The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-28
NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND NEGOTIATION

NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS. AND MlsQU CITATION.
Our article of yesterday in relation TO the renewal
now to Us, by the British government, Of the propo-
sition formerly made by Mr. GaIlatn on the part OF
our government to England, for the adjustment Of
the Oregon controversy-which renewal as a prtIil,-
mary STEP is now urged upon the British cabinet by
the London Times,-our article in relation TO this
matter has been to-day introduced into the debate in
the Senate.
We cannot perceive anything in that article, or In
the circumstances under which il WAS written, to
confer upon it such unusual distinction. In that ar
ucle we carefully avoided taking any nsU position,
eutn for ourselves for this plain reason that the
article in the Times" 10 which were alludng
left our sentiments and opinions to the true poll
cy to be pursued by this country the Oregon
question entirely unchanged. This much for ourselves.
But the article was quoted, or rather msquoted,
by one grave senator, intended to speak for the
administration. On this point W. simply repeat
just what said yesterday in the article itself
printing The sentence here just as printcd yesisr
day:
at is, perhaps, wholly unnecessary fur US to odd.
that in writing what VIC have written to the effect
which such proposal by England might have in
this country, we have been guided solely and sroiu-
sipeiy by what we have read of the published de-
bates of Congress, by the documents connected with
the Oregon negotiation which have been laid before
the world, and by the view which we have gathered
from the public press to the feeling and senti-
men Of the American people in relation to the sub,
ject."
We intended then, and we intend now that this
language should cover the whole ground of the
avowa that with that article the administration had
nothing whatever to do. The distinguished sena-
tor from, tho West w ,rofested that n,r orticl.
did not speak the sentiments of the President, was
most certainly right in far this, that the opin-
ions formed and expressed by US were formed-and
we so stated them to be formed-soety and erciu-
sipey on facts knoton 10 the uhoie country.
1t is quite needless, in judgment, that we or
any one else should attempt to speak for the Presi-
dent on the Oregon question, He has already so
spoken for himself that America and England, and
all the nations, understand him perfectly. We do
not understand him to have uaried one jot from the
position taken in his message. We have never I'M
derstood him to have varied changed at all in the
matter. Where he stood on the I'd of Deem
Der last before Congress, there he stands aow. He
recommends nop, as then, the notice; the protection
of our citizens in Oregon; the various measures sug-
gesed by him for the protection of the cmigrans to
Oregon, for the Cancellation of the Indians there,
and for the naval defence Of this country. We un-
dertake to say further, that the President noro, as
then, is fully prepared and resolved to support the
rights and the honor of the country.
In the measures recommended in the message,
one and ALL the administration has now, has had
hitherto, and will continue to have, our heartiost
support. In the "Union" of day before yesterday,
for which the article referred to was prepared, and
"a orH dl,, ,Jad
we said all this in terms. We then said:
"There is another view Of public affairs which
is pressed upon us by the foreign intelligence. IT.
teaches to pursue the policy which has been
frequently advocated--and among these measures is
the notice to Engand-and decided preparations for
every emergency. England is armng--prepar,ng-
with great activity; and, whatevsr be the pacific
dcatons by the last arrival we must not shut our
eyes to the extraordinary preparations on the part
Of England, but we must initiate her example. The
better we are now prepared, the better prospect
there may be of success in any negotiation which
England may propose to US"
And now, in conclusion upon this matter let us
observe that it lie too late for any man, be he friend
or foe of this administration to Of finch
ing upon this question of Oregon from any course
demanded by the most scrupulous regard for Amer
lean rights and American interests. The senator
from New Jersey, in failing to quote enough of our
article to express meaning, and in beginning HE
quotation Give have not been misinformed) in the
middle of paragraph, did us great injustice--we
hope without intending it.
In fact, we see, upon reflection, no occasion TO
change in the slightest degree the positions VIC
took in eur article of yesterday. We only in
sst that those positions shall not be changed or per-
vered by suppressons Of essential parts of state
ment.
We spoke Of the navigation Of the Columbia az a
proposition which could not be seriously urged, in
the present state Of this question, by the British gov
eminent. Whether urged or NOT such PROPOSE
ton we deem wholly nadmissible by our govern
mept in fact it is declared to be by the President
in his message.
The great pressure of the congressional debates
A