The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-21


August sob, ls45, asserting and establishing our
tile to the whole territory, and Withdrawing the
Presidents proposition for a compromise after It's
rejection and condemnation by the British minister.
This letter is well known, that We need not quote
H. IL renewed the declaration that the Presidents
proposition would not have been made, if the ques-
ito had been new one. IL asserted that that
proposition had been made only in Difference TO the
past action of the government and il expressed the
hops, even at the very moment when that PROPOSE
lion was Withdrawn, that the controversy might be
| peaceaby terminated.
The next Of the published documents containing
The Presidents opinions the subject is the letter
of Mr. Buchanan to Mr. McLane, under date Of
November 5th, l845. Tbst letter Contains the fol-
lowing important statements;
'Hn consequence Of my communications with
Mr.. Pukenham, the President, after holding two
cabinet councils the present state Of the Oregon
negotiation, has finally determined that he pM mol re-
aelo his former offer, submit any other prOpOstonj
and must remain for The British gOpsrnnsnt 10 decide
Bhai other further steps, any they may think proper
10 take ~ the nsgoiiGtion. You will moi be surprised a,
the result, as you well aware that nothing bui
difference for The repealed action Of his predecessors, and
for the principle Of compromise on Whteh the COLLATION.
had been commenced well as sincere desire 10
cultivate the most friendly relation between the two
countries could hare induced him so far 10 depart from
his tosA knOUR OpiaOts 10 haze directed the propo-
,iiion 10 be made 0heh has been rejected and IOith
dralon
"Mr. Pakenh9m's note Of the 5Olh of July, re-
lectlng our proposition, became, Immediately after
ts receipt, the subject Of grave delIbeaton by the
President Upon full consideration of the whole
question, and after waiting month for further de-
Velopments, he drriUsd NJ The conclusion hiatt duty
oeh he Oioed his country 10 Vihdrao the proposition
ohieh he had submitted. This accordingly done
by my note To Mr.. Pakenham Of the 30n of Au-
gust last. The President this took his ground, from
,ohch he tgiH not depart. If the British government
nave any new proposition To submit it must pro-
coed from them voluntarily, and without any pre-
yIous invitation assurance on our part and then
such proposition WW be respectfully considered BY the
government Of the United STATES.
This is the posture on which the negotiation now
stands; and, unless in the meantime II should be
changed by some action on the part Of the British
government, the President intends 10 lay the WhoLs sub
jeei before Congress for their CONSIDERATION"
Such was the language of the President, only
four weeks before the publication Of his annual
message. 1t states the grounds Of his previous
procedure, and it defines his final position in the
future PROCESS of the controversy. How that posi-
ton was reaffrmed to Congress in the message
how the same statement Of the Presidents previous
course, and of the grounds Of it, reiterated in
that document-how during the pause in the nego.
tiation, caused by the withdrawal Of our PROPOSE
siton and while according to the Presidents deter
mination, government waiting for British
action upon the subject-how during this period, |
the President brought his recommendation of the
"No,ice with the reaffrmaon Of our title into the
case as an additional instrument for the settlement
of the queston--al this is known to the coun-
try. Up to this point-the date Of the annual
message to Congress-the Presidents consistency, |
then, is vindicated beyond all peradventure, and
once for all. The views given in the annual mes |
sage are, we have shown, precisely the views
which, up TO that time, had been made known To |
Mr.. McLane and to the British government. We
feel that at this point the controversy substantially
closes. That the President has since varied from |
rhe positions taken in his message of December, |
few have the harlihood to assert. The allegation
is, that he had held before contrary an incon-
sistent language to Mr.. McLane. This allegation
we have shown to be wholly false.
In another article, we will follow the subject up
through the published documents, subsequent in
date to the message of December. We will show
from these that the President varied no ot after that
date from his previous positions, and in doing,
we will make out in far as that they yet remain
be made out, the other propositions of our article
of Friday last.
1t is idle, therefore, to pretend raise any issue
between the President and Mr.. McLane None
such exists Our minister acted upon the instructions
now made public. The President has been consist
ent throughout, we will abundantly prove from
the public documents, to which we will refer in our
next number-and we repeat, said some time
ago, the President has neusr spoken ,Uih a Jorked
tongue