Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-01-27

! wanted the right To The iur ifaur: ihdt ~ -
being exhausted and passing by; That al prs :.
il would bear bur small comparison to "ha' y
had been in former years; and that as soon 30
this interest on The par, Of The British Govern
menl had ceased we would have no dIlhcu'y ~
asserting The whole OF our rights 10 OleSou
Well, sir, this argument is now al an emu. 20
will no, interfere with the Executive cepart
men, in determining in favor OF this NORGE, DC
cause Won will but carry Quits tccommeno"uohs'
and trust that American statesmen VIII no iol.
ger ask that this important result be postponed On
The ground thai the British government, when u,
has exhausted lis interest in The iur irade, w
voluntarily render and WELD us up our own. 10
Mr.. Chairman; our righlto Orcgun-lo The ~h0i1
Of Oreson-is clear and unquesiionabc; ana
desire 10 see il maintained 10 the letter anu INC
spirit by he energetic, efficient action OF 'nis
House and OF the other House OF Congress.
We are told, that there ale mol Inducements
sufficient 10 carry our government rasniy NV" e.
contest for This territory. | go not rashly. oil
twenty-five wears and more OF negotiation, OF re-
Election. of standing still, iii may manufacture
tho Term ! cannot be considered rash or heeuless
There is duty which we owe not only 10 our
government as a government, but duty which
we owe 10 the people who have emIgralea 10 lhe
Oregon territory. Pardon me lo' d very lew i5-
marks on this branch OF The subject. we are iou,
If you postpone giving The no,icc-ii you allow
will be emisraling 10 Oregon, that we will De
huildino M our defence in the hardy sons OF
The West who shall have gone there ior me
purpose of fin ing permanent home; mat We
!, will be adding barriers and deiences 10 our pos
session OF the Oregon territory; and we are lou
in subslanlaton OF this, thai within The last TWO
years the emigration thither has greatly increased
/ in proportion IL what il was few years oach;
and thai drawing the fair inference from Inc pasl,
I "a u. E,rt ba this tide oil
/ emigration will conliDre 10 roll into The oregon
! territory until we shall have taken possession ol
! i, by our own people being permanently !acatcd
\ in thai county, II mistake not The feeling and
/ The spirit which has induced emigration 10 Ore,
con. il may be fairly attributable Ia The Implied
promise which the action OF this government mere
,ofore has held oul this people, that this JOINT
occupancy would before this time, have ceased,
I and theriile 10 homeseads have been made Sc
cure and certain Go To those people who have
emigrated to Oregon and ask them il they believ-
ed al the lime that they abandoned their homes in
our western SlaleS and emigra.ed 10 the Oregon
territory that this joint occupancy was 10 continue
from year 10 year, from time to time, and mat
thew were 10 be el, there without the protection OF
The laws OF their country; that they would be zen
there with the title 10 every foot land, on which
they have 50 located themselves uncertain, and
insufficient? They settle there not temporarily,
mt tnpV puIIu up iICliiSSNtS q NUN ~
that territory, which we sayis ours, hut which we
tear to declare in such terms as shall authorize
that emgranl people, when hey plant themselves
on any portion OF the Oregon territory, 10 feel
confidence that they are on ground consecratedto
American freedom, and which shall never cease
10 be made prosperous and happy by The preva-.
lence OF Republican principles. | ask you, u
This is not The feeling under which this einisra-
lion is carried on 10 Oregon2 Let This Congress
adjourn without giving The notce-inslead OF il,
proclaim by JOINT resolution that il is The opn..
ion of Congress that this joint occupancy shall
continue from time 10 lime-lhai We are lot PEE
pared 10 maintain and assert our unqucslionabIe
rights, but that we propose 10 do il al some fn-
tore period-then, il mistake moi the spirit OF
The West, that emigration is al an end. Can
YOU induce a Western man, when we have 50
much pubic md, when there are SO many in
ducemeas held out 10 him 10 emiSrate where his
settlement will be perfectly secure and where The
government will guarantee 10 them The title 10
the land, 10 abandon all this TO 20 10 country
which we have asserted, by mere declaraory
resolution, 10 be ours but our rights 10 which We
are not vel prepared 10 maintain and defendl
Blu, suppose that am not well founded in
the view which have taken Of the spirit and mo
tves which have operated upon the minds oil our
people in causing This late increase OF emigra-
ton to Oregon, and you take it for granted thai
the emigration will continue, and that, as time,
passes by, under this and other causes oil 81
milar character, We should become greatly
sliensihene in our Oregon possessions we now
avsw such 10 be our policy, and notify our op-
ponenl OF the fact Think You that The saga
city OF goat Britain is less astu;e now han Tor
merry? VIII she slumber over her pretended
richl,2 viii she sill quietly by and allow The
United STATES To adopt policy and push that po-
l,rv vipnrnnStv I'd a the manifest UcStTuC-
lion OF her claims and Interest, without resoriing
on her part 10 some counteracting p9lcy Let
us no, deceive ourselves as 10 The character Of
Tho with whom We are dealing. Rest assured
that il we resort 10 the course suggested, we
shall be met in each step OF our progress ny 81
miar measures-it not in kind, certainly IN e.
| trct-by the british Government; and The resnl
would De- that after the expiration OF another quar-
ter OF century we would be no nearer the end
than We now are.
But il is said we shall have gone far enough
when we shall have passed our laws extending Inc
iuris:i ton OF our courts over the Oregon Terri
iory, for The protection of the citizens of The
United States who may go 10 that country. de-
sire, gentlemen, 10 direct their attention, for
single moment, 10 the effect of The passage OF such
laws. For one, am in favor OF it. desire TO
see the laws Of The United States extended over
the Oregon territory, 50 far as we can DO IL con-
sisenly with our rights consistently win onr
| Treaty stipulalions But how long can such a
stale of things remain7 Greai Britain passes her
laws, extending her jurisdiction over this ieTri-
tory; you pass your laws extending your ]urisdlc-
lion; and here is territory under The operation OF
Two systems Of Government, as widely separated
| from each other as The North and South pole
| Here are the principles of American fIeedom
carried and borne along BY The officers oil me
American Governments; here are The cliizens OF
| The British Government, mlnging WIN our PEG
pie who have extended over them thc laws Oh iheii
monarchical or despolic Government, uhdef
which they seek protection. Gan lhese u.uereh'
svs,pms-can ,hese laws OF different countries,
like the citizens ofthcsc countries, comminele one
with the other, all going on in sweet and pleasant
| barmonv7 Can il be so? Must there not be per-
nernal collisions and difficulties resulting from
this simultaneous operation OF two different sys-
,ems of laws2 II may be that such stale Of
things NAV continue during the twelve months for
which your notice is given but 10 say that this IS
asserting our rights, and doing justice TO those
who have settled in The Oregon territory, IN the
indulgence Of the reasonable expectation mai
they shall be projected, does not strike my mind
as hearing the force OF reason or oil justice. 1t
cannot be done. II is impossible that these two
systems can continue 10 operate together Tor any
great length OF lime. From this, infer thai il
is The duty oil this Government 10 show that We
believe Oregon is ours, and that we are deter
mined TO retain il; that it is our duty, as soon as
pracicabe TO place the people OF tina, country un-
der The protection, the sole protection of the la $
Of the United States.
Mr. Chairman, there is one objection urged,
and one perhaps relied on with greater force than
any oihsr--one 10 which our attention has been
drawn by The most Of those who have discussed
this subject on the other side. We are told that,
BY withholding the giving the notice frsi, our
emigration will 90 there, and, BY that means, Ina,
the country will be taken possession of and our
title be quietly settled; and next, that not
now in condition 10 defend our tile and main-
tain our rights will ask gentlemen, when will
this Government be readyil When will this
Government be prepared to maintain our just
rights in the Oregon territory? Will gentlemen
who follow me in this debate be So good as 10
inform the country to what period OF time they
look forward whenthe U. States will lie in proper
condition 10 defend her national rights in the Ore