The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-21

House with certain amendments; and liz further
consideration was postponed until the second Mon
day in May.
THE VIEWS OF THE LONDON TIMES" AS To THE
COURSE OF THE "UNloN'
The "leading journal" has seen fit to launch
some Of its thunder upon our head. Wsgaote its
language at length, in order that our readers may
see at glance the whole reckless hsrdihasa of its
misrepresentation. No such course indeed IL now
necessary TO strip the denuncations Of the rimes"
of all force and consideration in this country; for
the ludcrous story Of the Missouri" slaves hsckles
has abundantly proved that the "Times" is capable
Of setting common sense and common honesty alike
at defiance, in any insane attempt at ylihcanon,
however devoid of plsusbihty, against our gov
eminent, or against those engaged, in any way, in
its vindcation or defence. But we refer now to
the asporsions of the Times" because similar
charges against US have heretofore been re-eehoed
by of the more violent opposition journals in
this country; and the present seems proper occa-
sion TO set the whole matter right at once.
The language Of the Times" in the article to
which we refer, under date of the 18th ultmo is as
follows:
1--WE have read with regret the language OF the
Washington Union, the avowed organ Of Mr.. Folks
government, upon the receipt Of the pacific intell-
gence which had just reached the United States from
England. The construction which that journal
puts upon the pacific of the British press, and
Of the leading in Parliament is, that Eng
land has been made to feel, by the stand taken by
the President on the Oregon question, and so far
triumphsnly sustained by Congress, that the Amer
leans in earnest-in short that pacific demean
and temperate language haze been directly caused By
the conviction that the americans united and firm in
their resolution TO deprive Of just right, in Ore
gon, and that Mr. Polk Is noto certain TO reap the
fruits Of his successful bistsr by obtaining n,msd-
ale and satisfactory settlement Of the question: The
American government imputes to the policy OF the
message and the notice change in the whole face
Of things. No more threats Of war from England;
after such demonstration the tone of England
may well be paclhc!'
at is unnecessary to point 10 any human being
this country capable of reading these lines, the
total deluson, the perverse misconsructon, and the
fatal consequences contained in these expressions Of
the Washington Union 1t is in the highest degree
dangerous to the peace Of the lcord that such state
ments as these should go forth with authority in
foreign country to convey the supposed feelings and
inteptions of the people of England. When we
see the abors of the British press and the decara
tons Of British statesmen traduced In this manner
we could almost regret that we have not employed
rousher language and coarscr sargumenm in&he
discussion Of this question: better adapted to the
Our reluctance to irrtate and embitter public feel
ing on this question, either at home or abroad, is
misinterpreted into doubt of our own rights and
recognition of the superior rights Of the other party
We are dispassionate, therefore we are about TO
yield. We calm; tina is sign that the violent pol
icy and language Of Mr.. Polk are on the eve Of ac-
comprising signal victory"
Upon this point, then, we have first to say that
we do not find in any of our articles a single word
expressive of the spirit in which the British claims
to Oregon ought to be met by our government,
which we now desire either to to alter
We have been charged by faction at home, and by
hostility abroad, with conducting our discussions on
the Oregon question in tone of menace and buster
The charge is altogether and absolutely false. So
far from ever stating or Intimating that govern
ment should assume an attitude addre ssing itself to
the timidity or to the fears of English statesmen
we have steadily and from the first, and over and
over again, in express terms, rejected, and even rid
culed, every such supposition. We did this sedu-
ously, and on system--in view of the line of dis
cussion which we had resolved to adopt on the pol
icy of the message, both before the message APP
discussions upon the subject in both houses of Con-
gress, We rejected the idea Of discussing the ques-
ton, or of acting upon the question, with any view
to the intimidation of the English government, on
our o,Dn Judgment, and before the cry of brser or
violence had been raised against u.s. We secuted
the idea Of so appealing to the fears of the British
government, because is ridiculous, idea. Neither
the Times abroad, nor any opposition journal at
home, can produce single sentence, fairly quoted,
from our editorial columns, at variance, in the
slightest degree, with these assertions. The Times,
in the above extract, in the frat place grossly
misquotes us, and then palms upon its readers, by
way of commentary, wretched travesty, even of
its own Interpretations.
But we have said, and we sti say, that the poll
cy recommended by the President in his message
embracing the notice and the various measures sug-
gested for the protection and the government of our
citizens in Oregon during the existence Of the con-
venton, and after it shall have ceased to exists
policy at useful and necessary, in that it shows
our government to be now, for the first time, really
in earnest in urging this great controversy to an i'm
mediate, and peaceful, and honorable settlement. We
have said, and we still say that in such earnestness
and urgency, enforced by the harmonious action of
the various branches of our government stands the
main hope, if not the only hope, of bringing this
controversy to peaceful, and satisfactory, and hon
orable close. So long as these elements are want
ing in our action upon the question, so long as the
convention stands, and so long as our legislation
hesitates and faters, and shrnks back from plant
ing its foot anywhere in the Oregon territory, SO
ong must our diplomacy, however sEilfuly and ably
conducted, be little better than wel-payed farce.
It is enforced by the pressure Of no alternative,
il can look for no result. To what useful end
is it that our statesmen play at the game Of
protocols-pass and repass at Washington and Lon
don vouminous dispatches, and exhibit (though it
be to the admiration of the world) all the dazzling
fence" of tho most dexerous diplomacy-to what
end is all this, we say, when, Though it should all
close in failure, and bring the high negotiating par
10. a.