The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-24
con GREssIoNAL.
SPEECH OF MR.. HAYWOOD,
or NORTH CAROLINA,
An he Senate, on the 4ih and SiA .uarsh, lsi6-on
the Oregon quss.s.'

Il
| (ooscLUpED.
Mr. President, am very 10th to trespass upon
the patience Of the Senate; and perhaps nigh
safely stop here. But your indugsnt attention en-
| courases me 10 proeeedI and as proposed at this
point, so invite you TO look and see whether the
pOris Of the "recordn arc, alas 80 plain, and then
i meaning 90 clear, 10 exclude those differences
which the confidence Of 4 generous friendship, the
asce Of Senate, and even the. ordinary charity Of
ny nan, mightsecord TO the President Of DE uni-
ed Ststes, in full view Of that which | have al
ready imperfectly reviewed. Before doins that, ]
I remark, however, that when Senators talk about
making the inference from these "records" that the
negotiation is at end they forget that the fact APP
pears in their face directly opposite to therinrsnes.
/ The negotiation which begun IN Mr.. Tyler's time,
/ and which has been continued by President Polk,
y, in reality pending negotiation this very day.
nsSst hrs been ,st-ainasd, on q,r part, W 70 the
hour when | am addressing TINS Senate. Only DIS
eliminate for a moment between a negotiation and
the correspondence Of the Ministers, and the fact Is
at ones palpably before you. A negotiation may
| be open, and continued, whilst the correspondence
ofthe Ministers may be suspended or delayed for
q month or year. This distinction needs but 10
be stated in so enlightened body a. this Illusra-
IONS would be useless and Improbable HERE
Yet may not bspardoned for reminding you that
negotiation, IN the proper sense, Is business be-
tween two Governments as GOsunment,-opened by
their mutual consent rs Governments 70 treat with
on. another upon State affairs and which once
opened, cannot be amicably concluded without
like mutual consent, las by treaty convention,
except one OF the parties shall first directly nonk
ne ah<r Of ~ intention 10 close a.
think his definition II not precisely accurate, is
enough so TO answer the purpose of presenting this
point to the mind OF the Senate distinctly, ard that
is all shall aim at to do making no references TO
=.
our minds, il will be seen that il the President had
said to Congress in so many words, Negotiation
has terminated" il would have been nothing but
The mistaken statement Of fact so long q refer
Aesto the "wholc correspendeDeen clearly showed
the fact to be otherwise. TIE Presidents own di.
rect statement could not alter the fact IL II would
be 20, were the statement unequiyoeal and direct,
what is to be said ofa mere INFERENCE by his
friends, from equivocal language but that il is
FALSE INFERENCE Now, then, this whole
correspondence does show clearly that the negotia-
ton was regularly opened; but it nowhere appears
that the President has notified the British Minister
or that the British Minister has notified the President
Of any unwhngness 70 pursue il, that they have
tnials agreed TO terminate III and Their fore it is
still open. On the contrary, The British Minister
was informed by the President (page So that he
earnestly "hoped that this long pending controversy
may yet be finally adjusted in such manner as not
to disturb the peace or interrupt the harmony now
so happily subsisting between the two nations ~
That hope is again expressed upon the occasion of
our refusal to ARBITRATE. Great Britain 80 un-
derstands il; and accordingly we see her Ministers
daily in our streets, and our intercourse with Great
Britain is as friendly as il ever was.
negotation has been concluded, is thus shown to
be directly contrary to an asesrtainsd FACT; and
every attempt to prove it Is most abstird may
] say ridiculous, attempt to prove before an
American Senate that which we both nee and
know from the "record ITSELF" to be UNTRUE.
Negotiation, then, in its proper sense, is pending
What negotiation what negotiation is il That
same uncontrolled negotiation which, by the first
protocol, our government agreed, in writing TO ap-
preach "in the spirit Of Compromise (page sc. J
That same inconcluded negotiation which President
Polk declared ID the British mini6er he had 'deter-
mined 10 pursue 10 It's conclusion Upon the principle
81 compromise" (page 62) That same negotiation
in which President Polk admitted to the British
Minister that this government was committed" to
"a compromise" which he offered to Great Britain,
(page B2.) That same negotiation in which the
President said to Congress that he was conimitted"
by the conduct Of his predecessors to offer the line
of49o as a compromise, and that he had therefore
superadded his offer Off to their precedcnts,
(pages 10, 1l.) That same negotiation whereof he
declared to Congress that the "Britih proposition"
to us is "wholy nadmissible, and cannot be enter
tained," with due regard to our honor, were il
re-ofered, but in which he has NEVER said that
he would rehise to entertain the american PROPOSE
,icn If il shonld b. returned upofi him again But
ne does admit, and by his conduct he has confirmed
the truth Of il, that the american proposition for
compromise was consistent with our honor, and de-
manded by his regard for the national character.
Yet, Mr.. President, have you been constrained to
sit here and listen to long and Il fear II will be)
tedious speech from me, to prove, to demonstrate,
xk-s - k.-.
ms PART, and that he has not resolved not 10 COM
promise this controversy almost upon his own terms
should Great Britain ask him to do il,
One or two general remarks Upon the character of
the Message must make before | dissect those
particular sentences which, by being separated from
their context and improperly associated and idcnti-
fed with the opinions of Mr.. Polk upon our pape,
TILE, have misled so many people.
lffor the sake Of being understood should be
guilty Of occasional repettons, pray the Senate to
excuse me. Twill be as brief as ! can. So far as
the Presdent's Message touches upon OREGON,
1t is not and not designed TO be disclosure Of
his purposes and opinions in the future progress Of
negotiation, but Of his past action only. What is
said in the Message, from the beginning to the end
oft, about negoioiion is nothing more than mar
yatire of the Presidents ACTION up 10 that time !;
and the whole correspondence is attached to lei
Congress see and know for themselves what he had
DONE--with perhaps an occasional introduction
las if by way Of parenthesis) Of the motives and
opinions by which he had been influenced to deviate
in that ACTION from an assertion Of our extreme
claim 10 all Of Oregon. Now il is chiefly from the
unfortunate sticking-in Of these parenthetica ex-
cuses to satisfy the ultraism Of the Presidents
"true friends Of Oregon" that the misconstruction
Of his Message has arissn--stimulated, I know, by
external causes, but to which will aude no fur.
ther at present ! speak Of the Message ar | read
IL, and according TO my own mind and judgment
upon il; not BY AUTHORITY. In concluding
this narrative, and precisely where it concluded
(page H., the President did proceed to express his
opinion upon evidence referred to as "satisfacto
~" that emo compromise whieh zoe ought 10 accept
con be Effected"
II he alluded to the future he might or might not
be mistaken in his conclusion; but IL to that time
the time present-it is harmless fact ps il he had
said, none has been effected | commend to your
consideration either one OF these alternatives.
His reasons for il are given; and they consist al
together or these facts:
lst. That the British Minister had made propo
stion that was charlottesville"
ID That he had rejected one which our Govern
ment had made, without submitting sny o'her
proposition, and had suffered the negotiation, ON
HIS PART, to sop" The Senate can judge Of
their sufheieney.
Al all events, il was "wirH rms cosvrrrron,
continues the Message that the American offer