The North-Carolina standard., 1846-03-11
SPEECH OF MIR. Clarke,

SPEECH OF MIR. CLARKE,
OF NORTH CAROLINA .sa- 5...
In the House Of Representatives., february 6,
1946-On the resolution authorizing the Pre-,
sident to give the notice for the Termination Of
the joint occupancy of the Oregon territory.
CONCLUDED
But sir even among those who are agreed as
to our right to the whole of Oregon there is di
versity of opinion to the best manner of assert
ing and securing our rights there Whilst one
portion Of its friends are decided in the opinion
that we should come boldly out-declare our
claims before the world and prepare to defend it
if necessary with the strong might of the countrys
arm-there is another portion who are for leav-
ing it 10 time and emigration quietly and peace
fully TO effect the same result. 1t appears TO me
that time and emigration have been looked to
long enough TO adjudge and decide this matter
Twenty-Five or thirty years ago. this same matter
was left to the arbitrament of time and 1t my be
asked what is now the state of the case2 Why,
sir, VIC are now further from decision OF 1t than
when it was first submitted to that tribunal. The
two governments are actually getting further and
further apart all the while in their efforts to bring
about satisfactory adjustment of that matter
And pray, sir, what has emigration done all the
while2 1t TOO has been lardy and inefficient, and
is now altogether hopeless. 1t is true, that there
are now in Oregon some seven thousand Amerl-
cans but the time when these seven thousand peo-
pie went there is important inquiry in this con-
nexion l would ask, if it be not true that they
have nearly or quite all of them gone there since
the spring of 1914, when The democratic party in
convention at Baltimore d. clared our title 10 the
whole of Oregon and if it be not true, that yet a
larger portion of these have gone there since the
people Of this country, in the great PoFul lar cleo
lion of 1914, ratified and confirmed this dclara-
ton? Mr. Greenhow states in his History OF
Oregon, that so late the fall Of l843 there were
bat four hundred Americans in the whole terrific
rv. These, then, are the assurances that have
carried them there-assurancrs that the country
was ours that it was 10 be taken under our own
dominion, and that they would be protected by
our laws. Refuse to give the notice, and
thereby manifest dIstrust Of our title, or back
wardness in adopting measures TO maintain 1t, and
you will not only in my opinion, efectually ar
rest emigration thither but that thousands of those
who have already gone there will return to the
States Or if emigration shall be continued, it
will be limited entirely to the south of the Col
umbia, and thus will give to Great Britain all
that she desires. ] must confess, that have no
confidence in the woodworking eff els of :; in
ACTIVITY whether it be called wise and mastcrly
or stupid and bungIing.- 1t never has done any
thing either fer nations or for individuals Ac-
tivity is the main spring of success and prosperi-
ty in all our undertakings. According to the
gentleman from South Carolina: mr. Rhett,] our
revolutionary fathers tried boh and the result of
their experiment is glorious commentary upon
the superiority Of drerminaton-of frmness, Of
activity. We are told by him that they endured
for ten years Inc haIdshps, and expressions,
and exaclions of the mother country, before they
took up arms TO redress themselves; and we are
admonshed to initiate their patient forbearance.
But what did this forbearance effect for them ?
Inactivity but brought upon them an accumu-
lation of wrongs an increase of exactIons,
and an addition Of hardships. 1t was activity-a
firm and open avowal Of their rights, and deter
mined effort to maintain them-that worked out a
vindication of their rights, and redress OF all
their grievances. Let US initiate them IN their
last resoIve-lct US declare our right not merely
to establish forts and post-routes, but our right TO
the territory to the soil-and by the time we
need them, shall have fifty thousand people IN
Oregon. Instead of seven thousand men, women
and children, we shall have twice that number
of fighting -men-mcn Of nerve and skill in the
use of the deadly rife-ready and on the spot
todefcnd their homes and their afiresides. But
those gentlemen who promise to get for US the
whole of Oregon if we will not pass the notice,
tell us that their plan will not lead to war Theirs
is the pacific policy, if we would trust to their
skill in prophecy But let US analyze their plan
and see how it is to work in practice. They,
like u.s. advocate our rights 10 the whole, and that
we shall take possession of it, or encourage our
people to do so. 1 .-' '['
The only difference between US is, that we pro-
pose to notify Great Britain of our Intentions
they propose to do the same thing without any
notice. Well, how do they propose to take pos
session. Why, by erecting forts, by establishing
post Offices and post routes, and by extending our
laws over our emigrants, and by bymencouraging
them to make permanent settlements in the coun,
try, and to reduce and cultivate the earth And
all this is to be done throughout the whole ex-
tent from 40 deg. to 81 deg. 40 min. To limit
these establishments to the Columbia, or by the
49 deg. is at once to admit that you intend to
surrender the balance of the territory Can
Great Britain fail to see in all this determina-
ton to oust her from the country Is she so
blind that she cannot see-so deafthat she cannot
hear-so dull that she cannot understand2 Think
you that our actions will not speak TO her louder
than any words we could employ? VIII not
our forts, and our militia, and our farms, and our
workshops, speak to her In language stronger
than what we can put into any written notice we