The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-23
cone REssIoNAL.
SPEECH OF Mr.. HAYWOOD,
OF NORTH CAROLINA,

II
nsls the convention between the United States
and Great Britain relative 10 the Oregon Terri
4 tory, being under confederation
| Mr.. HAYWOOD addressed the Senate as fol-
lows
| Mr.. PREsrDINr: The subject before the Senate is
| an important one. Viewed In connexion with the
topics that have been brought into the discussion
oft il is one Of momentous interest; and confess
that is magnitude Expresses me. My want OF ex-
perenee in political affairs naturally made me relue-
isnt 10 enter into IL as speaker when must ne
cesssry feel in addition to the high responsibilities
Of the occasion ITSELF the embarrassment OF address.
Ing those who are my seniors in age and IN political
i knowIedse Besides, | have thought that u ulent
vote, could Il have been obtained, would be much
more imposing. But the occurrences Of the last few
weeks have left no choice. Silence would now
be COMPROMISE with my conscience and my duty
10 the country ami ! must speak. IL will take me
some time, bur throw myself upon the patience Of
the Senate, with a pledge that my heart shall be
opened sincerely, at this the council board OF our
common country; | have actions Of the past TO
explain and no aspirations for the future TO restrain
me- and If God gives me strength and utteranee for
the work, will do my whole duty according 10 my
poor ability.
The President Of the United States, who is au-
thonzed by the Constitution to make, but not u
unmake treaties, has a negotiation on foot which
was commenced or opened before his term OF oftce
began. The object Of il has been TO FIX line OF
division by compromise between the United States
and Great Britain, and thereby to adjust the con-
Aieing claims Of the two Governments TO the ter
ritory lying west ofthe Stony mountains, common
ly called OREGON. | assume for the present
hereafter will demonstrate-tha in the view Of our
President as we'll as the British Minister, the ne
rotation Is still pending one. The assumption
Is warranted by every incident Of the subject in this
country and in Great Britain, except the absurd
conclusions and unauthorized constructions given
by some Of my own party friends TO the Message
Of IN. President. And il is confirmed beyond all
fair doubt by the silence Of the President upon that
point, when, U the negotiation had terminated, Ex-
eeutive silence would be unpardonable-the more
especially as his jurisdiction over the subject will
cease the moment negotiation ends. The negoua.
ton once closed, concluded, put an end TO, by the
Executive, and all the remaining questions about
OREGON will become forthwith subjects Of legisla-
ton by Congress exclusively.
But 10 proceed. At the meeting Of Congress in
December, the negotiators Of the two Governments
had been unable to agree upon a compromise OF
their conflicting claims, and the President believing
that under the existing convention Of 1877, the
United States cannot "nshtfuIly assert or exercise
exclusive jurisdiction over AMY PORTION OF the ter,
tritory" without giving years notice, declared
to Congress that in his judgment, it would be
proper to give the notice; and thereupon by his
Message he recommended that provision be made
by lno for giving i; accordingly, and terminating
ain this manner" the convention Of the 9th August
1927. This then 10 the question: What shall we
do,
The Message of the President was accompanied
by cory Of all the correspondence which had taker
place in the negotiation and we have subsequently
been furnished, by our request, with such furthe
correspondence as had taken place in it up 10 Feb
ruary, 1916. In the meanwhile, various PROPOSE
tons in the Senate, emanating from individual Sen
ators, but not from the Erteaiue, have been offered
and proposals and il ia true, some honorable Sen
aior said the other day, that have exhibited tn,
singular spectacle in this Capitol of discussion BY
Congress with open doors Of nearly all the foreigI
affairs Of the nation, and more especially Of our at
fairs with Great Britain upon this very subject o
the Oregon territory, although, at the same time
negotiations have been going on at the Executiv
rather intimated than charged, that the Presiden
was to blame for it, Now, in the spirit of kIndnes
which characterized this complaint, suffer me,
friend Of the Administration, to answer why d.
not concur in il, ard how suppose the sending o
this correspondence here may be INDICATED.
The President, believing that the convention O
1927 had better be abrogated, we know that h
could do that in either one Of two ways, but in n
other. Eether he must get an agreement with Grea
Britain to abrogate 1t by mutual consent, and thc
Congress need not be applied to at all: or he mus
get the mandate of la,o, authorizing him to give
years notice. The first mode was not attempted.
The other manner of doing it is by ldp Of thu
government; and the President recommended I
Congress-Congress alone being competent to enat
i-that provision he made for giving the notice az
cordingly, and for terminating, ain this manner,
the convention Of 1877 Can IL be said that tn
President erred in choosing "this manner" Of tel
rninating the convention, it being the only mode b
which that object could be egitimately accomplishe
without closing his negotiations for compromise
=, Ii, L.. h.
no intention TO do that. 1t being Indispensable I
apply to Congrtss for law to give the notice, wa
il not both proper and necessary to communicate
Congress everything that had taken place in the M
gouation, as far as It had progressed when the Pre-
ident made his recommendation
The case is peculiar one; but that peculiarit
did not arise out OF anything that this adninistr
ton has done, but altogether from the convention
il desired to abrogate, and the limited constitution
power of the American Executive. Lock to Il
Message itself, and you nothing in 1t either mo
or less than what the President was, in great d
gree, obliged TO disclose to the legislative departing
under the peculiar circumstances OF the subjec
That Congress might determine this question of n
tice they must know the state and condition of u
negotiation. They would know that best by sem
ing up all the correspondence and in order that the
might see and Judge for themselves the Preside
communicated to Congress the uhols correspondent
which had taken place. He has done no more, ar
he is responsible for nothing more.
Ha he any right to suppose that this would
made the foundation for violent invectivc and irre
uar discussions, and for all the propositions III
have followed in If he had unprecedented an
such consequences, would that have auhorz,
him to withhold the recommendation Of mea
ure Of legislation which he deemed to be essentl
to the iAterest Of the nation, and which he nT
have supposed TO be important to the peace Of I
eountr4 Upon making such recommendation
how could he conceal the information that was n
cesssry TO aid Congress in considering il Had
any means Of foreseeing that this simple act Of n
cessary duty on the part Of the Executive would
peryered into occasion for debating, not the que
iion Of notice or no notice, which properly belong
10 the Legislative department but also our negoti
tons with Great Britain, when her Minister is
the city and even in the lobby Of the Capitol, ar
our foreign relations and our grievances real or s
posed, with all the kingdoms Of the earth, whit
iegitimatey belong to the Executive departmer
Perhaps he felt a strong reliance upon the pr
dence moderation, and wisdom Of Congress--t
assembled Representatives Of the people and {
States--and hoped that they would in such ca
talk less, but deliberate and then act. Perhaps
thought that upon question Of this kind, the '
cessity he was put under TO disclose what was do
by the Executive before he had terminated negot