Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-02-12
Gmentp-Nintb Congress.
oregon--spceeh Of Robert Dale owen.
wAsHrxerox. WEDNESDAY,, Jan. %. 1916.

ground both halls OF tie Capitol, and the NORTH
and the South and Middle Ground watch progress
with undissembled asonishment, In the House, this
morning. whilst members yet talking IN clusters
Of the effort of The Z" black Douglas, up rose RoB-
ERT DALE OWEN, and the in which members
arranged themselves in front Of him and around
about, reminded me Of the gathering of the Scottish
clans,
Come through the heather, around him gather.
Mr.. OWEN commenced his Speech by saying
that
EDMUND BURKE, when member of the British
Parliament, was once asked, why ministers, when in
any case, they had well ascertained majority, did
not press the question at once, without the trouble of
discussing its merits. That has been tried, - was
his reply " but it would not DO. The minister who
should persevere in it would soon have 60 "
And yet there is no direct responsibility of the
British Premier to the people whom he governs. Pow
erfu he is absolute, almost while he realms
trolling majority at his back but STILL he must defer
TO public opinon or, if he neglect such Difference,
loss of power and degradation from place, is the
speedy penalty.
And thus, We of the United States, while we are
responsible for our acts as a nation, TO no human
power must vet defer to the public opinion of
kind. If we would retain station and influence
among the natiors of the earth, not only must our
public acts be lusIhable, but before consummae,
we must take the trouble to justify them.
My motive in rising now is to furnish such small
contribution as may to the mascot evidence and
gument ably supplied from our Department of
State, IN indicating to the world the course pur-
sued by our government, on the great question Of
tie day.
Accusations of grave character are brought, in
respectable quarters, inpugning the Justice of the
measures recommended by the President, and I'M
der consideration by the House. regard to the
rItOry of Oregon. | DO not speak of charges coming
from Foreign and interested sources but Of the lam
uSPd bV he her mt lOm hv NOM
hers on this very floor We Of the majority may
feel exceedingly well satisfied, that just
and these charges unfounded but it is not less an
imperative duty to defend the and repel tie other
select 5 specimen of the ground assumed by
portion of the press, paragraph from a New York
paper of good standing. Speaking of our title 10
Oregon. the Journal of Commerce, in editorial of
December ., says:
The evidence even far South as Columbia river is
all on side, by great deal. Aud when
latitude 49, the English claim is better than own. "
If this be true, then the President lost sight of
right and Justice when he adhered to the offer of 80
as an ultimatum; and Mr.. Packenham was justified
IN expecting from our government some further pro-
pOsal " more consistent with fairness and equity "
And, when some London Journalist triumphantly
quotes against us such paragraph as that, drawn
from the pages of one among the leading periodicals
of the Union he VIII find, IN further aid of an ar
gument about the reckless and graspng ambition of
these States, certain resolutions touching war and
Oregon, offered at your table, not by some Young,
rash, hot-headed partisan, but by a member from
Massachusetts,, (Winthrop) both able and experienced
gentleman whose talent and standing no one dis
u ties. The second of those resolutions declares:
THAT il would be a dishonor to the age in which we
live and in the highest degree dscedable both the ma
tons concerned if they should suffer themselves he
drawn into upon question of immediate or prac
teal interest TO either of them"
An eminent British statesman said, "that as
ought never to 90 to war for profitable wrong
neither ought TO 90 to for an Improbable
right. " There Is much good sense in the ma KIM
and tie gentleman from Massachusetts doubtless con-
sders 1t strictly applicable, in the present case The
direct inference from his resolution is in the FIRST
place. that the right in dispute if indeed it be right
at ALL improbable right that it is Of practical
Importance whether we cede to England a part or
the whole, of the territory lying South of 40
and North of the Columbia. He esteems it our i'm
peratiye duty, rather than resort to war; to make
some compromising division Of the disputed tract
viii ask the gentleman to take map in hand and
answer question two 1t avails nothing to
talk vaguely of some compromise Let him tell me
iohat compromise, beyond that already offered, he
suggests If he recede but half degree South of 49,
he touches already the straits Of Fuca the entrance
and the only entrance to Puget Sound. If he aban-
don to England but degree out of the three which
span this detachable land the line cuts us wholly off
from these straits from Admiralty Inlet and conse-
quently from Puget Sound we might as well take
geiher. TO cede its sole entrance and exit.
Is this, then, the genteman's proposition that
England should have the harbOis of PUGET and that
II is of practical Importance whether she has them
or not
Let captain Wilkes, speaking in his recently pub
lished narrative, say word to US, touching the har-
bors of that territory. He tells us:
The coast of Oregon. the South of Cape Flattery
al southern cape the straits of Fuca) rarely much
broken and affords no harbOrs except for very small
sels. Vol w. p. 296.
And again:
mo ports exist along any part Of the coast Of Oregon
south of the Columbia River that accessible to any
class of vessels those of very small daught 81
water. Vol Y.p. l4S.
As to the mouth of the Columbia ITSELF which. for
so many years, repealed discovery. be tells US:
Mere description give little idea of the terrors Of
the bar of the Columbia all have spo
ken OF the wdness Of the scene The ncessan roar Of The
waters. representing of the most fearful sights
that can meet the eye of sailor Vol W. p. 293.
Experience and accurate surveys will doubtless
diminish the dangers but yet it must remain matter
of doubt, whether the mouth of the Columbia can
ever be used throughout tie various seasons of the
year, general port of entrance for vessels of
every draught-
On the other hand, all nayigators from Van couyer
TO Wilkes, Is testifyng to the safety of the
entrance Puget Sound and the value of its har-
b0rs, as capable Ofrecevng, and sheterng in perfect
security the largest fleet of line of battle ships the
world ever saw brought together. Captain Wilkes
SAYS:
"Nothing exceed the beauty of these waters mol
their safety shoa exists within the straits of Juan
de Fucs Admiralty Inet. Puget Sound or Hoods Canal
that in any interrupt their navigation by "a
gun ship. | venture nothing in saying, there no
country IN the world that possesses equal 10 these
Vol w. p. 3O5