The North-Carolina standard., 1846-03-04


/ belief that The two countries will yet peaceably
settle their present controversy This, sir is cred
table to the humanity of the two people But
when the press and the politicians of the respect
tive parties altcmptto specify the manner in which
| it may be peaceably compromised, you at once
perceive that their hopes are delusi1e. On our
side the 49th degree seems TO be the utimatum
with each party, and with every man. On the
part of Great Britain it is the 49th degree, with
Vancouver's island and the free navigation of the
Columbia This, sir, is the difference, with some
variation, which has separated the two countries
for the last twenty-five or thirty years And the
question still occurs, which will rccede from Its
prctcnsions2 Can any one propose that our couns
Try shalt recede further than the 49lh degree7
And who can say with any certainty, or probabil-
y even, that Great Britain will curtaiI her de-
mands. The free navigation of the Columbia APP
pears to be the sine qGG non Of all her offers t9
lcompromise, and that the President has declared
he cannot accede to and for this determination
believe he will receive hearty and almost uniVer-
sal response from the whole American people.
Great Britain may recede and l sincerely trust
she will; but as yet have seen no evidence oft
Ofthis have my fears, and upon these fears rest
my apprehension that this matter will sooner or
later interrupt the peaceful relations of The two
governments
On our side, also, there is much which has
transpired of late which is calculated to prepare
the minds of the people for, and TO hasten on,
conflict between these two great and powerful go-
vernments Irritation has succeeded irritation,
and aggression has followed aggression, until our.
people seem to be not only ready, but many of
them anxious for conflict with that naughty
power. In the first place, the people Of the Uni
ted States look upon Great Britain as having oVeTE
reached us in the settlement of the northeast
boundary and that too, by fraud and imposition.
! They have not forgotten that her statesmen held
| H. I@Eo e. -E
the whole world map which was in their pos
session during the negotiation, in order to show
what they had gancd'ovcr US by management and
art and as an evidence of our ignorance or Of oht
submission. This fict has sunk deep in the bo-
som of the American people, and dsposes themto
anything rather than backing out of their pre-
tensions 10 the Oregon territory. ler secret and
officious interference also with the authorities Of
Texas, in order TO defeat the great project Of her
annexation to this country, is Of too recent origin
10 have lost any of It's stirring and narrowing eff
feet on the public mind TO this may be added
her interference " hh colony planted under our
auspices on the coast of Africa-her claiming.
and in some few cases exercising, the right of
searching our trading vessels in the MediterraE
nean-and last, though not least her avowal Of a
determination TO preserve the balance Of power on
this continent-a determination which she has al
ready commenced TO enforce among the South
American states, and which, at some convenient
time, if we fail now to act with decision and firm
ness she will seek to extend to u.s. 1t is in view
of all these considerations of aggression on the ono
side, and of irritation on the other, that am con-
strained 10 say that have my fears that the peace
Of the country does not rest such sure founda.
ton as some seem to suppose. repeat it, sir,
that my opinion is entitled TO bit lfe weight, foT
after ALL it is vague speculation and am willing
. to admit that from my extreme ignorance Of the
way in which these things are managed, | may
be most grossly deceived by appearances. But
t agree with the honorable member from Massa
chusetts, who usually sits behind me, [Mr. Win.
: thropl that we should speak plainly in this mat
ter. Whatever rights in that country are,
f go for maintaining them at every hazard.
f ITO be continued IN mcrtl