The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-05-01

perate and peaceable and statesmanke notice which
has been given; the champion Of free trade, doc
trIne which now from necessity, is about to throw
open the portals of England to our surplus bread,
and which is daily lnfusng spirit OF reciprocity
into the American mind, Rom the advantages which
in its contamination will be mutually conferred;
and distinguished tor the spotess purity and slmpi
city OF his private life, Ito say nothing OF his being
an advocate for the improvement Of the Western
waters,) and his long appreciated experience and
talents, place him In very prominent attitude De-
fore the country.
Mr.. Buchanan is also understood to be a candidate
for 49, His reliance is, Pennsylvania and the tariff
His refusal OF arbitration, therefore, may be set
down as much to his own account as to that OF the
President-ter while the President desired no fur.
Their responsibility In 80 responsible and complicated
question, it has been the policy Of Mr.. Buchanan
to keep the question open, safeguard OF the Ia
riff, without the remotest intention Of 80 conducting
1t as TO hazard the alternative OF war; tor the honor
of maintaining the bounties OF AZ upon cold iron,
will be more potential than the promise to restore
them, after they shall have once been removed.
While upon this subject of the Presidency, it may
not be amiss TO state, that the opening speech OF
Gen. Houston in the Senate, has an "awfrl squlnt-
ing in that direction. and that the arrival OF COL
Johnson, in time, as we predicted fortnight ago,
is in view OF a movement tor the campaign OF 1913,
and for the establishment, perhaps, OF newspaper
at head quarters to advance his claims But Of this
we are not officially advised, and await further de-
vespments. We have an intimatlon from the
Union, to be sure, that the gallant Colonel Is still fit
for service but whether the editor meant cam
pagn in Mexico, or the campaign OF the succession
we are left to conjecture. Perhaps the Colonel 10
to be sent of 10 the Rio Graade.
We come now 10 the main proposltion-the
course, the conduct and the policy OF the President
and OF all the mysteries OF Washington, these are
done, it is impossible to guess what he may do, or
rather what he may not do. There appear to be
two things to him Of inestimabie value. The first
IS, his own POLITICAL conslstencyi the second, a
pixies length Of destroying, indefinitely, by his in
considerate gratitude upon the Oregon question.
His election over the great Arstides OF the wings,
was 30 unexpected.-such high honor-that he could
not otherwise than be grateful and looking to the
Baltimore resolutions as the secret OF his success,
how could he do otherwise than proclaim our title
to the whole Of Oregon, ''clear and unquestion-
able" Notwithstanding It had been matter IN
question for forty years3 six months aferward, in
looking into the precedents of his predecessors, he
offers to divide this clear and unquestionable title
with Great Britain but from the bare rumor OF this
proposal the clamor OF his party press so frightened
Congress, he throws the whole matter into their
hands, correspondence and all; and while he is un-
willing to incur the responsibility Of war, makes 1t
matter OF four months discussion IN Congress,
whether he has recommended war or peace. JUS
tice, however requires us to say that after the final
letter of Mr. Buchanan IN August last, falling back
upon the Russian boundary, there was no other al
tentative left to the Executive than to cast himself
extreme claim is perhaps as much attributable to a
commencement ofthe Secretary of State, against
the well known proet OF the Secretary of the Trea-
sury tor an ad vnlorem tariff, as from the convic-
ten OF clearness in the title on the part of the Exc
cutive. Next we have arbitration proposed, and
the Executive is, from consistency, compelled to
decline it, the American title being. unquestona-
BILE" te the whole The new President, on rainy
day, addresses his ow-citizens from the portico
of the CAPITOL and in the plenitude OF his declara-
tons of orthodoxy to the measures upon which ne
was chosen, makes an assumption which, before
the expiration of six months, brings HIM and the
Guilty; for In his first essay at diplomacy, he blum.
ders dead against the stone wall Of the 81 clear and
unquestionabe title" OF the inaugural address And
there he stops and there all hands are brought to
dead halt and there they stand
81 wish, Tnm," said my uncle Tobey, 81 wish
were dead" Was ever mortal President in the
dilemma like that in which our affectionate Chief
Magistrate is now overslaughedl He has proclaim
he has assumed the jurisdiction of the whole terrific
ry in dispute and has asked for the notice dssov.
ing the Joint occupation, and has suggested mea-
sures for maintaining our just rights relying upon
occasion and the capital assume to be the exclusive
guardians Of the Presidents Coincidence in the pros
pect of the exclusive patronage ne has to bestow,
and they are defeated. The scales are reversed
he has asked; but with this preamble: " You were
wrong sir ; negotiations are not at an end-0ur
title is not "cear and UNREASONABLE" to the whole
you must divide the territory-f you give the no.
tee this is to be distinctly understO0d-lt ID better
that you should appear Inconsistent than that the ma
ton should be plunged into war" The fact that Mr.
Aliens proposition to insert as apreambe,a passage
from the Presidents message in reference to the
rtory, was rejected as an absurdity, proof concu
have having 1a' over 1 p' Els discretion" They
cast the duty which, he had thrown up in
despair, back into ms hands, with lnst Iu
cit understanding that if he fails in an AMIGA.
BILE adjustment, he is to be held responsible, #
wrong, before the country. Now, then, MT Pres-
dent, what are you going to 90 The will Of the
are from a clear and .unquestionable" majority.
they are of "clear and UNREASONABLE character"
Now, what are you going TO do You hold the
notice at your perll-tnat ls to say. at your dls.
are. explicit" earnestly directed to all proper e.
forts" With all the responsibility, for the sake of
consistency, having asked the notice, we believe
the President will give It, Assuming, at all events,
est prospect of an "amicable adjustment, short OF
concession, definitely or indefinitely, Of the free
navigation OF the Columbia to Great Britain Not
the slightest. No "amIcable adjustment" can be
yet the President has declared that this ID PROPOSE
ton which he could never entertain Tor moment.
Will he entertain it There 10 the difficulty OF con-
sistency in the way. But his only hope OF escape
is in policy Of inconsistency to his own declara-
TONS He didn't expect such notice-he did not
want it, He thought it was understood that he was
to be entirely sheltered by the responsibility OF Con-
Rress-that they would his consistency, by TAX
ing the responsibility out OF his hands. What else
could have induced him to throw the whole subject
into their CONTROL correspondence and all Strange
that they will insist upon his doing his duty, when
he has said he cant do it; when, after single trial,
and a single failure, he thrown M his hand and re-
fuses to play out the game.
We see, then, the difficulties that surround the
administration. BY his declarations and assump-
tons, he is committed to the Russian line-by the
example OF his predecessors-by his own example,
and by the notice, which he has urged so zeal
ousIy, he is instructed to q compromise. In
I" ali proper efforts for amicable adjustment" ne
will lose the support Of the radicals-in maintain
ing the Russian boundary, he incurs the response
bility OF war " at his discretion" A mastery
inactivity" is no longer available. Consistency re-
qulrcs that he should give the notice and that puts
an end to "masterly inactivity" All the great
measures Of the day-al the great interests OF the