Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-03-28
SPEECH OF Mr.. HAYWOOD,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,
.ON THE OREGON QUESTION
ed in the Senate on the 4th and 5th March

The joint resolution for giving the notice to ter
inmate the convention between the United States
and Great Britain relative to the Oregon territory
being under consideration
Mr. HAYWOOD addressed the Senate as follows Mr.
President the subject before the Senate important one
Viewed in connection with the topics that have been brought
into the discussion Of IT. is Of momentous interest and
confess that its magnitude Expresses me- My want Of ex
perence in political affairs naturally made me reluctant 70 en-
ter a speaker, when necessarily feel IN add-
ton to the high responsibilities of the occasion ITSELF the en-
baassmen of addressing those who are my seniors IN age and
in political knowledge Besides, have thought tha' s'e
VOTE could it have been obtained would be much more i'm
posing But the of the last few weeks have left
choice Silence would now be compromise with my
conscience and my duty to the country and mast speak
will take me some time but throw myself upon the patience
Of the Senate with pledge that my heart shall be opened
sincerely at this the council board Of common country
have no actions of the past EXPLAIN and aspirations for
the future restrain and, If God gives me strength and
uterance for the work. will do my whole duty according to
my poor ability.
the Constitution TO make, but not to unmake treaties has
negotiation foot which commenced opened before
his term of office began The object of it has been fix
line Of division by compromise between the United States
Great Britain and thereby TO adjust the conflicting claims
the Governments 10 the territory lying west Of the Stony
Mountains, commonly called Oregon. assume for the
pesent-hereaer will demonsate-taat in the view of
President well the British Minister, the negotiation il
still pending The assumption is warranted by every
except the absurd conclusions and unauthorized constructions
given by of my party friends the of the
President And is confirmed beyond all fair doubt by the
silence of the President upon that point when the neo-
faon had terminated Executive silence would be unpar-
donabethe especially his jurisdiction over the sub
jecsv the negotiation ends The negotiation
closed concluded put end to- by the Executive and
all the remaining questions about Oregon will become FORTH
with subjects of legislation by Congress exclusively
But proceed At the meeting of Congress In December
the negoator of the Governments had been unable to
agree upon compromise of their conflicting claims and the
President believing that under the existing convention OF
1927 the United States cannot nghuy assert OF exercise
exclusive jurisdiction PORTION OF the territory with
giving years notice. declared to Congress that, in his
Judgment would be proper to give the notice and there
upon by message he that provision be made
by ,o for giving it accordingly and terminating Gin this
manner the convention of the 9th August 1927 This then
is the question What shall we do
The message of the President accompanied by copy
of all the correspondence which had taken place in the nego
taton and have subsequently been furnished by
quest with such further correspondence had taken place
up February, 1916. In the meanwhile, PROPOSE
in the Senate cmanatng from individual Senators, but
not from the Erectfue have been offered and proposed and
true honorable Senator said the other day. that
have exhibited the singular spectacle in this Capitol of
discussion by Congress with open doors of nearly all the for
egn affairs of the naon and especially of affairs
with Great Britain upon this very subject of the Oregon terri
tory, although at the me negotiations have been go
ing the Executive Department with the British Minis
and rather minated than charged that the Pres
dent blame for it. Now in the spirit of kindness which
complaint friend Admin
straton, to why do not in it, and how sup
pose the sending of this correspondence here may be
dicated
The President believing that the of 1927 had
better be abrogaied know that he could do that either
Of ways, but in other. Either he get
agreement with Great Britain to abrogaie by mutual
sent and then Congress need not be applied to at all he
must get the mandate Of dtC, authorizing him give
notice. The first mode not attempted
The other Of doing is by a,u Of this Govern
men and the President recommended to CongressCon-
gess alone bsins competent to enact ha provision be
made fcr giving the notice accordingly, and for terminating
an this nlangen the convention of 1927. Can be said
that the President erred in choosing this manner Of te
mating the convention being the only mode by which that
object could be legmatey accomplished without closing
his negotiations for compromise The complaint against
the message implies he had intention do that being
indispensable to apply Congress for law 10 give the
ce not both proper and necessary to communicate to
Congress every thing that had taken place in the negotiation
far it had progressed when the President made his
commendaion
The is a peculiar but that peculiarly did not
arise Of any thing that this Administration has done, but
altogether from the convention it is desired abrogae and
the limited constitutional power of the American Executive
Look TO the message ITSELF and you nothing in it either
less than what the President was, great degree
Obliged disclose to the Legislative department. under the pc
cuiar circumstances of the subject That Congress might
determine this question Of notice. they know the state
and condition Of the negotiation. They would know that best
by sending up all the correspondence and in order that they
might and Judge for themselves the President commun-
Gated TO Congress the oho correspondence which had taken
place. He has done more, and he is responsible for
thing
Had he any right to suppose that this would be made the
foundation for violent nvecvc and irregular discussions and
for all the propositions that have followed it IL he had ap-
pretended any such consequences would have authorized
him to withhold the recommendation of Of egsla-
ton which he deemed 10 be essential the the
ton, and which he may have supposed to be important to the
Deaoe of the counfry9 Upon making such recommends
on how could he conceal the information that
TO aid Congress in considering = Had he any o
foeseeng that this simple Of necessary duty the part
the Executive would be perverted into occasion for debating
the question Of notice notice, which properly belong
TO the Legislative department, but also negotiations viii
Great Britain, when her Minister in the city and
the lobby Of the Capitol and foreign relations and
grievances, real supposed with all the kingdoms Of thu
earth, which egmately belong the Executive department
Perhaps he felt strong reliance upon the prudence nodera
on and wisdom of Congress-the assembled Representative
of tho people and the Statesand hoped that they would
such talk less bot deliberate, and then act Perhap
he thought that upon question of this kind the necessit
he put under disclose what done by the Execuv
before he had terminated negotiations would hardly be made
pretext for snatchng negotiations out Of his hands, which
did not recommend, instead of cnactng law TO hin
with notice that he did recommend How far he mis-
taken, il he did feel and think need not be said TO th
Senate The events of the last few weeks speak for them
selves Believing that far the President has been
cemed the British Government has got advantage Of us
confess did feel mortified in reading the by the las
steamer at the necessity Of concedng TO the debates of thu
British Parliament decided superiority those of
selves IN their dignity and moderation and would be quit
satisfaction TO get by the packet Of
rageous debate in the British Parliament sufficient
put US even with them that help wishing
il may be
some senator cts likely you'll DO gratifed."1
surely ue ault u not altogether that Of the President