Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-04-03
TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS.
pEAavsoN TIE OREGON QUESTION.
SPEECH OF Mr.. WEBSTER.
", n, Senate March 3(lh 1886

ago BY Mr.; J. M. Clayton, coming no IN Us ofoef'
viz:
Resolred, That the President Of the United
States be requested 10 communicate 10 The Senate
copies of any correspondence that ma, nave I'd,
Ken place between the authorities Of me onne''
States and those Of Great brilain siace me ias'
document transmitted TO Congress, in relation 10
the sos;ec. OF the Oregon territory, or So mnch
thereof "a may be communicated without oeui'
ment 10 the public interest;
Mr. WEBSTER rose and said; shall ADVISE
nv honorable friend the Senator IRON pel',
w,re to foroear from pressing this resolution 'o'
Thcre is no doubt thai there are letters from
Mr. NcIane: but, as Inc Chairman OF Tue Coih'
ni.,ee on Foreign Relations opposes tue 'houoh,
Inn 10 presume that the Executive Government
finds i, inconyenien. 10 communicate taose ie'-
ters 10 the Senate, al The present moment.
Yet, il is obvious, that as the senate IS cairo
on ,c perform legislative act, il ought, before INC
hour OF i,s decision comes, 10 be put in posses
sion OF every thing likely e influence lis lndg-
msnt: othe s.ise it would be required 10 perform
hi.h legislative functions on meie confidence
There IS certainly some embarrassment IN NE
case. l! lhe Executive Government ceeris ~"
communication OF the correspondence incoh'o,
nient. il can only Be, because negotiation Is SUI
going on, or, if suspended, is expected to be re-
surnrl. So far as the NEGOTIATION IS concerned,
lie communication or publication oil the cores
pondence may very property be thought ihcohVe-
nienl. But, then the President has recommend
"A Inc massage of law C. resolution by tie two
Houses oil Congress. In support OF this recon-
,nenca,ion, he himself sent us cnaShed, at Inc
commencement Of The session, The correspond
enc. M 10 Ina, time Now !. Ina. was neces
sary the rest is necessary. Ii VIC are entitled 10
> par,. we are entitled 70 ne WHO'S. mr., :,
IL my opinion, the mistake was IN cans ~
Congress 10 aahoEMHssa PRESS ss been e called the join
occupation, until negotiation had been exhausted
Negotiation shonid have beer tried first, and when
hat had failed, and EnaT failed, then, and mol III
,nen, should Congress have been called upon.
now go on The ground, of course, iha, the no.
ticc ior disseminating the joint occupancy is pro-
perly 10 be given b. authority OF ConeisSs-a
point which do not now discuss
I. is said, indeed, that notice is TO be used as a
weapon. or an instrument, IN negotiation.
hardly understand his. IL IS metaphor OF not
VERY ob;ious application. a weapon seems 10
imply, not a facility, OF mere aid, eu! me means
either Of defence against attack, or OF making an
attack, Itsounds not altogether friendly and pa
ciic. doub, exceedingly whether, under present
circumstances, notice would hasten negoiia'inn;
and vet such are those circumstances, that there
NAV he as much inconvenience in standing still
as in going forward
Tie truth i, That great embarrassment arises
from the extreme preiensions ana opinions Put
fo ward by the President, III his Inaugural Ad-
orrss. A year age, and in his message last Deem
br,. But for these notice would have been harm
less, and perhaps would have been authorized Nv
both Houses winou. much opposition, and feceiv-
ed by England without dissatisfaction. Bnt m.
Recommendation OF The notice, Coupled Kun TIC
Presidents repeated declarations. that ne held ooi
title 10 the whole OF the territory 10 be "clear am
UNREASONABLE" alarmed the country, And well
il might. And if notice were required: in ordef
10 enable the Presidsn, 10 Pash these eS.rem"
claims 10 any and every result, then notice ought
10 he refused by Congress, unless Congress is
re,dy 10 support these prctcnsons al all HAZARDS.
Here lies the difficulty. Congress is no. prepared,
and the country is moi prepared, as believe, 70
make The Presidents opinion OF clear and I'M
questionable RICH. TO the whcle territory an ut'-
matum If be wants notice for such purpose,
he certainly must see that il becomes grave ques-
ton whether Congress will grant it,.
II was great, a very great mistake, 10 accom-
rary the recommendation of notice with so po-
s;t;ye an assertion of our RICH, 10 The whole terri
,ory. Did the President mean 10 adhere 10 thai.
even 10 The extremity o! war; If so, he shoui
have known that, after what has hanrcned u
wears past the country was no. likely 10 sustain
Rim. Did ne mean 10 say This, and afterwards
rece,e from ii. Ifso, why say itatalls Surely
the President cord no,be guilty Of playing 50 small
> part as 70 enieavorlo show himself 10 possess
spirit. end holiness, and iearlessness OF Ens'anf
more than lis predecessors, or his counirymen
End vet DO all This in the confident hope ma no
serious collision would arise between me t'S2
countries So ow an ambition, :nch pair. mo
tives, ought nctto BE- imputed. When nc trcs'-
dent declared that, in his Judgment our 'l'le 10
the whole Of Oregon was "cear and unqu'si'on-
abIt DID he mean 10 express an official or a
mere personal opinion2 If the latter, i certain
w had no place in an officia! communication.
II the for,aer-if he intended sc.cma official
opinion, upon which he was resolved TO act OH
ciaily, then il is very grave question how Ia
he is justified, withou, new lights or any change
of circumstances, 10 place the claims Of this
country, in this respect, oa other GROUNDS IMAM
those on which they had svod under his prede-
cessors, and with the concurrence O! all branches
OF the Government. for SO many years; ior II u
not 10 be doubled, that the United States Govern
ment has admitted, through long series OF years,
that England has rights in the northwestern
parts OF This continent which are entitled 70 DC re-
spected
MIR. President, ore who ha, observed attentive
10 VIA, mas ;ranspred here and in England within
the last three months must, think, perceive mat
public c2niou, IL both countries, iscomlne TO a
conclusion tina, this controversy ought TO settled.
and is not very diverse, III the one countryand the
Other, as 20 the general basis of such settlement.
Tina, basis is tine offer made Ivy The United States
10 ENGLAND IL 1926.
There is room 10 doubt, I.aink, Ia. his coun-
try is ready TO stand by mat ct!-c, Substantially
aud in effect. Such = MI opinion At .cas,, S:S
circumstances certainly indicate that Gree! Bsi-
tain would noi-in all pto5ao ili'y would not-re-
gard such a proposition as unfit 10 be considered
said sou,e weeks ago, that | did not intend 10
discuss titles a, length, ami certainly net TO adj
duce arguments against our own claim. But i
appears to ME that here is a concurrence al ar
oumen,s. or Considerations in favor ui regarding
The 49ih parallel as the jnst line OF dematcai.on,
when both counties mig ht well respect. II has
for many years been the extent Of our claim. We
..aye clamel up 10 80 degrees, ard nothing be-
yond il. We have offered 10 yield everything
ror:h OF it, Il is the boundary eo'ween the Two
countries on III side Oh the Rocky mountains
and has been since the purchase =. Louisiana
from France.
do mol link 1t important either TO prove Q!
disprovc the fdci that commissioners u"oer 'ne
ea,v ot Utrecht established The f9h parallel IS ne
boundary line between The English and The French
possessions in America. Ancient maps anc &C.
scr;p,ions SO represent il; some saying thai TINS
line OF boundary is TO run indefinitely GeS:," o'n
ers .ay,n: il terms, thai i, extends 10 the north
western ocean" Ru', wha; is mure important, We
haze considered this boundary as established by
The treaty Of Utrecht, at least on this sic "t The
Rocky Mountains II was on Inc strength o.
this tna, we drove back the British professions
after We had Obtained louisiana, north. rom The
head waters OF the Iississippito this parallel o.
40 degrees.
This is indubitable. we have acted, therefore,
and induced o.acis % act, on The idea lnat this
boundary line was actually established. II now So
stands in the treaty between the United States and
England II, on the general notion OF ""n'lsuity
or continuity, this line be continued indefinitely
west" ris allowed 10 run 10 The "nor'h~esiefn
ocean" then it leaves On our side The valley OF
the Columbia, 10 which. in my Judgment our
title is mainlainable on the ground Of Gays dis
covery.
offered any line south Of torty-nine, with The
navigation OF the Columbia,) and it never will.
Il behooves all concerned 10 regard this as SET
tied point. Asto the navigation OF the Columbia,
nsrmansa,ly or ioI a term ot years. that Is all