Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-04-22


10 speak in this body without the assistance
Of elaborate notes. There is solemnity
in the form with which the opinions Of the
Senator from Massachusetts have been
to-day, which, connected with
the character OF the Senator for abii
Ly and influence in this country, makes
that announcement of great Importance
10 this contest.
Three points he has directly stated: one
is, that in his judgment, the President Of
the United States has made mistakes in re-
ference to the Oregon question. He has,
in the judgment of that Senator, made
mistakes of several descriptions, but main
ly in having asserted the title Of the Uni
ted States to the whole of this territory
up to the Russian boundary, and that in
the message in which he recommends the
of the subsisting convention
between the United States and Great Brl
tain. The Senator from Massachusetts
thinks that by the assertion of that title IN
immediate connexion with the recommeu-
dation of notice, the President of the Uni
ted States has embarrassed this question /;
and that therefore, whatever may be the
result of the action of Congress upon the
recommendations of the Executive, the
President of the United States, and not
Congress, will be held responsible before
the American people-that all the difficult
ties which may ensue in reference to the
Oregon question are to be traced back 10
this error on the part OF the President
committed in his message TO Congress on
the opening of The session. That is one
Of the points made by the Senator.
Now, sir, this is the first occasion, be-
lieve-the very first occasion on which |
have heard in this Senate any fault thus
ascribed by any one who has had no diff
Guilty in compromising what the Presi
dent meant. Other Senators have SAID
"If the message means this, | am against
It."and sit 1t means that disagree with
it." But the Senator from Massachusetts,
has no doubt in his mind Of what the Pre-.
sident did mean; he ascribes to him the
commission oil a great error in this bust
ness, and therefore makes him responsible
for all the consequences when may en-.
sue. That is one of the points made BY
the Senator from Massachusetts.
Another point is-and it is very i'm.
portan. one-that in the judgment of tina
greatly experienced and enlightened Sen
ator, the public opinion of both the Unite,
Estates and Great Britain is concentrating
upon a fixed mode of adjusting thus din
Guilty; and that that fixed mode is the as
sumption as the basis of the adjustment
not the arbitrary line of 40 degrees, bu
the proposition of 1926, which went sourE
Of that line for the purpose of national ad
vantage, yielding up the navigation of tn
Columbia river to Great Britain.
Now this thing is announced to-day, a
the first announcement in the Senate Of tn
| United States of disposition any where
Though | see it in some of the papers fo
the last three days but the first announce
ment In the Senate of the United State
of any body, according to my recollection
tnat there IS the possibility, in any human
circumstances, of the United States conce
ding TO Great Britain the navigation Q
the Columbia river. That is the point t
which desire to attract the particular al
tention of the Senate. The public OPT
MON of the two countries, according t
the Senator from Massachusetts Is con
verglng to the point of negotiation upo
the basis OF the proposition of 1926, an
we all know what that was Now thI
strange fact presents itself: that we start
ed out at the commencement of this Sc:
sion OF Congress with claiming the who'll
OF Oregon; at the end of three month
/ beginning to tremble on the 49th parable
| and at the end OF three weeks more fall
ing back even south of that parallel; re
ceding every hour, until, by the rules
r legislative progression, three months moi
will bring US to the point where we wi
2 surrender the whole country to Great Br
tain in order TO get clear of war.
! Mr. HANNEGAN. Let them try that!
Mr.. ALLEN. All these things convinc
t me that the President of the United State
has not committed great errorj but TIL
) he has manifested great patriotism ar
great judgment in asserting our claim
commensurate with our title to the who
. of this territory. The whole of this d
f bate, thus far, has proceeded upon the a
: sumplion-which believe is unsustain'
e by any reason or fact-a false assumptlC
: that Great Britain has a just right to
r part of this country; and that she will 8
!, criice no part of her just rights, but W
:. fight for them; and that therefore we mu
t sacrifice part of our just rights, rath
8 than fight for them.
: Sir, if Congress had the first week
:, the session passed this resolution, and I
ofI next week had followed it up by bill
N extend our laws as recommended by t
J. Executive, this Oregon difficulty would,
ST my judgment, have been by this time ST