The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-16


in case circumstances should hereafter be so chang
ed as to render it unadvisable give it. But if the
House should not concur in these views, he should
go for the proposition Of the Committee on Foreign
Affairs for the giving this notice without the inter
venon of the discretion of the President.
Advancing now to the more direct arguments in
favor Of the notice, he indicated it from the charge
so often made, that it is a war measure 1t was not
measure but simply the exercise Of our rights
which exercise the part Of England, all would ad-
nit, would be no offence to US. What might be the
result after the expiration Of the years notice was
another question; and all the predictions to what
would be its effect were mere speculatons. No
member Of this House, no individual Of this nation
could pretend to pronounce the result Of it, II did
not follow as q matter of course that we were to take
armed possession of Oregon 1t did not follow that
we were to attempt to drive out every English
settler; or even that we were to take mil
itary possession up to 40 degrees, so as to give
offence 10 England. But he was in favor Of the no.
tce measure of peace. He believed conscien-
uously that it was a measure Of peace, and not of
war. system OF braggadocio and gesconading
had been practsed not only in the United States
but in England IN relation to this great question.
Both parties engaged in it; stood here this
side Of the water, and shook fists to John Bull,
and John Bull, in return hurled back defiance upon
us. This the relation of the parties, both
knowing understanding well the trickery attempted
to be played of upon each other. He was for the
nOuCt, DcCduSe ne WdUleu 10 prove 10 ourselves
that we are in earnestthat this system of bullying is
at an end-that this question has assumed magn-
tude which demands that our rights to Oregon shall
be Northumberland the attempts to make il party
question may be defeated and abandoned, and it be
placed before the country in its true, its national char
acter. He was for the notice to make England be-
lieve we are in earnest. She has never believed IL;
she never will believe il, until she receives notice
from the President Of the United States that we no
longer desire to hold that territory in The manner
we now hold it. Let England be convinced we are
in earnes let our people be so convinced alsoi and
his word for It, negotiations, whes reopened would
be conducted in very different spirit from that
which had heretofore characterized them. He
went for notice. also, TO prove to the world that we
are in earnest. The world is standing looking on
with anxious expectation; for, if war should come
between the two greatest nations Of the globe-na-
tons which are the buwsrks of Christianity, Of
moral and religious civilizationt will not be con-
fined to the United States and Great Britain it will
be the match to explode the mine which will con-
vulse the world. Another reason: the whole country
Is now agitated upon this absorbing subject; the bu
siness Of the country is in state Of paralysis. This
this quasi war, he wished TO remove.
Give us peace--peace which we can depend upon;
et the country be satisfied whether there is to be
war; and ifwar must come, let il come now. do not