Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-04-02

opinion of the gres. majority of the Senate who entertain
different viewsi Il there not something due TO the fact
that the majority even Of their own political friends, who's
patriotism and intelligence they cannot regard as inferio
to their own, think that our title Is not SO clear but that
compromise might be honorsbly effected ! To put a still
stronger question:. i ask them. rs patriots and the friend
Of Oregon, whether the fact itself Of so great a divisiC
even among ourselves, does not afford strong reason VIII,
the controversy should not be settled by an appeal to force
Are they willing, as wise and patriotic men, desirous o
securing the whole Of Oregon, TO place the country IN con
fict with so great q power as England, when the unite
support and jealous cooperation Of all would be indisPen
sable TO support the country in the contest 1 appeal Il
them, in the humber character, as party men, whether
they are justified in persisting to push a course Of policy
which, whether il should end IN war or not, must termln'
ate in the division and distraction Of their party
Without pursuing this branch Of the subject further,
shall conclude what | had to say in reference to it, by say
ing hat /, for one, feel and acknowledge the change. No
thing could have induced me to vote for notice, in any
form, while there was apparently no hope Of compromise
bat now that there is, | am disposed TO do so, if II should
be properly modified.
am thus brought to the question under consideration
TO which oil the preceding remarks were but preliminary
shall notice be given to Great Britain to terminate the
convention Of joint occupancy After what has been
said, a few words will suffice TO despatch II.
The question is not free from doubt. After a review oil
the whole ground, I can discover but two reasons in favor
of giving it. The first is, to put an end to the sg tatiOn
Of the Oregon question, which, without il, may run into
the next presidential election, and thereby become more
difficult Of adjustment than ever. The other is the apPre-
henson, that the government Of Great Britain may wait
the final action of Congress in reference 10 notice before
il will move on the subject. Were II not for such sppre.
hension, / would be disposed to postpone notice for The
present.
The next question is, in what form should it be given, il
given at all! !, for one, can, under no circumstances, vote
for absolute notice, although ] admit it would be less dan
gerous now than when recommended by the message. /
cannot consent to give O vote which might be construed
to imply, thai there was no hope Of compromise, aud which
might, if given in that form, leave a doubt in the public
mind as to the real opinion OF the Senate in reference to
compromise.
Nor can I vote for notice in the form which has been
sent to US from the other House. 1 object to it as equivo-
cal. If the resolution means simply to declare that the
President may settle the controversy by compromise, 1t
means nothing, as The President has that right under the
constitution, and can neither be clothed or Invested of il
by the authority Of Congress. But If it be intended as a
hint to bin TO settle the question by negotiation and COM
promise, | object TO it for not plainly saying so. am utter
y opposed to all equIvocaiion, or obscure expressions, IN
our public acts. We are bound to say plainly what we
mean to say. If we mean negotiation and compromise,
let US say 1t distinctly and plainly, instead OF sending to the
President a resolution on which he may pu! Whatever IN
depreciation be pleases.
If we give notice at all, il seems to me, for the reasons
Just stated, it should be substantially as has been proposed
by the gentleman from Georgia, [Mr. CoLouIrT,] which
plainly expresses the desire of the Senate that II should be
settled by negotiation and compromise. it am inclin-
to vote, as at present advised; but regarding notice in all
us lDtLlS az 10 SCtAhhb ~ OnbONS "AAuOh
resort to arms, | reserve my decision until | am called up
on to vote and then | shall decide in the affirmative or
negative, according as / shall judge that one or the other is
best calculated to advance The end | have in view.
! have thus stated my reasons for supporting a COM
promise, and for favorng, at present, the giving Of notice.
| have been governed, as to both, by the circumstances
under which 1 find myself placed, but for which | am no
ways responsible. am doing the best l can, where /
find myself, and not what / would under different cir
cumstances. So far from being responsible for the pres
et state of things, | early took my stand against that
line of policy which has placed US where we are; |
refer to 1S43. Then the Oregon question for the first
time assumed a dangerous aspect. After having been
long and frequently brought to the notice Of Congress,
without exciting attention, l then saw, or thought i saw,
that IT was destined, at no distant period, TO become an
absorbing and dangerous question, and accordingly felt it
to be my duty, before l decided on my course IN refer
eBce to it, to examine II in all its bearings with care and
elaboration. After much reflection, | came TO the con-
clusIon, which l on that occasion explained, IN a speech
delivered on the subject. l then saw that there were
two distinct lines OF policy, which might be pursued:
one was to adhere TO the convention OF lo2I; oppose
every attempt to annul il, and strictly observe its proyis-
ions. | saw, that although for a time the convention
had operated benefcially for Great Britain, a period was
at hand when our turh would come to enjoy It's benefits.
Its operation had, therefore, thrown into her hands the
whole fur trade of the region and We had stood, while
she reaped the rich harvest, when it was IN our power at
time 10 annul the convention by giving the years
notice. But j saw that our forbearance would be CON-
pensated by the advantages which the convention was
about to confer on US, if we should have the wisdom TO
adopt the proper line of policy TO secure them. The
oil our pOpuIauOn, It's PROGRESS WeSlWdFu
were rapidly extending our settlement towards the Rocky
through which a pass had been discovered
but a few years before, which greatly increased the facii-
ity of coloniZing the territory.
In this state of things, il was clear TO my mind that IT
we adhered to the convention, and respected its provis-
ions, the progress of events would ultimately give us a
possession of the whole territory; as our power to settle
the territory, and thereby obtain possession, was far
greater than that of Great Britain. Its distance from US
was far less, and the approach was through an open,
grassy country, afording great facilities TO the active and
hardy pioneers OF the West. who emlgrated with their
families and herds, with little expense or fatigue. Very
different was the case with Great Britain. The distance
to Oregon, by water, from her shores cannot be much
less than twenty thousand mlles-a distance but little
short of the entire Giro Inference Of the globe while her
approach 10 it through her American possessions opposes
great difficulties to emigration on a large scale. OF all
the spots on the face Of the globe now open to colonial
lion, and susceptible of being colonIzed, n IS the most re-
mote from her, and the most difficult of access. She has
many colonies much nearer 10 her, TO which there Is
much greater facility of access, with equal soil and eli
mate, as yet very partially settled. Even New Zealand
in all these respect is superior to it. With these great
in our favor in settling the territory, and
which were yearly rapidly increasing, 1t was clear TO my
mind that all we had TO do was TO adhere to the conven-
ton; to observe all its provisions with most s%crupulous
fidelity, IN order TO obtain the actual occupation and pos
session OF the whole country.
As far as | could perceive, there was but one impede
ment in the way. and that was, that Great Britain, In
order to prevent us from obtaining possession by settle
ment, might give notice herself to terminate the conven-
ton for JOINT occupancy. But of this l entertain little
Il had read the correspondence OF FORMER
negotiations with attention, and my inference was, that
she placed but little value on Oregon, as a place for per-
manent settlement and that she had, IN a great measure,
made up her mind, from its geographical position, that it
would ultimately pass into our hands. But be this as il
may, I could not but see that there were great impede
mcnis in her way of giving such notice, as would pre-
clude us from the right OF settling. She has, indeed, the
same right to terminate the convention OF le27 that we
have, as it Is expressly provided that either may give IT.
But there is another convention which she claims to be
still in existence, and 10 which we, holding under Spain,
are parties with her. I refer TO the Nooika Sound con-