The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-21

them az an inhsrilance. A Territorial government
should be formed there, and governor appointed
at once. Where the cross of ST. George waves over
one foriihestion In that territory, the stars and
stripes should float over hrO. Fors and block
houses should dot the whole OF the Oregon trail;
armed troops should guard our eitzens In Their
emigralons thnheB the dag Of their country
should float over them; the eonDtepanee Of
their country should be upon Them the
arm OF their country should be stretched out 10
protect them and the American eagle should fly be-
fore them, hsraldng them on The rich lands Of
Oregon. They should have cause 10 cry OUT
thai their country negeets or deserts them The
overland mail recommended by the Executive
should be established al once. Every barrier which
might impede the tide of emigration should be
broken down, every nducement which might in
crease II should be offered The tribes Of Indians
now disposed TO be hostile 10 as, should be eoneI-
lated, and quoted by Indian agents who should be
appointed, and who should have psasss. which they
might usr 10 some purpose. SIR, IL does seem TO
me, AZ this policy were parsoed, ampiihed and im-
proved az il might be by the eongreested wisdom
Of this nation, does seem 10 thai all the pow
ens upop earth eoald not rend from our grasp the
rich prize for which We eonhnding See, SIR, N
have not some tolsrablr authouty for the course
have recommended find in the Union Of the 7ih
instant a very able article upon this question from
Is
The posture Of inisrsas ia Oregon Is this
new aspect OF title Our citizens have now gone and
going orth la 10 Of their broad
American citizens uiing the soil Of that territory will
stretch out their arms 70 for the protection which 10
their most manifest right ke
SO il seems, that before this Congress shall rise
ten thousand hardy settlers will have established
themselves in Oregon. When this Congress COM
menced It's session there were but seven thousand
when shall rise there will be ten thousand And this
too, without any positive guarantee upon the part Of
their government OF its counenanee and protection.
Sir II there shall be ten thousand settlers in that
territory when Congress shall rise, how many may
fairly infer there will be there nj the expiration
of five, even three, brief years. The calculation
is easily made, sir; beg gentlemen to pause and
make il. We shall have sufficient number TO hid
defiance TO the Hudson Bay Company and all its
agents; enough Of themselves 10 maintain and de-
fend the whole territory; or, at least enough to
raise provision 10 maintain any army may
send there TO aid and defend them. And can
not gentlemen wait hve short years. Can they
not wait three Can they not even tarry ill
Congress shall riser Sir, the territory will not
take to itself wings and fee away; ii will not be
swallowed up in the Pacific nor be wholly devoured
by the British lion. IL we will but starry at Jericho
ill boards shall grow out" Oregon shall be ours
when our faces shall be covered with hairl Am
10 he answered in the words Of the honorable gen.
tleman from Indiana, MIR. KEssEpr,l that this
wOulu 'stcdHng the country tndt u would De
creeping and crawling into the country, and acting
in bad faith" No such thing, SIR All this should
be done in the broad face of heaven and the world
We have said TO Great Britain, s'oregon is ours"
and, should add, 1--WE mean to maintain our rights
every portion Of il; we do not choose TO fight for
IL al this moment, but we getting ready, and we
mean to get ready" Would this be acting in bad
fniih
Shall again be answered. that unless this notice is
given Immediately emigration will ceasei That Great
Britain s establishing herself more and more firmly
every day, and that in a short time our citizens will
be afraid to venture therea II is too late to urge
this objection, when they have already even with
out the countenance and protection Of our govern
ment, poured on in continued stream TO that
country. II would be utterly impossible for the
Hudson Bay Company to resist check this tide of
western emigration if thus encouraged. That COM
pany, with all the hunters and trappers it could
muster, would present no stronger barrier to this
tide of emigration, than would asmud wall to the
swelling waters Of the broad Potomac. 4-
Shall il be said that in the meantime the Hudson
Bay Company will be exhausting the fur trade, and
reapiDg all the profits to be derived from III Sir if
we claim Oregon only for the sake Of its beaver
skins il occurs TO me that we have been shamefully
negligent heretofore. For the fur trade is diminish.
ing rapidly, and hitherto Great Britain has derived
almost exclusively the benefit from il. But, sir we
desire Oregon for purposes far more important.
MEANWHILE as the fur trade diminishes as the buf.
servants and agents Of the Hudson Bay Company
gradually retire, and leave in possession Of the
territory. Or shall this policy, which have had
the temerity to propose, meet with the objection
urged with much plausbihty and force by another
gentleman from Indiana, Mr.. OWEN namely-,hat
our emigration would not extend itself north of
the Columbia river, or north of latitude AGO. I'D.
mit sir that there is great deal Of pausbility and
some strength in that objections; for although it is
fancful and chimerical TO suppose with that gen.
tleman) that the Hudson Bay Company can afford
to buy up citizens like cattle in the market at
the high price Of eight hundred dollars per head,
yet 1t is quite probable that, under the ex listing
state of things. our settlers will in a great meas
ure confne themselves to that portion of the terri
ry south of 49o. But, sir, with all due Difference
to the gentleman from Indiana, Mr.. owEN,] do
not if they do. IL is, for all purposes Of f-
ture action and defence, better that they should
They will be more concentrated, and consequently
stronger. There is land enough, heaven knows;
and for many years to come there will be no crowd
ing. And it is certainly more desirable that our
citizens should for the present be compact and
concentrated as possible, than that they should be
scattered over the whole territory. But sir, we
are triumphantly asked by the gentleman from
Georgia Mr.. CoRBl swhat shall we gain by delay
what have we ever gained by delay" Sir, we
shall gain time--Time, to us more precious than
great riches many ewels--Time the tomb-build-
err and the overurner ofihrones--Time, who strikes
the old with decreptude and lends vigor and strength
TO the young. Sir, there is another ''axiomatc"
fact which may be gathered from records of hsto-
ryand il is THE: that nations, like individuals pass
through the stages of infancy, manhood, and old
age; we see them sprln9ging w from small begin
nings--mere germs ss II were growing up by de-
grees, increasing daily and hourly in strength and
power, until they reach the very summit Of earthly
greatness, and "play fantastic tricks before high
heaven" Then, with old age, come dissolution
and decay; and as in the human body decrepude
and disease mark the ravages of time, in the
body polite, corruption reara her loathsome
form, one shock after another smites the totering
fabric, and each and every symptom declares how
surely and how rapidly she is descending into the
tomb of ages.
Thus is il with ourselves and our naughty rival.
We are in the vigor of youth, increasing every year
in prosperity and power. Great Britain, though she
may not have reached that period when may
look for her speedy topping downfall, yet she has
evidently passed her prime. She smacks Of age.
Many gray hairs are dscernible upon her brow,
md some symptoms Of dotage arc manifestly per-
ceptible; and although will admit that old John
Bull 10 stout old bully yet, nevertheless each wave
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