The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-28
W. T RoD@,Os =: IT, ESQ., Committee.

The "New York Commercial Advertiser" re
marks the narrow and niggardly spirit in which TIT
British journals have treated our claims and right
to Oregon. II notices, however, one exception IN
the new journal recently established in London, by
Mr.. Charles Dickens, under the name Of the LION
don News" Most of the other papers would
"drve US down TO the Columbia river, which would
leave US without an available port on the whole
coast" Amer an elaborate description Of the Co
lumbis river, the News states that
IAN these considerations show the immense ad-
vantage which the possession Of the Columbia may
be supposed to give the Americans, and which, OF
course, will render them memorable TO any proposal
for their sharing cedng the complete possession
Of that river. And we may observe that all these
advantages great though exaggerated, are infinitely
greater advantages TO the United States than TO
good harbor in those regions, forming an exit for
our fur-trade, and communicating through the wild
regions OF the North with the Canadian province, is
ali we require for the tide Of emigration or our
efforts TO colonies cannot in any likelihood, or in
any given space OF time, be turned TO those ahores
Ii is evidently for the United States, and not for
England, to people the Oregon. And it would be
churlish of us prevent them doing for the sake
Of our fur-trade or hdhting monopoly.
Neither can we desire to set our establishments
ana our guns asifiuc inc BIehl WHICH ID inc
channel from the Pacific to the Utmost recesses Of
their country. The most invdious and difficult po-
sition that any nation take up is TO seize the
mouths of the rivers Of which the course and cur
rent belong to other states and races. The French
made this attempt in America. They seized the
mouths of the ST. Lawrence and the Mississippi,
leaving the English to reclaim and possess the
land between. The Inevitable result was that the
French were driven from their untenable positions
In Canada we still hold Of these positions, and
we must keep it with effort and expense The CO.
lumba would be another, Of which the invidious
and apparent advantage would never counterbalance
the hostility and the trouble which 1t would occa-
son." .' ..........
And in subsequent issue, reverting to this view
Of the case, the News has the following paragraph
ave stated the other day, in discussing the Ore
gon question, how undesirable ii for any nation
to take post at the mouth of a river, and retain the
power even though unexercised, of prohibiting the
free navigation of its stream to other populations
living higher up its banks. Such were The positions
taken by the French at Quebec and New Orleans
We have conquered the French possessors of the
stream Of the st. Lawrence, Of which the upper
waters battle American shores.
Nov, we learn, it has occurred to several lead.
ing merchants in Liverpool that the best mode Of
settling the Oregon difference would be for us to ae
cept the 49h parallel till it meets the sea, and retair
the free right to navigate the Columbia; Great BrL
tain, the same time, ceding to the United States
the tree right to navigate the st. Lawrence.
We understand that representation Of the prudence
Of such course ,ci be this day made to Lord aberdeen
1t is one which will not fail to excite objections here
az well M in America but which, if confined tc
commercial vessels, can be fraught with no danger
and awaken no wel-grounded mistrust"
We give this as one of the projects Of the day.