The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1846-03-05
J. +. MCCLELLAN, Printer.

i may rttdx somewhat from thelf extreme
r demands, not ohy without d shonor, but
: with signal credit, for The sake OF peace
and harmony. The settlement Of such
I question most ffe.emInenlIy belongs to I: o
: statesman, rather than TO the soldier 10
!, The councils of the cabinet, rather than TO
the wager OF battle. Sir, it would shock
The moral sense OF the civilized world
that the Two mos! enlightened and Chris.
lian nations of the earth should fill TO eff
fecl peaceful and honorable settlement. OF
such controversy, and should involve
themselves in war in cons, qnence, The
end of which. and the disasters of which.
no man can foresee or conceive.
Bu' II is org"d "a an objection 10 nego>
tlalIon, OF compromise in any way, thar
we have clear and perfect title to the
whole OF Oregon. This declaration is of.
ten made, | apptehend, without much ex.
animation oil the question, ard with an
easy creduily, which is satisfied without
further inves!i galicn, TO repeal, ss clear
and incorteslibe facts, the unsupported
assertions Of a political conclave. The
stronger and clearer, however, we can
make our title 10 the whole Of Oregon ap-
pear, so much the better and safer case we
should have for the decision of an Impair
tlaI and competent tribunal, if The parties
should mol be able 10 agree upon terms Of
set enenl between themselves. And
surely there could be little risk Of our
rights in submitting the question of our
title 10 such tribunal, provided some of
these gentlemen will shed upon the board
some Of the light by which they so
clearIy see t he perfection of our tile to the
whole of Oregon. Gentlemen have said,
by w"yof illustration. more remarkable
for It's extravaganza than any analogy 10
the question we are considering, that we
might as we'll yield to the demands Of
Eog'ahd any portion Of these United
States, or oflhis District, or OF the ground
on which this Capitol stands; and that we
NIGH as well propose negotiation, or ref
erence, IN such case, as in the case az
Oregon. l can hardly think gentlemen
serious In snch omparson, or in sup
posing that there is any analogy, or any
approximation to analogy in the Two
cases. In the case Of Oregon, We
have 10 NEE, an adverse claim, and one
which has been asserted and Insisted upon
AS long, at least, as we have asserted any
claim; and one which we have so far res
peclec as 20 have made repeated propcsi-
lions for division OF the territory in dis
pu,e; and so far as to have admitted the
adverse party TO the exercise and enjoy.
ment, IN common with u.s. OF equal rights
and privileges there.
And this is not all. England has had ac-.
ual occupation OF this territory, or part
OF 1t, much longer, and a much larger
portion OF the lme than we have; and un-'
der the convention OF 1918 she eltimed
the right OF settlement here; and in 1927
we renewed The convention for an pdtfi-
mite Ieriod of time, with the full knowledge
that she claimed such RICH! of settlement.
will no! ask wheIher, under these cir.
cumsances. we are no, stopped from as
sorting, tu! will ask whether we are
quite justified in asserting, that England
has not on v no tile. but 70 color Of title
or claim TO any portion ollbe Oregon ter
ritory? Such an assertion, it appears to
me, is a direct and pa pable contradiction
Of the concessions of this Government, by
series of treaties, negotiations, end props
osihons, through period of more than
quarter OF ceoturY; and an unwarrant-
able 'mpula:lon upon the conduct and mo-
lveso!three different clnistrIlicns ofouT
Government. numbering many of the ablest
men and puresl patriots of The country, in
10 surrender TO Great Britain a
large portion this territory as peace
)derug, TO what is now, for the fl st time
asserted TO be an arrogant and grouudless
demand. We have, all al once, become
FasIIy wiser and more patro ic than our
athers. Considering the character and
he early date ofthe British claims con-
dsrng The grounds and The nature ofthe
vldencc upon which our respective claims
es'-and considering The manner in which
Ter claims have always been treated, the
oncessions add the Oilers made-I have
10 hesitation in saying, that we shalt find
'ss justification 10 now treating her claims
5 a mere arrogant and groundles pre-
'nce, than we shalt 10 meeting them and
eating them with serious and respectful
onsideralon-so long, at least, as she
lani'estsa similar disposition on her part
Let US suppose thai England, being as
'oroughly convinced Of the validity Of her
tie to O1grn-the whole Of i, if you
leaSe--as The Baltimore convention and
President Polk are OF ours, should say TO
5; 1--WE have clear and inconiesible
lie TO the whole of The Oregon territory;
e shall, therefore, insist upon the whole
it and although we have been negoti-
ing about it for more than twenty-five
ears. and made various propositions of
'tlIemen, aud offered you one half of it
Y way of compromise, and you have oc>
lpied it, III common with "a, all this
bile, we shall now close The door upon