Vermont watchman and State journal. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1836-1883, 1846-02-26

cy that the people Of both nations Will be satisfied,
that this mode of settling the tariff can be tolera-
ted We confess that we are so blind as not TO
sec any probability of such contingency. 1t is
only by great revolution in the long-setted opin-
ions of vast majority of the people OF both coun-
tries that Free Trade treaty can be maintained.
Sir Robert Peel has yet to overcome great obsta-
Giles ere he can carry his policy in England and
President Polk has no easy task to perform, to
bring the American people TO sacrifice Of The doc
trines of Protection and Of american Independence
But the sacrifice may be forced for time, by Sc
crct treaty treaty which requires the consent
only of the President and Senate; treaty with
which the people and their representatives have
nothing to do, but to obey,-or with arms in their
hands to violate. We do not believe that the great
principle of Protection is thus to be sacrificed in
both countries, peaccably: the majority III ono coun-
try or the other, will ere long break the bonds i'm
posed by such treaty and thus the end of this
peaceful measure may be war This seems to be
the most probable result and in this view the poll
cy is bad.
But is it right to take from Congress from the
representatives. of the people the power to en-
courage and defend and protect the greatest inter
css of the nation? The Constitution entrusts this
power to Congress, and cmphatically to the House
of Representatives., by requiring every revenue bill
to be originated in that House. Now to impose
manacIes upon Congress - in effect to deprive the
House of its peculiar constitutional rightly "A
treaty in which that House has no voice, seems to
us to infringe upon the spirit Of the Constitution
itself And treaty infringcs equally upon the
popular rights So long as the policy Of the coun-
try is embodied in acts Of Congress, the people
have power to use in scf-dclGnce they can re-
quirc those acts to be altered, amended or repeal
od while the treaty is unnltcraJlc, is beyond the
reach of amendment, and unlimited save by its
own terms, or By The consent of Great Briiain!
To such all Infringement of the Constitution
such a surrender OF or national independence, and
such sacrifice of popular rights, The admnstra-
ton seems to be forcing the country. For this OBJ
iect we apprchcnd it is that the President has done
his utmost to prercm the settlement of the Oregon
question upon lis own merits. by extending his
claims to a point which he knew England could
not concede, by at last declining the proposition to
submit the whole question to arbitration, and by
procuring the order Of notice from Congress, he
has at least seemed to leave no chance to avoid the
horrors of war, except it is by this ncongruous
treaty. Thus the alternative of Free Trade or
War is probably to be pressed upon both countries
by our Executive. We'll may the people be OK
horod, ever to be jealous of Executive power;
especially we will add, if that Executive makes
loud professions Of democracy If the alternative
is presented, VIC not sure but that war at once,
unprepared as the country u.s. would be better than
a Treaty which is to sacrifice our independence or
force US ultimately TO recover it again at the can
mons mouth. If such treaty is presented to the
Senate we trust there will be patriotism enough in
that body to defeat it--and patriotism enough in
the American people to compel President Polk to
rotrace his steps and settle the Oregon question OH
its own merits.