligsh a A., r
the term, il not dore now. But to those gentlemen
who rely upon compromise as the result Of giving
thus notice, ask whether, while they are waiting
for compromise, they are willing TO expend the mil
hons which mast be expended ~ order 10 put the
country in proper state Of defence Now Mr.. Pres
ldent this is the position in which we shall be placed
by the act ogyng notice not at the expiration
Of twelve months but Immediately after the notice is
gwen. Then we are to give the nOuce-gentemsn
who vote for It ~ Its qualified form especially 10
give the nouce-Iu the expectation that II all faci
tate the peaceable adjustment Of this controversy.
VIII II do so' II To- as have said before, the real
question Of difficulty, how will the notice accom-.
pIlsh that object listened to the argument yes
erdAy of the senator from South Carolina NM
CALHOUN with intense interest," for the purpose OF
ascertaInIng from him how It was that his mind had
been brought to the conclusion which inclined" him
TO sustain this notice in modified form; and he
expects that il would facilitate compromise
1 ne ufst Suggestion lHdl lne Two nhlOUs, seeing
that this matter must be Hd usted within a pre-
scrbed time, will quicken their efforts for that pur
pose. Now what is that proposItloni Why, il is
that the certainty OF the collision which will result
between them after the ex piration Of twelve months
Il the question be not before that time amcably set
ted-wIll prompt them to settle it Immediately
that is to say, the fear Of The consequences will
operate upon the negouators, and induce them 10
quicken their movements. | ask if senator's really
believe that that would give an additional impulse
10 the movements Of our own government Do they
believe that our own government will quicken It's
step will su bmIt any proposition TO the British
government which they may consider inconslsten,
with the rights and interests Of the United States,
from fear of the consequences which might other
wise RESULT presume not. And II we will not
will Great Britain be actuated by fear Of those
consequences which can produce no influence upon
our mind or conduct On the contrary, il seems 10
me that the two governments will be embarrassed
by the fact of the existence Of this notices by the
knowledge Of the fact that within the twelve months
this matter must be adjusted; that they are there.
fore clrcumscrbed in point OF time, and are nego-
tiatlng with sword suspended over their headE |
know not If ! Judge correctly Of the ordinary mo.
uves to human action; but to II certainly seems
that the notice would operate rather TO retard
than to facilitate negotiation. Now look at II
practically and see which Of the two governments
will first If you give this notice Will our own
government The time would seem to be propitious
Great Britain has made an offer which we have re-
lected I'VE have made offer which has been re-
ectedi but with this important circumstance attend
ing 1t, that Immediately the rejection Of that offer
by the representative of the British government we
have withdrawn 1t, and IN the same note in which
that withdrawal made, announced our right 10 Il
the whole territory. Subsequently TO that time the n
British premier has in the British Parliament de-
aIed the disposition of that government TO consider
that propositions or, in other words he has express
ed the belle that that proposition ought to have been
submitted to that government for consideration
Will our government avail itself Of that declaration
made by the British minister in the only mode In n
which it could be made, since our proposition has
been actually withdrawn Will our government
advance and renew this Offer If ii do put it the
intelligence of senator's, will the offer be aided by
being accompanied by the notice. Why, in the first
place the British government have their own rejected
Offer and secondly, our offer Withdrawn, and accom-
panied by an assertion of our title to the whole ter
ritory They have then made an offer Of arbltn Ri
uon IN terms the most concillatory, ] would n
say, that | have ever read in any diplomatic
paper. That offer has been rejected. They have vi
made through their prime minister declaration
in the British Parliament, that it was desirable
by that government 10 consider the offer which has
been withdrawn. If, them in the face of all these
considerations, the notice be given, is it not keyE
TO interfere seriously with the amcable adjustment
of this question? Mr. President let us change stu III
atoms with Great Britain. As the power rests N
with the Queen, as the sole depository of the trer n
ty-making power, it is not likely that Param.n'N
would take any step in advance But suppose, fGH
the sake of Illustration, that a resolution Of th,H
Lords and Commons should have been introducing
into either house Of Parliament-hat it should haHH
undergone Just such debate as that TO which thrH
resolution has been subjected in the two houses
Congress-that we sho,ld have been as mudI
the subject Of denunciation and vuperation
Great Britain has been and suppose that, at the III
praon OF that time, when that resolution was aenl
upon, they should have come to us with nouaI
that this convention should be terminated put III
question to senator's, would these circumstances d
pose them to conciiationn would such denunat#
lions alarm their fears' would they not nth1&
arouse their Indignation would they, at any ra1E
oe more disposed to pursue a conciliatory courf&
after the United Stntes had been the subject Of at&
nunciaon in the British Parliament, and that MI
lowed up by resolution clearly indicating the d1H
position Of Great Britain to stand on her rights
the expiration Of twelve months, and assert III
claim to the whole territory No man ~
answer that affrmativey. Let it be r"N
lected, then, that the government Of Gre
Britain is in the hands Of men possessing n