The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-30

must judge of the propriety of this suggestion ae-
cording 10 their own discretion. OF this however,
suppose there is no doubt, that liz the present cir
cumsiances Of the case, the Executive government
may feel that Il is at this particular moment ncon'
yenient 10 make this communications and must
presume inconvenient only because negotiations are
resumed, or are expected 10 be resumed. lnasmueh
as that is the case, hope my honorable friend from
Delaware will lei his resolution lie informally on
the table
Mr.. ALLEN rose to reply He said, as the sena-
tor from Massachusetts has expressed his willing
ness that the resolution now before the Senate
should be passed over informally for some days II
Is not necessary for me to enter further into the dis
cussion OF that question at this time. However, he
has made this the occasion of doing what estimate
Of more importance than expressing his opinion
on the subject Of this resolution II is undoubtedly
true, that, constitutionay and in our intercourse
with each other this floor, all the members Of this
body enjoy perfect equality But II is also true, that
the long experience which some senator's have en-
joyed, and the place they have acquired in the
Judgment OF their country, make what they say
upon this iioor of much more importance than If II
fell fiom the lips OF some other senator's The
ator from Massachusetts, has, for the hrst time Ia
ken this morning, in this Senate, a position on the
question OF Oregon. Not only has he done thai,
but he has taken extraordinary precautions against
the possibility OF his position being mistaken-a
precauIion that grows by no means out Of any want
OF capacity upon ais part to speak in this body
without the aid OF elaborate notes. There is a So
emnIty in the form with which the opinions of the
senator from Massachusetts have cen announced
to-day, which, connected with the character Of that
senator for ability and influence in this country,
makes that announcement of great importance in
this contest Three points he has distinctly stated;
one Is, that, In his Judgment the President of the
United States has made mistakes in reference TO the
Oregon question. He has, in the judgment Of
that senator, made mistakes of several de-
min hnfn nj IN k..yt IL
Of the United States to the whole of this
territory up TO the Russian boundary, and that in
the message in which he recommends the termina-
lon Of the subsistng convention between the United
States and Great Britain. The senator from Mas
sachusetts thinks that by the assertion Of that title
IN connexion with the recommendation Of notice,
the President Of the United States has embarrassed
this question; and that therefore, whatever may be
the result Of the action of Congress upon the recon-
menduons Of the Executive, the President Of The
United States, and not Congress, will be held re.
sponsible before the American people-that all the
difficulties which may in reference TO the Ore
gon question to be traced back an error on the
part Of the President committed, in his message 10
Congress OH the opening Of the session. That is
one OF the points made by the senator. Now, sir
this is the very first occasion, belieye-the very
first occasion on which have heard ia this Senate
any fault thus ascribed by any one who has no
difficulty in comprehending what the President
meant. Other senator's may say, | disagree with
| him. But the senator from Massachusetts, has no
doubt in his mind of what the President meant; and
| with full conviction in his mind as to what the
President did mean, he ascrbes to him the commits
sion of great in this business and therefore
makes him responsible for all the consequences
which may ensue. That's one of the points made
by the senator from Massachusetts. Another point
ls-and Is very important one-that in the
judgment Of that greatly experienced and greatly en-
lightened senator, the public opinion Of both the
A,faAC anI n a
upon fixed mode Of adjusting this difficulty; and
that that fixed mode is the assumption as the basis
Of the adjustment not the arbitrary line Of 400 but
| the proposition Of 1896 which went south OF
that line for the the purpose of national advantage
yielding up the navigation Of the Columbia river to
| Great Britain. Now this thing is announced
TO day as the first announcement in the Senate ofthe
United States this session Of disposition anywhere,
(though see II IN some Of the papers for the last
three days)but the first announcement in the Sem
ate of the United States of anybody, according 10
my recollection, that there is the possibility in any
human circumstances, Of the United States conced-
ing to Great Britain the navigation Of the Columbia
river. That is the point to which desire to atrac,
the particular attention Of the Senate. The public
opinion Of the two countries, according TO the sena.
tor from Massachusetts, Is converging to the point
Of negotiation upon the basis of the proposition OF
1926, and we all know what that was Now this
strange fact presents ITSELF that we started out at the
commencement of this session Of Congress with
claiming the whele Of Oregon; at the end Of three
months beginning to irembe on the 49th parallel
falling back upon il; and at the end Of three weeks
more falling back south Of that parallel recedng
every hour, until, by the rules of legislative pro-
gression, three months more will bring us to the
point where we will surrender the whole country to
Great Britain IN order to get clear of a war.
Mr.. HANNEGAN. Let them try that
Mr.. ALLEN. All these things convince me that
the President of <hc United States has not commit
ted prpof Init hat hna
patriotism and great judgment in asserting our claim
as commensurate with title to the whole of this
territory The whole of this debate thus far has pro-
ceeded upon the assumption-which believe is I'M
sustained by any reason or fact-a false assumption
that G. Britain has Just right to part of this coun-
try; and that she,wil sacrifice no part of her just
rights, but will fight for them and that therefore we
must sacrifice part of our just rights, rather than
fight for them. Sir, if Congress had the first week
of its session passed this resolution, and the next
week had followed il up by bill to extend our
laws as recommended by the Executive this Ore
gon difficulty would, in my judgment, have been
settled without blood the loss Of one acre Of this
land of the United States. But after we have wit
messed and the world has Witnessed what has trans
pred hereafter Congress has fatered--or rather
the Senate has falered, in the face of vote in the
House Of Representatives of three to one. and one
overland after distinguished senator at the end
Of three months of time proposes fall back on the
Columbia river-I ask any what is likely to be
the Of Great Britain Sir, this course of our
proceeding seems to invite her TO claim the whole.
Every inch that we reccde from the ground we orr
gnally took, mutipes the chances Of fight for
this country with Great Britain When she secs
hesltauon--when she sees divided counsels-when
she the President censured for tho manner in
which he has conducted himself on this subject
when she sees three months of time wasted and the
arm Of the government paralyzed at home, she will
not hesitate as to her course of policy on this sub
ject. Not all. But the senator has made another
propositions and that isl suppose in order to give
public opinion in the two countries time to settle
down upon the Columbia river--that, in his judg-
ment, we ought to drop this business alto
gether for a month; that we ought to post
pone this resolution. For what purpose
Why, until another steamer arrive here and in
form US whether or not Queen Victoria is poutng
at us-to inform us whether not the British gov
eminent pleased or offended with our doings
here. Sir, this is species Of national humiliation
to which /, for one, will never submit. II is time
should not only speak, but act like men who are
conscious Of being the representatives Of an nde-
pendent government, who understand its rights, and