The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-16
CON ESSIONAL.
SPEECH OF MR.. KENNEDY,
OF INDIANA

On the resolution OF notice 10 OTcdl Dflldln 10
abrogate the convention OF JOINT occupancy res.
tive to the Oregon territory.
MIR. KENNEDY addressed the committee as fol.
lows
/ Mr.. CHAIRMAN; From the course this debate has
taken should spectator enter this hall, unacquaint
ed with the subject that gave rise to it, he would be
led TO believe that the question pending was dec
laraton Of war against Great Britain. All who
have argued against the resolutions under conside-
ration have declared that 10 pass them would inev.
itably lead 70 war. Now, submit that this is not
a question Of peace or war The very treaty which
these resolutions propose to annul, provides that
said treaty may al any Time be annued by either par
y, giving twelve months notice Of their intention to
abrogate il. And has II come TO this, that can.
not do what the treaty STIMULATES may be done by Ell
Their party without mourning the charge of wicked
y rushing our country, unprepared, into a needless
ard desoating war Sir, buh back this charge Of
seeking war upon those who make Il, for will
not believe tiat war must necessarily grow out Of
this question.
But be this as il may, so far as am concerned,
and SO far as | understand the feeling and opinions
Of those whom represent, this is not question Of
peace or war, but a question Of right, and am de-
ermined IL shall be treated Does the territory of
Oregon belong to the United Statesl lift does, that
fact precludCs the question whether peace or war
may result from our action or from the occupation
of the territory But IL has been said that have
IN peace, That does not result from our having
suffered England Jointly to occupy this magnificent
territory in common with US, for commercial pur-
poses, for quarter Of century. This long and
peaceable joint tenancy has resulted from the fact
that our people were not made acquainted with the
strength and clearness of our title. Thousands of
the nlasses--the bone and Sinew of our county
have not conned over all the old records and mus
ty treaties in which our record Of title is to lie
found, and learned therefrom its nature or extent
but while they in doubt or ignorance to our
title, they were willing 10 see what could be done
by diplomacy.
Now the case is altered, and we have, by proofs
and arguments that have been laid before US, be-
come satisfied that our title to the whole ofOregon,
from 400 to SO 40 north latitude, is "clenr ard un.
questionable
| call upon gentlemen from the South, who 90
against the notice, To recall the irresistible argu.
ments made, and the clear and inextnguishable
light which has been shed upon our title by their
"great statesman, before they ask TO surrender
one inch Of the Oregon territory, which he has so
conclusiyely shown to be ours. Are we to read
the mastery arguments OF John G. Calhoun and
James Buchanan, which have made our title to the
whole Of Oregon as clear as sunlight, only for the
purpose of making our surrender of what they have
shown clearly to be ours the more disgracefuP
We Of the West are not "booksh" men. What
little education we have we received after the labor
of the day had been done, in the school Of ADVERSE
civilization, where struggles have been with the
Indian, and our wrestling with the besr-now no
common occurrence. We have, therefore, left it
TO our agents to settle the question TO whom, by the
record, Oregon belongs, This they have done and
done we'll Our part of the task which is to maintain
and defend our rights, is now 10 commences; and by
the remembrance Of the deeds Of our fathers, and
the strong affection we cherish for our wilderness
homes, we will defend them or perish in the at
tempt; we do not want war, and you Islander W
when you shy that our hands are itching to grasp
the steel of strife, and hearts painting for the
deadly conflict. No people more highly appreciate
value peace and brotheriy love, that should bind
in one unbroken chain all the families Of man, than
the people ofthc West We know that our free
institutions flourish hest in the mild and genis at
mosphere Of peace; but, when it comes to the sur
render of the patrimony Of our iathersto receding
from, or yielding up our just rights upon our own
soil, then, we say, peace can no longer be honora-
BILE; and zoe shall not hesitate when ii to the
question Of dishOnorabie peace, or honorable par.
The honorable member from South Carolina Mr..
RHErT has warned against the consequences
which may follow combination of the European
monarches against what they may please to call an
effort on our part TO push the princp pies Of our free
government beyond the boundaries thereof. Sir we
are no propagandists. We do not wish to spread
our principles by conquest; we desire to force our
institutions upon people under the sun, however
much we might be pleased to see all mankind not
only approaching, but enjoying their inestmable
blessings. But when 1t comes to this whether we
shall plant them upon our own soil, and within our
undoubted territorial limits, il is quite another cues
ton; in such case, we cannot stop to count the
cost, or look at consequences.
Another honorable gentleman from Virginia Mr..
HUNrERl has told US that "beforc we succeeded in
wrestling Oregon from England by conquest, we
must prepare TO chase the British lion around the
world in his blood and SLAYER" Sir, have dis
position to engage in the chase Of such beast, but
al IL Al II II
lays down in our path, whilst we are peaceably pur-
suing our own business, within our own territory,
that he will be soon be chased from tina, lair.
Conquest is not our object, and surrendering our
territory is still farther from it. If any gentleman
here be he from the North the South the East or
the West, who believes title to Oregon is not good
he shall be excused from voting for this notice; but
the that tells that he believes that Oregon is
ours, and still shrinks from asserting our exclusive
rights there, will allow me, all Kindness to tell
him to look to it, that he does not place himself in
an attitude that will not only make him uncurrent
coin among his Constituents but neglect duty, the
non-performance of which he will deeply regret du
ring the remainder of his life.
II Oregon be ours, is it not blasting, whitening
shame that the cross Of ST. George should now BIO
floating over any portion ofitI
Here Mr.. SIMMs, OF Missouri, exclaimed aloud
Eyes, it is burning shame, and it will blister our
foreheads, like the mark set by God upon Cain go
And are we to bear this reproach-and shall
brand like this be burnt in the foreheads Of the sons
of the "Od Thirteen" because, if we attempt to
remove it, we may provoke a war; Suppose your
fathers, Of glorious revolutionary memory, had
been thus timid-suppose that before they COM
menced that struggle for liberty, they had, gen
tlemen say, counted the cost, had numbered the
ships and bayonets Of their msoeut oppressors
where would you have been, Mr. Chairman In
stead Of presiding, as you now do, over an Ameri-
can Congress, you would have been vassal Of the
British crown.
And has the blood OF those men which now flows
through our veins become so pale--has it degene-
rated so soon that in less than one century--and
whilst few alas too few Of those noble patriots
are still lingering among us--we are prepared to-
surrender to the same naughty power, portion of
the glorious legacy achieved by their vaor, for fear
we may be startled by the sound Of their war-rumr,
or the rattle Of their artillery Forbid II, Heaven
Gentlemen have argued this is western ques-
ton 1t isa national question. Every portion and
section of this country is interested and deeply in
terested in the possession and occupation Of Ore.
gon Yet on account of its locality, western gen.
tlemen have frequently been appealed to IN relation
to il, and western feeling inquired after. If the
West is to be consulted to the settlement OF Orc