American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-02-13
american Republican.
AND
BALTIMORE CLIPPER,
= FRIDAY MORNING, Frs IS 1876

fish Minister communicated ID N'''S'Ss' vi
Saturday Iast-and that is that our govern
m,n. Was wrong in not accepting the ouer u
arbitration 1t will nnqnestionably place usI
in Ike wrougmbeioro the world, and weaken
confidence in Che justice OF our claim to Ore
con. If it he true that our title TO the whole
territory is ''clear aud lndiSputable,' there
could be no hazard III submitting the case to
arbitration; but the very refusal implies, that,
although We have boldly advanced our claim
TO the whole of Oregon, with the assurance
giyen BY tho President that our title is too
cloai to be disputed we have no great reliance
on lhc Justice Of our position, or on the cor
rcc.ness OF cur title. We consider it of much
greater importance that we should stand justj-
fed before Gcd and man, in the course We
pursue, than that we should acquire the whole
of Oregon; and hence, if the President SIN
cetoly believed our title to be "cear and indis-
patable, " he should not have he5tated TO ac-
cep, The offer Of arbitration.
Suppose two individuals to nave a dispute
ABOUT tract Of land. One offers to refer the
controversy to arbtrators with power TO aP.
uortiun to each so much Of the land az may
appear just-tho other declines on the ground
that il would 10 admitting that his opponent
had some title TO the land. To this the FIRST
replies, that he honestly believes that he has
title but for the sake Of preserving good neigh
borhood, he Is willing that tho question Of IL
tie shall be also investigated By tho arbitrators,
and that should they decide that either had a
good title to the whole property In dispute,
they should decree the land to hn-or, if the
title of neither were exclusive, that thea the
land should be divided as the arI TRAITORS should
determine to be right and proper Suppose
this offer to be rejected on the fmsy pteteXt
that arbitratoc5 were too much disposed to
please both partles--what would be said Of the
honesty Of the man thus Directing; Would
any one believe that he considered his title to
the land "cIear and indisputabu?' Would it
be believed that he was sincere in his desire to
preserve harmony with his neighhoF! We
venture 60 say, that his conduct would receive
general condemnation; and that he would be
considered IS disposed to obtain the land by
force or fraud, instead Of By an honorable
course of proceeding. Now if such would be
the censure pronounced against an individual
cor thus acting, will n miider sentence lie pass.
I'd Upon government which is guilty Of pre-.
cgoly the same offence. We never wish to
sec ,ao honor of our country sulhed, and We
therefore deeply regret that an offer, frank,
far honorable and friendly, 10 terminate the
dispGto between this country and Great BIZ
tain, has been rejected by our government.
1t Will niuro the reputation of tho nation as
well as of the individuals concerned. Had
the offer been made by our government and
,ciected by Great Britain, there would have
been ono universal burst Of indignation; and
England would have been charged with grasp
,ng ambition and dishonest intentions. What
eve. may be the value Of tho territory in dis
pute, It cannot compensate for the sacrifice of
national integrity and character
We know not what may be the effect Of this
refusal Of the English offer. We nope that peace
NAV be prcserved;b ut the espondence leaves
but = narrow ground for hopc--for we have
repeled all the advances of England, without
making the slightest step towards peace our
selves. 1t may be, that tho President has
something in reserve to offer, which will lead
to an amlcable settlement of the dispute; but,
in the present aspect of the affair, the prospect
IS gloomy and threatening. This uncertainty
is yaral wing The energies OF the people HE
hope, however, is entertained, that, whatever
NAV DC the disposition of the Executive, the
Senate will save the country from the scouIge
of wal; and we have the utmost confidence in
the discretion and patriotism of that body, not
withstanding some of its members exhibit
violence and vindictiveness towards Great BIZ
tain, ia their speeches, which are unbecoming
the stations they occupy, and the magnitude
and Importance of the subject which they are
discussing. The speech Of Senator Allen is
of this character
CLERKS AND REGISTERS. We well pleas
ed that the Senate of Maryland has rejected the
bill authorizing the people of Hartford county
TO elect the Clerk aud Register of Wills; for
we are opposed to all such partial legislation.
fit be right that this power should be cxercls-
cd in Hartford county, the system should be ex-
tended throughout the State Instead of the
patchwork mode of doing business, it would be
much better to have a convention to present an
entire Constitution, so that the whole people of
the State might understand and 30 governed
by the same organic law.
We see that bill is also to DO introduced to
cleo; the Clerk and Register of Baltimore
county by the people, and We presume that 1t
will share the fate of The Hartford county bill.