Iowa territorial gazette and advertiser. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa Territory [Iowa]) 1840-1846, 1846-05-02

mbi.c,s sets a6.ia united, - hey were
hroughost ~ whole Presidential canvass
4 seemed to ne thai there was union and
ccmsson understanding between the friends
Of each, which could not. but be highly
conducive To the success Of both.
Mr.. Chairman, by way Of consolation to
some gentlemen, who seem to have gotten
Into rather an awkward position upon this
question, and who are very FESTIVE under
lie dread cfthe application Of party screws,
ask them % call 70 their recolleciions the
manner in which pre-eminently distin-
pushed member Of the Democratic party,
[ Col. Benton1 was sssailed during the last
Congress for Els course on the Texas ques-,
tom All the hellhounds Of party were
let loose upon him. Not because he was
opposed to the measure-for he had been
its earliest friend, and had invoked the
curses Of Heaven, as far back as 1870
upon the heads Of the men who had con-
scented by the treaty Of 1919, to dismem-
Der the valley of the Mississippi; but to
the particular form in which it then came
before Congress; or, in other words, TO the
Tyler treaty. Yes, sir, "Old Bullion, y
who, from time whereof the memory Of
man runneth not to the contrary, had been
the very Ajax lebanon Of the Democratic
party, was to be read out Of it, for daring
to prefer one mode Of doing the thing to
another; and from no portion Of the coun-
try were these denunciations against hir1
more fierce or intolerant than from South
Carolina. All who were here remember
the manner in which he was from day to
day assaulted BY paper (The Spectator)
understood to be the South Carolina organ
at the seat Of Government; and also. the at
tempt that was made in the other end Of the
Capitol, by one of the Senators from that
State, Mr.. McDufie. to read him out 81
the party, in consequence of his Colonel
Benton's non-adherence, as was alleged,
to the Baltimore resolutions in favor Of
Texas. All this, mark you was the con-
sequence Of objections to the particular
form in which the subject was then pre-
scented; for he, { Benton, when it came UP
in another shape, spoke and voted in fav OF
Of the measure.
Mr.. Chairman, have been astonished
in looking at the debates upon Il is question
to see the manner in which the same ground
has been travelled over and over again
from 1920, the time at which Gov. Floyd
that pioneer in the Oregon movement, frs
brought forward his bill, to the present.
Why, sf, a comparison of Floyd's bill with
the discussions upon it, and the bills and
discussions Of the present day, show thai
we have not only not been progressive npor
this question, but that we have actually re.
trograded; and all, SIR, all owing to oul
dread Of giving offence to Great Britain
As / have before stated, Floyd's bill &
copy of which now hold in my hand
provided for taking military possession o.
the country, establishing a custom house
at the mouth Of the Columbia, and terri
torial Government, as soon as there were
two thousand inhabitants, (there being Al
that time none, over whom it was 10 op.
crate.
The far-seeing and enthusiastic Doctor
Floyd, though regarded as visionary BY
some, and BY others as bold protector
continued for ten long years, (from 1920
to 1880, to press upon Congress, al each
successive session, this his favorite meas
ure; and though often defeated, he had the
satisfaction, towards the close Of his Con-
gressional career, to see his bill passed by
this House by yeas Ill, nays 80. And il
is rather a singular coincidence that a GEN.
tleman OF the same profession, DR.. Linn,
who came into the Senate years after DR..
Floyd had left this body, should have Ia
ken up the same subject, pressed it with
the same untiring ardor and zeal on the at.
tention Of the Senate for the same length ol
time, and to precisely the same result--it,
triumphant passage through the Senate
But. SIR, what is most notifying to me il
the fact, now staring Va in the face, that nc
such bill a either Floyd's or Inns car
now be passed through either branch O
Congress, and we are almost afraid to give
the simple and peaceful notice itself. How
altered is the voice which now comes from
the "Old Dominion to that which wa.
spoken BY Floyd. to whose memory, il
consideration Of his early and constant de.
votion to their section Of the country,
trust the people of Oregon will erect mon
ument. Mr.. FIckLIs, Of Illinois, spok,
out and said: 'They should call their sea
Of government after him."1 Yes, sir, Of
name one Of their States in honor Of him
But, sir, it is not the voice Of Virgin,
only on this question that is now changed
I find that, in January, 1923, even littl,
Vermont, the Green Mountain" State
was willing 10 look "John Bull'' full il
the eye. Yes, sir, willing and anxious 1,
maintain the great interests Of the country
and especially to look after the fishing in
terests in the direction Of Oregon. Twen
ty-three years ago, in the discussion Of thi
bill in this House:
"Mr. Mallary, Of Vermont, said, he wa
opposed 10 the proposed amendment. II,
thought that Congress should take the res
possibility Of directing the occupation o
the territory, and not place it on the Pres
ident. Il was not to be supposed the Pre-.
ident had more information than is in Dos
session Of the House. 1t would be yer,
extraordinary that this measure should 5,
suffered to progress for weeks, and ye
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