The New York herald., 1846-03-21
AFFAIRS IN EUROPE.
The Oregon Question In England
Arbitration, sc.

4AAV SASo~N x~"0sAVAA ~ Aa06loAVs
Arbitration, sc.
ADDITIONAL EXTRACTS
From the Foreign Papers received at the Office
Of the New.York Herald.
The Oregon Question I'm Enxiand-The Pro-
bablc View OF Slr Robert Peel.
From the London Times, Feb 261
The great importance Of the present debate, and
other matters of domestic interest, have hitherto
prevented US from recurring, az we had Intended, to
Mr. Gallatin's proposal il il of a twofold charac-
territory should be paItitioned At ALL Secondly, it
proposes thar any partition made should give to
Great Britain ell the region north OF the parallel 4S
north latitude from the sea, through the Straits,
the United States the country south Of that ne and
the sole possession OF the Columbia River and the
harbors in the south Of the Straits Both these sug-
gestions are worthy Of being weighed, not only on
person from whom they emanate, but Of the various
and prospective interests which the adoption OF
either of them must affect. Now we will, in JUS
ice to Mr. Galatln, suppose that the first suggestion
being carried out would be this-both England and
the United States would either continue IN precise
" the same relation that in which they now stand
towards each other In Oregon, that the sovereign
ty of both States would remain in abeyance they
would each be joint tenants in the use rather than IN
the seisin OF the Oregon or else the Oregon would
be recognised as an independent State guaranteed
in its rights and protected by the JOINT guardianship
of the American Republic and the British Crown
1t isto the latter contingency rather than to the for
mer, that our attention should, for the present, be
confined, inasmuch as the tone OF American polit-
clans hardly encourages the notion that the joint
occupancycof the contested country is possible
toy Lem 9TH of firna and thu rha 81 thn
present dispute must have warned the states
men of both countries that to leave the ques-
ton OF sovereignty open can only complicate
the difficulties of the case, and increase the embar
rasement OF their successors. Recurring, then, to
the alternative left by the first suggestion let us ask
what must be the inevitable consequences OF erect
ing Oregon into an independent State In the first
place. it is almost impossible not to foresee that its
government would be democratic II is almost
equally certain that its tendencies would be anti
Anglican. This result necessarily flows from the
anterior condition OF It's settlement: Its contguiy
to the republic of the United States has within few
years caused migratory influx of citizens from the
latter, and holds out the prospect OF continual inn
migration for some years to come. Those who
understand the feelings Of all emigrants and parti-
culariy OF American emisrants, will at once agree
that the new government thus constituted must
have prejudices and sympaihies Of an anti-British
nature. Nor would any counterpoise to this gene
raj prejudice be supplied by co-extensive influx
OF British subjects. The colonization of the Ore
gon has for the last two three years been almost
entirely condpcted by Amercans; whilst the settle
ment Of our own people has been considerably
thwarted, if not wholly prevented. by the exclusive
privileges Of the Hudson's Bay Company. Their
erected on different sites throughout the territory
in dispute; but no extensive colonization has been
carried on by other subjects OF the Crown. This
circumstance alone, apart from all others, would
independent State; but. when il is viewed in con-
junction with the vicinity OF great republican GO
vernnent it e impossible not to foresee that British
interests would be swamped, even if they were
hot openly dieregarded or want0nly lnsulted, by
the hostility Of America. .prejudice, and the col
lIeion OF democratic influence. It would be i'm
possible for the British Government to urge as
precedent spulation that the tradtionary rights OF
British subjects, or the former privileges of a
British company should be respected in a new re-
public. And, even if such stipulation received
the assent of the other contracting parties it would
be impossible for the British crown to insure its
iulhlment without recourse to conflict which duty
and humanity enjoin II to avoid or to defer. How
adapted, therefore, the Oregon may be for ex-
tensIve coonization-however Its magnitude and
extent may entte 1t to the rank of separate State
no English Minister who cares tor the interests
Of English subjects, can propose or accept proposal
for scheme which, al the outset, would injure the
interests Of the latter, and hereafter sacrifice them,
by aggressive violation or colusive intrigue, to
the recent debates Of Congress, and remarked the
sentiments which are most popular In the United
States can be Ignorant that the American Govern
ment contemplate the extension OF their great em
pire from the shores of the Atlantic TO those of the
Pacific, and that the American people look for
ward to the time when NO European power shall
dare to interfere with the mutual policy Of the nu-
merous Stats spread over the great continent OF
the West. How far such a contamination Is desir-
able for the peace and happiness of nations, it is
not TOR US to say. 1t ID sufficiently apparent that
it is not the interest Of Ithe English people, nor
the duty OF an English Minister, to play into the
the organization Of new governments, which
must either become merged in the growing do
minions of their powerful neighbors, or CUB
sidiary to their designs. II were wiser to wait
the time when the. conflicting interests Of the
separate States and the encr0achQents OF the fede
raj government, shall dissolve union incompatible
with intestine jealousy or foreign fears The prox-
unity of British possessions, and the establishment
of British principles In North America, will always
afford resort and 2 protection to those who fear
the growth of popular license, and seek an escape
from popular turbulence. For this reason, no less
than for the preservation OF national honor, it 10 the
duty OF our government to see that we secure for
our subjects firm footing for our laws permanent
validity, on that cohtinent which has been peopled
by our countrymen and governed by the maxims Of
our constitution Il is not extent, 30 much cer-
tainty and defnitiveness Of dominion, that we
ought to care for II 10 not our object to advance
any new claim, so much as to abide by an old and
just one. The project for giving new constitution
to Oregon would be merger Of our present right /;
but II would eventually prove to be surrender, a
ca apitulaton, and disgrace.
Let us now turn to MIR. Gallatin's second propo-
sal. He would give us all north Of 45i degrees
north latitude, in line running east from Fuca's
Straits to the present recognised line OF division.
He would reserve Tor his own country Admiralty
Inlet and its sounds and the sole possession Of the
Columbia River Now, the very first thing that
strikes US is ths-I has been urged that 1t would
be anomalous or inconvenient to divide the use OF
the Columbia River between English and Ameri-
cans. Supposing (the Americans say) that we re-
tain possession Of both banks Of the Columbia, how
can English vessels pass and repass without danger
Now, we ask 10 there not the same chance OF COLI
sion between them when the two powers have an
equal right TO the night OF Da Fuca's Straits To
concede an equally divided possession in the straits.