Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-04-11

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conservative temper and spirit. This was pre-
| emnenly the characteristic of the Wings, and for
this they had been charged with opposition to pro-
gressive principles. There was also portion of
the party on the other side of the Senate which
was under the guidance of conservative principles.
He lamented to say that the business Of the coun-
try, all its great questions and interests, had been
rendered subseryient TO PresidenLmaking.
Mr.. MANGUM examined, in some detail, the re-
ports of the Secretaries of War and of the Navy.
He said he had reason to know that the resolutions
introduced by the Senator from Michigan, at the
commencement of the session, had received the ap-
probation of the Executive.
Mr. CAss said that they had certainly been shown
to the Secretary of State and also to some leading
members Of the Senate on the Democratic side
Mr.. MANeuM resumed. These resolutions, he
said, were no doubt designed to operate to prevent
further dissensions in the Democratic ranks, than
those which had, even then, began to exhibit them
selves. 1t was known, he said, and he stated it on
his own responsibility, that much more than con-
stitutional majority of the Senate prepared to
ratify treaty, relative to the Oregon territory,
founded on the basis of forty-nn degrees north
latitude There was probably in the temperament
of the people of the United States proclivity to
war, but ne thought very strong principle with
them also was to take care of their money; and
before they would part with it in the prosecution Of
war, they would require much stronger case to
be made out than had yet been presented to them.
He considered the Executive as responsible for the
large estimates of the Departments. The Chair
men of the Committees on Military and Naval At
fairs were entitled to the thanks of the country
for their not having countenanced these enormous
lesnmates.
II The President had declared that no man had a
right to speak for him, and that no man knew his
Iopnion upon this question, beyond his Cabinet.
This was to be deprecated; it was unfortunate that
he was SO unapproachable. This was not the po-
siton of General JACKSON. Would it have been
Mr.. CLAWS position, had he succeeded to the Pre-
sidency, that of the Senators from Missouri or
South Carolina, if either of them filled that office
He thought not The leading characteristic of this
Administration, he thought was SORENESS. He
was Of opinion that the President was ready to in
cline either way; he hoped he would settle at for
ty-nine degrees, and he believed that an overwhelm-
ing majority of the people would concur in such
an arrangement.
i He deprecated all the terms Of contumely and
trepruach against Great Britain which hs& been il
PRODUCED into this debate. The opening speech d
the Senator from Ohio was of the most violent ma
ture; it opprobrous in its dction than any
thing he had before heard. If any thing in the Sc
nators speech could give glimpse of satisfaction,
it his declaration that the foreign nation which
he was treating with so much contumely, and whose
enmity he seemed to care so little about exciting
needed only TO have its power touched, and it would
fall away into utter nothingness that, in Fact Great
Britain was the weakest nation in Europe. Every
exerton had been made to excite the public mind,
and to prepare it for war; all kinds of old and
long setted and adjusted questions had been revv-
ed and pressed into the service. The Northeastern
boundary question, and all the subjects connected
with the treaty by which it adjusted, hid been
brought forward. The episode occasioned by its
introduction had led to three days discussion. He
hoped that the honorable Senator from Massachu-
sets, who had felt himself bound by due regard
to his own reputation to notice the matter, would
not condescend to pay any further attention to it.
The flies who buzzed about this matter would only
receive an undeserved fame by being preserved in
the amber of the honorable Senator's notice.
Mr.. MANeUM said that he was in favor of notice
to terminate the treaty, such notice being accom-
panied with conciliatory clauses, and framed upon
a principle of compromise. If such notice were
given, he had no doubt the whole matter might be
adjusted most honorably to the country, and avora-
bly, to all her interests. He believed that in two
thirds or three-fourhs of the country, nineteen
twentieths of the people were in favor of peace.
They could not be forced into war, unless they
saw more occasion for it than had hitherto been
exhibited.
! Mr.. HAYWOOD said he was not aware that the
President had ever declared any approval of the
resolutions introduced by the Senator from Michi-
gan. He believed they were submitted to him, and
he was asked whether he saw any objection to
them, and he said he did not.
/ Mr.. CAss said the President had not gone into
any consideration of these resolutions. The Sc
cretary Of State (Mr. BucHANAN) had suggested an
alteration in one of them, which agreed to.
THE CUMBERLAND ROAD BILL.
The bill for continuing the Cumberland Road
II