American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper., 1846-03-12
Amrriton Republican,
AND
BALTIMORE CLIPPER.
THURSDAY MORNING, MAR. 70, l846.

THE PEOPLE MovING. The people begin
to think that it is time that the Oregon question
should be settled. 1t has unsettled business
and produced great losses The uncertainty
in relation to the issue keeps the public mind
uneasy and uctuating-sometmes fondly hop
ing that peace will be preserved, and again
apprehending that war may cnsue. This mys-
tfcation should not, and need not, be contnu-
ed; but since there seems to be a game play
ing for the presidency upon this all-lmportant
subject, and there is a possibility that tho in
terests of the country may be sacrificed to the
qualification of personal ambition, it would be
we'll for the citizens Of all parties, who think
that no occasion exists for war upon the sub
ject of Oregon, but on the contrary, that all
differences can be amicably and honorably set
tied, to memorialize Congress to terminate the
dispute as soon as may be practicable.
We were gratifed to see by the proceedings
of the Senate on Tuesday last, that Mr.. Pearce
of Maryland, presented memorial from the
citizens ofQueen Anne's county, in this State,
in which the whole matter connected with the
Oregon appears to have been examined and
reviewed with great ability. This memorial
was signed by individuals of all parties, and
was introduced by Senator Pearce with some
eloquent and applicable remarks. The follow
ing summary of the contents of the memorials
in reference to our title to the whole Of Ore
gon, &C., is extracted from the speech of Sen
ator Poarce:
''They say that there are national tights
which cannot be abandoned and national in
iures which must be redressed but that the
right must be clear, the injuries fragrant, and
all modes Of amIcable adjustment must be cx-
hausted before resort to arms. They then
inquire what are our rights in Oregon, and ex-
anime briefly but orcby the Spanish title
They are evidently informed of all the nego-
tations on this subject and Of all those facts
and arguments which have been so often re-
peated in the last thirty years that some per-
sons think they have become irrefragable tho
these momoralists do not think so. They re-
fer to the frequent offers of partition made by
our Government, to the mutual occupancy Of
the territory by virtue of conventions in force
for twenty y-eight years, and to the negotiation
oflSI8, by which, if Spain then had good
title to Oregon, the United States and Great
Britain, they say, unjustly and dishonorably
combined to strip that heroic but fallen State
of her territorial right. They repel this charge
by showing the invadty of the Spanish title.
ltit be said, in reply to this, that there was
clause in the convention of 1918 saving the |
rights of other States, it must, at all events be
admitted that when negotiating with England,
as the United States then were, for the dvis-
Ion ofthe northwest territory, they could not
have acknowledged and acquesced in, but
must have denied the antquated claim of Spain
to the exclusive sovereignty of the territory
The memorlahsts Tecite all the principles
adopted by publclsts as to territorial rights ac-
quired by discovery, occupation and settlement.
They remark that for two hundred years after !
her discoveries Spain had not, at any time,
single settlement on the coast Of the main land,
from San Francisco to Prince William Sound !
either by authority of the crown or by the pri- |
vate adventures ofits subjects. That she never
had but one settlement-the one at Nootka
Sound, on Nancouver's Island; which was made !
as soon as these circumstances, and abandoned |
as soon as there circumstances ceased in l795-
from that day to this never having been restor-
ed. From all which they pronounce the Span
ish title void and invalid.
They express the belief that this ycXed ques-
ton can be settled and ought to he settled
without resort to force, and without impairing
the honor or sacrificing the true interests of
either nation In this belief fully and cordi-
ally concur with them. If the Administration
has taken any erroneous steps, | trust they will
retrace them; if they had determined heretofore
to insist upon their extreme claim to 5A deg.
40 min, trust they will recede from this de-
mand as their predecessors have done. hope
they will coniure up no phantom of mistaken
honor to pursue to the destruction of the peace
and best interests of the country. | believe
they can, if they WILL settle this question hon
oraby, peaceably and satisfactorily. Ifthey
do SO, they will be sustained by nine-tenths of
the American people, and in this they shall
have my support as Senator OF the United
States"
ADnppcs tn THE Ppop,r or M,pvt AMI