The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-07
Mr.. gNeLans 20 Mr.. .Buehana,l.

s"s sucfsans 70 W. sDuchdnaii.
LONDON, Jan. 3, 1886.
SIR: | received on the 18th of December your
despatch, dated the 18th Of that month; and on
The day following, sought an interview with Lord
| Aberdeen, in order that, in conformity with
your instructions. might bring TO his notice the
warihe preparations making by Great Britain, and
u possible ascertain their real character and OBJ
ject.
IL will not escape you that upon such subject il
Is not always easy Ia obtain very categorical an
swers, or entirely definite Official Information; and
did not doubt that frank personal conference was
the best, Il not tbs only mode, Of obtaining any sat-
| isfaetory information whatever.
In introducing the subject sdverted at the same
Tune 10 the Information the President had received
from variety Of sources, Of the extensive warlike
preparations making by Great Britain and the nat.
ura inference upon his part that IN the present pa
chic state Of the relations Of Great Britain with all
the powers OF Europe, they could only look to u
rupture with the United States on the Oregon
question.
that II would be improper to disguise that, witt,
the sIneeres desire 10 avoid II, they obliged to
look to the possibility Of a rupture with the United
States; and that in such crisis the wsrlike prepa-
raiions now making would be useful and important;
but he stated at the time, very positively and
distinctly, that they had direct reference TO such
rupture; and would have been made in the same
way and to the same extent, without regard To the
relations Of Grea, Britain and the United States.
He also advered to the fact that such pre-
partitions as were actually making had been
commenced before the relations Between the
Uniisd ssrses urd s8sest' Britain had become
as serious as they appeared TO be, and
therefore could not AT that time have had any
connexion with difficulties which had since grown
out of the Oregon question. He thought too, that
the representations To the extent Of y prep ira
tons must have been exaggerated He Lemied that
they related particularly, as had been intorvJ TO
distant service; or that they were making any al
dition to the old form of marine. He stated that
the most extensive and formidable parts Of their
preparations were the fortfcatons Of the PRINCIPAL
and exposed ports and stations, which he thought
could hardly be supposed TO guard against iny aston
from the United States; and To the increase of tho
number of steam-vessels in lieu Of the old craft,
which appeared other nations were about to adopt
and which he confessed he thought a matter of
doubtful policy. In Short he assumed the prepara-
tons in progress to be only part of wise and
prudent system of national defence and protection,
and Of preparing in time Of peace for the exigen-
cies Of war, if it should unfortunately come from
any quarter whatever and he distinctly repeated
his disclaimer that they had particular direct ref
erence to rupture with the United States on the
Oregon question, or any other ground.
In regard to my own opinion upon this subject
which the President has been pleased to desire,
it is altogether probable that the possibility Of other
difficulties from other quarters in Europe
may have its influence in debating the policy of the
extensive preparations in progress in all parts Of the
kingdom; and, with undated confidence in the
frankness and straghtforwardness Of Lord Aber-
deem, and without meaning to dstrust in the slight
est degree the sincerity Of his disclaimers in our
cent conversation, do not think il eught to be as
sumed by any one that warlike preparations upon
such a scale as that upon which they are unde-
nably making here could not have even an indirect
reference to the possible contingency of a rupture
with US: And at the sans time it is perfectly OBJ
vous that they are in a great degree, and especi-
ally SO far as they consist Of an augmentation in the
number of steam vessels and Of the naval marine
generally, precisely of the character to be the
appropriate and the most useful in war with our
country. am not prepared to say, nor do deem
il material to decide how far we have right to ex-
pect explicit disclaimer Of the character and pur-
poses of the wariks preparations now making by
Great Britain under the circumstances. They may
be the dictate OF various motives of policy, and the
result of many causes and, without attempting to
assign 10 each its particular influence, am by no
means prepared to admit that the apprehe nsion of
difficulties with the United States had no share in
them; and it is very clear that il rupture with the
United States should grow out Of our present diff
culties, this country will be fully and eectually
prepared for il at all points, and for all possible pur-
poses If that and that alone, had been the object
of all her warke preparations. She will be in a
ly as she could have been with her energies exclu-
sively directed to that end; and feel il my duty to
add that not to expect, in rupture becomes
avodable, that this government, thus in complete
armor, will promptly and vigorously exert her ut
most power to infct the utmost possible injury up
on our country and all its interests, would not be
doing Justice to such crisis. -
think