Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-03-26
Mr.. CALHOUN'S SPEECH,
SPECIAL oRDER---oREGoS CUES
Tf0N, &c.


The Senate, on the 10th Of March. proce eded 10
the consideration Of the special order, being the
joint resolution Of the Committee on Foreign Rels-
tons proposing to give notice TO Great Britain OF
the intention Of this Government to snnul the Treaty.
for the JOINT occupation Of the Oregon Territory,
and the Resolutions OF klessrs HASNEoAS. CAL.
Hsux, CR,rrEsprs, and CoLauIrr having relation
TO the subject
Mr. CALHOUN, being entitled TO the floor,
rose and addressed the Senate very nearly as
follows:
The question now under order for discus
sion is. whether notice shall be given TO Great
Britain that the convention between US and her
shall terminate at the end ofthe year. To that
question shall confine remarks, limiting them
10 ,hat and the questions Immediately connec-
ted with il. ! shall say nothing in regard TO
the title to Oregon. Having been personally
connected with previous negotiations, in which
that question was concerned, il VIII be seen
by all that il is proper that should pass il by
without notice. | shall abstain from every
thing of personal character, and from every
thing calculated 10 wound the feelings OK any
gentleman but at the same time, shall ex-
press myself freely, fully and candidly on all
the subjects on which | shall consider il my
duty to touch With these few predatory re-
marks, shall proceed at once to the question
Of notice.
There is one point ON which we must be
agreed, and that is, that great change has
taken place since the commencement of the
session in the importance OF this question, and
in It's bearing upon peace and war; Al that
time, this measure OF notice was OF the great
est and most weighiy importance, involving
as il did the question whether peace with
Great Britain should or shouldnot continue
Now, il has become one OF minor importance,
and may be decided either way without exer-
ting any very decisive effect on those impor-
tant interests. So great, indeed, is this change,
that the very reasons which are urged in tho
Executive message in support Of the recon-
mendation that notice shall be given, have no
longer their application. The bearings both
of the measure and the several parties in the
Senate which have grown out oft, are entire
ly altered. That the Executive recommended
ton to terminate the notice is founded on the
conviction that, pending such a notice, there
can be no compromise of our difficulties on the
Oregon question, must be, think admitted on
all sides. Indeed. the language of the message
is explicit to that effect ltexpresses the Pres
ident's conviction that no compromise could
be effected which we ought TO accept 1t an
nounces to us that he made the British commits
soner an offer Of the parallel Of 400, but that,
that offer having been rejected, he ordered that
ii should be Immediately Withdrawn. And on
that same conviction he recommends TO Con-
gress the passage Of this notice, with view TO
the removal OF all i,npediments TO the assertion
of our rights 10 the whole of the Oregon terri
tory. Assuming that there would be no COM
promise, the President tells us that, at the ex-
piraton of IL months, period will have arri
hnfa
be abandoned or firmly maintained Through
out the whole message there is not the slight
est intimation that any compromise is expec-
ted but, on the contrary the entire document
assumes the opposite views.
! Yet admit that the grounds on which the
President bases this, his conviction, are derived
! from the negotiation itself, and mainly frcm
the fact that his offer OF a compromise on 49o
was rejected. ] admit that, proceeding on that
/ foundation, il is fair inference that, if Eng
land shall renew on her part Incorporation
which, when made on ours, she rejected, there
would be no impediment in the way To its ac-
ceptance; at the same time the President init
mates not the slightest expectation that such an
offer will be made on her part, or that any
compromise viii be effected
| Such is the view which have been con-
| strained TO take, after the most careful exaIni-
nation which have been able TO give TO the
message Of the President; and il | may draw
| an inference from the opinions OF those men,
/ bers Of the Senate who believe in the soundness
of our title TO the whole territory, they concur In
this view. Indeed, the grounds on which they
place themselves will not admit of their sup
porting the notice under any other assumption.
/ They 90 for the whole of Oregon, because they
assert that our title to the whole territory, even
n. ,..,1
they think it better that we should assert that
ttle by arms than abandon any portion of it,
Hence il is most manifest that if they thought
the notice could possibly result in compro-
mise, they would vote against it.
Al this view which take Of the message,
and in which these gentlemen concur, is, as
| believe, the view entertained by the country at
large. Certainly it is five are to draw our con-
illusions from the general tone Of the public
press or If we are 10 look at what is, perhaps,
still betterindex of public opInion--the course
ofour intelligent business men; for the recep-
I ton of the message had the most decided effect
upon the public stocks No sooner was its Ian
/ guage heard than insurance Immediately rose,
/ and. as our vessels returned from their foreign
voyages, instead Of their being sent out again
TO sea, they were suffered to remain inactive at
the wharves.
| Such 100, was the view taken by another
portion OF the Senate--among which consid-
CT myselfas included-and who Were opposed
to the giving Of this notice They opposed
it on grounds directly the reverse Of those on
which these gentlemen advocated IT, Those
who advocated the notice did so becauset they be-
ieyed there would be no compromise, and could
be none. We were opposed 10 the notice, be-
cause we did not agree with them in that opin-
ion. We believed on the contrary, that COM
promise might be effected, and common
ground assumed to which both nations would
agree. We did not think the American title TO
the whole Of Oregon TO be so perfectly clear as
to be indisputable. We held that the tide Of
neither nation to the whole country to be per
feet; and, therefore, we could not, and did not
believe that two powerful ano heightened ma
tons, such as Great Britain and the United
States, would go to war On such question, so
long as war could by possibility be honorably
and properly avoided. This was the view of
all who opposed the giving OF the noGce at
this time. We wished TO give TO both parties
in this controversy breathing time--a season
for calm and mature reflection; under the in
fuence ofwhich they might come to some just
and honorable, and yet pacific, conclusion;
and because we thought that the immediate