The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-02
THE LONDON TIMES.


This journal of the oath November devotes one
of its most dsingenuous articles to the Oregon ques
ton. Il commences with TRADE Of angry vitupe-
ration upon what it calls the 'organ" OF the Ameri
can government Were the sarcasms of the Times
the only provocation to be found in its article, we
should pass il by with silent Indifference 1t would
deserve no answer at all The whole article, indeed
Is little calculated TO advance the object which il
processes to attain. s.
The opening remarks Of the London Times upon
the course Of the "Union," and Of the democratic
party, with respect to the Oregon controversy,
very much in character with the paper in which they
appear. Thsy evnce wounded sensibility and an
irrtaied temper, unaccountable but upon the pre-
sumption that the writer despaired at the very start
Of achieving wha, he about to attempt-the es-
Enlistment Of the better right of Great Britain to
the Territory Of Oregon.
OF all the English papers, it will be conceded that
the "Times" has the least pretension to lecture
upon the decorum Of political life, !" and upon other
topics not less appropriate for such to have
touched for our edifcation. But we pass by, with
out further observation, the decorous epthes of the
'greatestn and certainly the most gentlemany pa
per "in the world" .
The course which the "Union" took at the COM
mencement, in discussing the territorial claims Of
the United States to the whole of Oregon, was,
we have often said. adopted upon responsibility
created by our conviction of its rcctitude. The
opinions we have expressed, and labored success
fully to maintain, were formed in a spirit of
Independence and freedom as absolute
ever felt. From the beginning Of the agitation
upon the Oregon controversy down to the present
day, we have obeyed no other dictation than
own judgment, informed by whatever was aocessi-
bic to us at the time when we were much en-
crossed in the discussion. The ertent TO which
asserted propretorshp in the United States to the
Oregon territory, was the occasion of much criti-
cism rebuke, and abuse among the American journals
in the opposition. The Times now plumes itself
upon the fact, "that the language Of the most nfu.
entail journals Of New York, Boston, and Phia-
delphia, continues to be quite temperate, and
quite as aversc to war for so miserable an object,
as the sincerest friends of peace can desire" When
it is recolec,ed that predetermined censure and
indscrimnate condemnation are the common Offices
Of party bitterness, it should excite no surprise that
some ofthe wing party did place themselves at once in
the attitude which, with many individual changes of
more or less consequence, they still continue TO oc-
cupy upon the Oregon question However deep
our regret has been on account Of the course of a
large portion Of the opposition, we have not been
astonished at it, II, in considering the humble part
we have taken in discussion of SO much magni-
Jude, we recoect that this paper was the common
object Of assault by most Of the wing press we have
felt compensated beyond measure in the spontaneous
and powerful support rendered to the cause by the
great party with which we cooperate, This concert
of opinion and OF action was an event rendered inev-
liable by the memorable fact that, party, we had
made preliminary declaration of the American
tile to Oregon just as we were advancing into the
contest for the presidency.
In view Of that fact alone, it is quite remarkable
that any portion Of tho American public should
have been in state of doubt upon the point OF the
Presidents concurrence in the general tenor Of our
Oregon articles. And yet, very assuredy, as we
have looked at it, asensation created in this coun-
try, and consequently England, by the PRONUNCIATION
Of those opinions in the "Union" when the universal
understanding should have been, from what had
transpirsJ, that these opinions met the appreciation
Of the democratic party, with Mr. Polk at its head,
long before they had been formally defended in the
9Union.n Il
The London Times" betrayed by certain wing
journals in the United States, which too fire.
qusnily frsternze with it whenever the inter-
es,s of this country come in competition with
those Of England, is the victim Of a dslusion
upon the matter in hand so strong that il de-
clarss "Mr. Polk will soon answer for himself.
without being made to share the disgrace Of such
anonymous incendiaries as these"still referring 10
the Organ" The Times has by this time dscov-
cred, that the President has evinced no reluctance
to incur whatever Of reproach or disgrace awaits
the stern and patriotic avowals with which his cele-