Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-02-28
WASHING
Liberty and Union, now and forever, one and
ins0parable.D


The excitement Of the late news from England
having subsidized, SO much the sooner from too much
consequence having been at first given to it, our
readers will perhaps pardon us for recurring to the
question which arose, before that news came to
hand, between this paper and the Administration
writers concerning the final rejection by the Execu-
tive of the repeated British proposals of ARBrrRA-
TON mode of settlement OF the Oregon question.
Our disapprobation Of the course of the Admins
tration in this natter and especially of the final
lection of arbitration, when the of the arbi
tration left almost entirely to the choice of our
own Government was freely expressed as
we had had time to make ourselves masters of the
correspondence between the Secretary Of State and
the Minister Of Great Britain. Finding our own
judgment fortified by that Of the Independent press
generally we took occasion to copy from certain re-
spectacle journals, and among others the Journal of
Commerce, their comments on the subject. To
these concurrent expressions ofopnion, the Govern
ment paper replied, among other things, that the
Journal of Commerce as well as the National Intel
ligencer hadtaken the British side'r on this ques-
ton, not only as to the boundary question: but also
as TO the measures of adjustment"
To this we rejoined, in substance, that this re-
mark in regard to the adjustment of the boundary,
in no sense entitled to respect, came with an i'll
grace from journal which had only three weeks
previously expressed its appreciation Of the same
line Of compromise we had always favored and
that, as to the other mode of adjustment arbifra-
fion,) not single fact or argument had been pro-
duced to sustain the late act of the Executive, mere
invectve having been resorted to instead of either
After taking several days to consider of the natter
one or other Of the writers for the I. Union" came
forward in that paper Of this day week to sustain
and follow up their assaults upon the press and
upon those members Of the two Houses of Con-
gress who had indicated preference Of Arbitration
to War. he alternative Of refusal of all proposed
modes of amicable adjustment)
The hardest things that we had said of the ar
tcles in the Union were, that one of them was "a
mere fanfaronade dsgracefnl to the Admnistra-
ton, and unworthy of any notice whatever and
that coarse and rude asperson upon the friends of
arbitration had been substituted for fact or argu-
ment against it, DC.
+ This language, we confess, was strong, and the
term fanfaronade" not just the word to express
what we MEANT though both the general language
and the term were altogether as respectful as the
case called for. When we said that the article re-
ferred to was disgraceful to the Administration, we
referred Of to the fact that the Union re-
presents the Administration, reckoning among the
contributors to its editorial columns some of the
most talented Of the gentlemen who are attached to
it, What was the character Of that as4icla 3 The
"a IL 4
tracts from full column of similar matter, (the
extracts being preceded by labored vili6caion of
the Treaty Of Washington, of the American states
man by whom it was negotiated, and, Of course i'm
pliedly Of the Senators also by whose votes it was
ratifed:)
"There is yet lower deep profound beneath
even this Serbonian bog Of party failure and dis
: comfture, into which some leading men of the
: Wings mot all, not ALLY had neutrality-suspicious.
we may say hare resolved-that the Wing party
must descend. This ioper deep is that scheme
already doomed to wide and lasting celebrity under
: the name of the ARBITRATION PLOT"
But that PLOT, in the hands Of those who are
responsible for it, was nothing more nor less than
deliberate and systematic effort of actious oppo-
: siton at home, rallying in secret conclave on
: controversy between our country and England, to
interests and honor, without its consent, in oppo-
ston to its judgment, and in transcendence Of its
legitimate powers, to put into the arbitrament of an
alien, if not estranged Power and policy, the
mighty question:" &c.
The Capital letters, Italics &c in the above those
poyed in the publication in the Union.
We willingly submit to and will abide the judg-
ment Of all candid men, Of whatever party, whether
any thing could be much more disgraceful to any
Executive Administration than the nditing coun-
tenancing an assault so. reckless as this upon CO.
ordinate branches OF the Government, aronting il
does the dignity and independence Of both branches
Of Congress, and tending to the utter subverson
Of the relations which ought to exist between the
Executive and Legislative branches Of the Govern
ment. Gross and unjusti6able as this assault was
upon those members Of Congress who had publicly
indicated disposition to favor the measure of Arb
traon before it was known to have been either re-
jected or offered,) we do not know that we should
have been provoked TO language SO strong concern
ing it. had it not constituted the climax of series
of encroachments, by this government press, upon
the independence of Members of Congress, whom
il has systematically exalted and dsparaged in pro-
marion To their degree of servlty to the Executive