The northern galaxy. [volume] (Middlebury, Vt.) 1844-1848, 1846-03-17

appreciation of the great body of the Amer
can people OF all parties Instead of our
ears being saluted with the camor about all
ignomlnious surrender of American soil, and
oil American citizens, or of sacrifice of ma
tlonal interests or of national honor, the deed
would have been hailed as one of the proud
est and noblest achievementsin our diplo-
matte history. Surprising credit would have
been claimed for the wisdom, and tact, and
promptness of this Administration, in ef-
fecting peaceful and honorable adjustment
o. this long standing controversy. Yes, sir,
had that proposition been accepted, | doubt
not IT would have received The sanction of the
American SeUate and Of the American people,
and been every where hailed rs the har5in-
ger OF abiding peace and harmony between
the two Governments. Even the manifesto
OF the Baltimore convention would have been
forgotten amidst the general jubilee at the
glad udIngs OF result SO fortunate and SO
desirable. And will venture the prediction
that. if the present Administration should
ultimately settle this question upon that line
of division, they who now most confidently
assert our title 10 be clear and indisputable
to the parallel of "a degrees 40 minutes, and
who now most vociierously declare that not
one inch of the territory short of that line can
be surrendered without dishonOr and disgrace,
will at least be silent, if not the first TO com
mend the act.
| entertain the opinion, Mr.. Chairman.
that if wise and considerate counsels prevail
on both sides. this controversy NAV vet be
brought TO an early, aud amicable, and sal
isiactOrv arrangement. The letter of the
Secretary of State, Withdrawing the PROPOSE
~ Ich ba had I'D
pressing the hope that such an adjustment
may still be effected, and peace and harmony
between the two Governments still be main
tanned. We are bound TO believe that this
expression was Elade honestly, sincerely, and
in good faith. 1t was made, TOO. officially,
and under the immediate direction and au-
thorry OF the President of the United States
We are bound to believe, also, that the prop
ositlon itself was made in good faith, and
with a sincere desire to bring this controversy
TO an early and an honorable termination.
To assert or TO suppose otherwise, would be
to the President and Secretary the lowest and
grossest species of dissimuation and hypo-
crisy. make no such charge. intend no
such charge. If the proposition was made
with the knowledge, the expectation, or the
hope that it would be rejected. as was init
mated by the gentleman from New York,
(Mr. KING. | will leave it to that gentleman
to reconcile the act with any principle of
propriety. of good faith, or of honorable
conduct. Small as my confidence may be
in the present Administration, my estimate of
them is not yet quite So low as to believe
them capable of conduct so unworthy, so
ba'e and hypocritical And, when they give
assurance of their desire that the pending
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Great Britain may be amicably settled, aud
the peace and harmony row SO happily
subsisting between them may be maintained,
will believe it TO be something more sisnif
icant than the mere empty forms OF diplomatic
civiiry. What, then, are we to infer from
the language OF the correspondence to which
have referred! Why, most certainly, that
the President and Secretary do not regard
the rejection and withdrawal of the offer
made by them as presenting any insuperable
barrier to further negotiation, or as pIe,ludng
all hopes Of compromise, bu', on the CON
rary, that they still entertain the hope and
expectation of yet effecing an amicable and
s satisfactory result. In short, that they con
slider. and are willing to treat the question.
as still open for negotiation and compromise.
And venture TO affirm, Mr. Chairman. that
u NhNiN ~ OHC act VI oil
this new Administration which. more Than
any other, comments itself TO the approval of
the American people. it is the offer made, and
the disposition thereby manifested, in refer
ence to this very question. |, Of course, am
TO be understood as drawing my differences.
in regard to the views and disposition of the
Administration upon this, rs upon other
questions OF national concern, from the record
f., nfflf hair H.
am not in the fortunate position which. per-
haps, some other gentlemen may occupy. to
be IN The receipt Of any of their private or
confidential communications. But ] am no;
at liberty 10 presume that they entertain any
private views or opinions, upon any OF the
great questions ofpublic interest, inconsistent
with those officially promulgated. If | am
noAdeceved, then, as to the views and dis
position ofthe Administration upon this sub
ject, if do not misinterpret their language
or misunderstood its import, submit whether
we shall not best discharged our duty by leav-
ing the question, with its responsibilities,
where it properly belongs. with the admin
istrative department, unembarrassed and
unencumbered by any legislative direction or
control. They must understand, better than
we eau, the state of the question in all the
stages oil lis progress. We are indeed, H.
formed that negotiations have been resumed,
and may now be going on, between the au-
thorzed organs Of the two Governments
We know nothing, therefore, of the present
condition of the question. We have called |
upon the President to communicate to US any
correspondence which may have taken place.
since the annual message, upon this subject.
He has not yet responded TO that call. We
are LETT to grope in the dark. Hence, ! re-
peat, what have before said, that this ques-
lion is prematurely, and inconsidately. and. |
| will add, most unwisely, forced upon the |
consideration Of this House. And, blind |
folded as we are. you have said that we shall |
vote upon it in three days from this time.
We are presenting TO the world the singular
and extraordinary spectacle of discussing and |
acting upon a question involving conse-
quences no less 3omenious than of peace |
and war, while all Information as TO the
present state Of that question is withheld |
from us. 1t is contrary to all my views of
national propriety that we should be legis-
lating at all upon question of this character.
while it is subject of negotiation. | say,
then. let US interpose no impeachment to ne
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