The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-14

any administration Justify itself before tho eou i,ry
! by such action, in such an emergency know not
what may be the feelings Of The President on this
subjects but, for my own part, ! should hesitate
long, should reflect deeply, before would sacri-
fee the Pssre and prosperity OF two great nations,
/ upon such point. But England must act prompt.
ly and speedily. Delay viii just ~ justify us in as
sering our right 10 The whole territory And If we
fght--we shall certainly fight for the wholeay sir
for more. We can make no more offers. Our
! President has offered much as any President
! ought to have odered-more than one should
ever offer AGAIN
But, sir, how do these gentlemen propose to get
the whole Of Oregon, by maintaining the present
posture Of affairs Is the existing convention most
favorable TO US OF TO England, far the posses
sion Of the country is concerned In my judgment,
England IS strengthening herself every day. THIS
| she Is doing IN double aspect. She Is strength.
ening her pretended claim Of title For, however
1 well ~ may be satisfied thai neither our offers oil
hall the country to- England by way Of compromise,
nor thCAe conventions, which ex pFessy reserve the
rights OF each, affect uniayorably our tide; yet
aver there is not gentleman on this floor who,
upon Tie naked question of title, would not wish
that these ufers had been msde--thai the two
conventions had never been adopted. We may
say that the treaty does recognise ',jon occu.
patton" yet we cannot rid ourselves OF the feeling
that some sort Of JOINT rights are Acknowledged. I
believe SIR, the strongest show Of right which Eng.
land can present ~ that which arises from this very
| thing. Sic argues, because we have offered her
much she must be entitled 10 more. And she can say
with great plauSibny, she s at leas entitled 10 as
much We have offered her.
Nov, sir, the longer this convention exists, and
the more frequent offers We make her, the stronger
will grow her pretended claim. She viii presently
set up prescripuve right under the operation OF the
| convention. l desire 10 prevent this far pos
slble. Let us give the notice in order TO prevent
things from growing worse with Let things at
least remain as they will be nov upon the termna-
i WI
| TO continue IL.
But il il not only in this manner that England /.
Strengthening herself in the Oregon territory. She
Is increasing her populations she is erecting for
thcauons; she is armng and msnning them. Il Is
well known there arc no American sellleu, nts
north Of the Columbia river, and American eitixsns
will not be permitted 10 settle there IL they should
under present circumstances, even desire to do So
But they will not do So for the simple reason that
| they do not feel secure. They not satisfied Of
the policy Of this government, IN reference TO that
part Of the territory Sir, they will not settle there
until this government shall take some step which
will assure them Of It's aid and protection against
| British power.
| have already said we could never consent 10
surrender any portion OF the territory below the
49th parallel and have attempted TO give nv rea-
for believing that Enga has plauxibie pre-
text whatever for any claim Of title south Of that
line. Now, IL is well known, aud believe fully ad.
med, that unless We obtain the country at least 70
that line, we lose the most valuable part Of tive
| get valuable hsrbors-and so far the commes.
cial importance Of the region is concerned, might
as well give up the whole territory. This being
the state Of things, and England through The Hud.
son Bay Company, having possession OF that part
Of the territory, what is TO be the course Of
igration, If things remain as they arei | believe
emigration will in great measure cease. II has
been only the hope that our government would take
this great step, and assert title, at least some
valuable portion, if not to all the terri TORY, which
has caused the stream Of emigration to set in tina,
direction. Can our people become strong there, IL
they shut out from the harbors, and in that
way deprived ofany participation in the advantages
Of commerce. What inducement In there for emf
grants from the United States to seek that coun-
try, under such disadvantages The gentleman
from Virginia spoke of the advancing popua-
ton Of our country, proceeding westward, on a line
Of thousand leagues at the rate Of half degree Of
longitude every year Let il be remembered, how
ever, that thi, tide cannot advance over the Rocky
mountains. The Pacific must first be settled,
long before the intervening space possibly be
filed up. The tide that will roll onward from that
quarter, will meet the advancing tide from this. In
my Judgment IT is chimera to suppose that the set.
Element of the country will be effected in any other
way Then, sir, the difficulty remains-how shall
our people get firm foothold in that TERRITORY,
You must clear the way for them; you must re-
move the British forts from the north side Of the
Columbia river; or as has been forcibly observed
you must, at least, unite the hands Of those who 90
there.
But, sir, suppose the convention continued, and
suppose, against all the obstacles have named our
people should continue to flow into that country.
What Is 10 be the result If England will not give
us the country without the existing convention,
will she give it to with III Will she remove her
forts' Will her people quietly abandon their sta
tons to ourss Will England, will the Hudson Bay
Company, calmly look on, and our people silent
ly or forciby suppanting them, and that, too, when
a convention exists between the two countries,
guaranteeing sort of equal rights to the cili-
zens of bothi BY what sort of process are our
people to root out the British Do not gentlemen
know what the Hudson Bay Company is doing Do
not gentlemen know the military organization and
formidable power OF that monstrous corporation,
which seeks to run the of lis great prototype
the East India Company that operates just over on
the other side of the Pacifci
] find, sir, in the fourth volume of the narrative
OF the exploring expedition, copy Of the obligation
| which the Hudson Bay Company requires of all its
servants. They give their bonds ito devote their
whole time and labor to the service of the compa-
N.Y." ito perform all work or service, by day or by
night" "to obey all ordcrs;'' "witb courage and
fidelity to defend the property of said company
their territories and faciores;" "to defend the rights
and pirilegss Of said company "and, if required
to enrol as soldiers, and attend all drills and exercises
necessary to acquire knowledge Of the duties re-
CURED" &c. Here is a perfect military ORGANIZE
ton, and it exhibits very plainly what are the de-
signs of that monsrous company. IL warns US that
our advancing tide of population will not be permit
ted to trespass upon what it considers it's territories
Is not this the true state of things in that distant
region If 1t be not, why are our people calling
upon us for aid and protectioni Why do our peo-
pie all settle south Of the Columbian and WIN arc
they dependent upon the Hudson Bay Company
for all their commerce. When will these things be
altered, If this convention shall continue! When
Will our people begin to settle north of the Columbia
river. ,
But, sir, England knows very well the situation
OF things IN Oregon. She is, perhaps, better in
formed than we. If she is ready now 10 feht for
this country--if she has made her determination
not to give IT up without great contestant il we,
as gentlemen suppose, are gaining by the existing
arrangemcnt-will she not terminate it herself But
when did England ever make the first movement
towards that measure' Now this is plain prop
osition: If England will go to war rather than
yield US our rights, and if we shall certainly
advance towards the acquisition Of the territory by
the existing INVENTION then she will her ef give ns