The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-14

peet disaster and defeafi No. We may experience
al hrsJ but the recupeatye energies Of our people,
animated by hor undying love Of country, their at
taehment TO It's Institutions, their determination to
maintain inyiolaie every foot Of our soil-hsying
within them burning hatred Of the tyrannies Of the
Old World, from the Calling bonds Of which their
fathers freed themselyes-will be sufficient to meet
and 10 bear US uiumphantly out Of any emery
But that we shall be technically prepared for war
until war comes, no man can believe. We shall
therefore gain nothing in this respect, by postpone
ment-nothing at all
But, said the gentleman from Virginia Mr. HuE-
TER, before you think Of war, you must think Of
tracking Great Britain, with a stream Of IRE and
blood around the world, you must meet her on every
sea, and in all her possessons-all her colonies from
Alden to the ionan Isles, from India to--God knows
where; We must exhaust and conquer British power
everywhere before we expect 10 take or 10 keep eth
er Oregon or Canada. Well; now, | believe in io
such doctrine as that History teaches no such
doctrine; II leads US 10 no such conclusion. Great
Britain deprived France Of all her colonial posses
sions; she eft Napoleon without a solitary colony
| on the face Of the globe; she confined him 10 the
continent of Europe; and at that very time he rode
triumphant and irresistible over that continent, and
tampled in the dust the subsidized allies Of the inn
| perlal pirate. Why Because there were all his
resources. Great Britain may keep her Chusan,
her India, her Mediterranean possessions; she
may keep them ALL does Il follow that we cannot
beat her on this continent IL does not; for here
| our resources, and hers are distant.
But" say gentlemen, "this battle for Oregon, If
1t come at all, is TO be fought in Canada" believe
III and am glad that Great Britain has in the pres
ent coojuncture, assailable point here, where we
can reach her. And the gentleman takes especial
pains TO arouse the jealousy Of western men by tell
ing US that 1--WE will get Canada, and then Oregon
must be given up" Now, does any man suppose
that tho present administration, that any admin.
| istraton possible, holding Canada a conquered
pledge, would give up Oregon l do not. do not
believe that there is man IN the United States, ca
pabe Of being elected Presidentoro Of getting there
either by "aecideni" has been said of ono, "by
| the grace Of God"-who would be either such
fool or such knaye. IL is impossible. Take
Canada, and Oregon would fall into our hands
| as matter Of course. But | do not apprehend
any difficulty Of this kind believe that Great
Britain withholds an amlcablo settlement because
she is satisfied with her present postoR. Abrogate
the present convention; throw your laws over your
citizens IN that territory, and manifest disposition
10 assert and maintain your rights there and then
she will come up TO the work ofnegotiaton and set.
Ilement in earnest. She is vulnerable, and she
knows II, as well as we. War would bring her
calamities great as It would TO us, and greater.
We can live without her She cannot without US.
| We can do without her manufactures, and have
none Of her material; she depends upon
raw material for her manufactures; II Is the very
breath Of her existence and without il her people
would die from starvation. Where is our fear Of
war; | have none; and yet am advocate for
war. God knows, appreciate its horrors as keen
/ y any man that lives; for my very earliest
recoecuons are OF the scenes war brings-the tears
ofthe young wife, Of the mother, Of the sister, the
partngs which break young hearts. These | re-
member, and have no wish, as God is my Judge
to sec them repeated. But yet, looking war calmly
in the face, say, "Be just, and fear not" know
the consequences which may result, perhaps, (only
perhaps, sir)-l know, and I should depre-
cate the consequences which may perhaps re-
suit from the vigorous assertion OF American
rights. War, if 1t should be the result, would
bring with II the destruction Of trade, heavy taxa
don, heavy losses the necessity Of personal ser
vices. You and !, perhaps, might be called to leave
the peaceful walks Of civil life and to participate in
the hardships and the dangers Of the camp and Of
the tented field. What them Are we Americans
Are we the descendants Of men contemporary with the
youth Of the venerable gentleman from Massa-
chusettsi-or are the cowardly, craven wretches
that would not dare to do what feeble colonies
altogether not equal in strength to the single State Of
New York at this moment-did TO assert and main
tain our rights think not. That is not the spirit
of the people have the honor to represent have
not them before me, but have in my room resolu-
tons deliberately adopted by a recent convention Of
that part of the people Of Ohio with whom act po-
itically, declaring the expectations they have of the
action of their representatives here for the vigorous
maintenance Of our rights to Oregon, and pledgng
tbcir lives, their fortunes, and their sacred honor
(such is the language used) to sustain them. Sir,
we do not want war, but If we must have ii, we
! would great deal rather fight Great Britain than
, t.-e other powers, for we do not love her. We
10. Ne cJh said about the ties Of common lam
Collections, binding on origin, and our common re,
: not love Great Britain n' Da' say VIC 10
e pie do not, and do not. a. i'"'' my P'''
A '.common language" 1t has been /. :,
vehicle of an ncessant torrent of abuse and misier
| esenation Of our men, manners and our insti
3 turions; and even our women- might be vulgar Il
designate our pebeian girls as Ladies-have not es
capped IT. and all this is popular, and Il encourage
e in high places. We have a common orignn
: though perhaps numerically one-half of the people
: of this country are not English by descent; but
y common origin" did not prevent that infamous
S power from employing the savage to tomahawk on
: old men, to scalp our women, and to brain our IN
' fants, and from paying them for these barbaroui
i deeds and internal trophies. The British govern
e ment (again the British people have no animosy
confess do not love- and while for the sake of tn
e British people, and of my own country, would
!, avoid war, yet 1t war must come, let her De ou
o enemy by all means.
e But, Mr. Chairman, | have been led off upor
these points, not because conceive them to be ne
0 cessarily connected with the discussion, but be
g cause gentlemen upon the other side have lugget
Y them in and attempted to Brighten from giving
this notice; and when reply to them as have
: done-and in doing, speak, am pursuaded
the sentiments Of the people of Ohio do it to
show that no such considerations can move us, ant
: for no other purpose.
Mr.. b. concluded by repeating, as ne hau stated
the outset Of his remarks, that he had risen for
!, the purpose of saying Lut few words He wa.
e not in the predicament of the gentleman from Mich
!; loan, MIR. CHPMAN,l who felt that the hour-ru,
was an intellectual straight-jacke; and having said
all that now occurred to his mind, begging the par
, don Of the House for having occupied so much o
its time he would yield the floor TO some Of thos
U around him who were SO anxious to distinguish
themselves in the rising en- masse which was sure
follow his conclusion:
Mr.. WENTWORTH said it easy for gen
I tlemen to rise on this floor and descant upon TIL
= gorcs of war, or the blessings Of peace. For one
!, he had nothing to say upon either. He would
avoid the charge Of bravado on one side and timi
dty on the other. The question Of declaring wa
e was not before Congress. And were at amity
with all the nations Of the earth, and consequently
: we had no peace to make. He had expressed hi'
views in relation to this matter several occasions
before this and it was difficult to find politician
r who had not For nearly thirty years the matte
0 has been in agitation; and during the whole time
the extrnsc consideration Of peace or war had beer