The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-29

| a
ever before say that a proceeding according TO the
terms OF an express treaty provision, could be the
cause Of war;
! Does any one believe that because we give I'm,
notice, our seaport towns 10 be burned and our
commerce destroyed by Great Briiainl Alusons
| had been made 10 the conduct Of Great Britain IN
regard 10 Denmark, IN the sudden attack upon and
destruction OF her fleet. But that case was not al
all parallel with this. No, sir the notice is pro.
posed 10 be given in compliance with the treaty
stipulation, and IL would leave US exactly where we
were before the treaty made.
Mr.. Is, pointed to various circumstances which
induced the necessity ofs settlement Of this question;
whether some new compromise should be proposed
and agreed upon, or whether we proceeded to take
absolute possession Of the territory. He believed
With the honorable and venerable gentleman from
Massachusetts, Mr. Adams that the notice would
not lead to war
He had been surprised Of late 10 6nd that many
gentlemen thought that whatever Great Britain
might do, we were not TO fight for the maintenance
OF our rights. Some Of those who not long ago
were clamorous for the whole Of Oregon or none,
were now disposed To sue for peace unon .lmost
any terms. But he hoped that many would still
stand up to the mark, and that title to the whole
OF Oregon would be maintained al any cost, and at
every hazard,
twas remark, beautiful and philosophical in
its spirit, made by a gentleman from South Carroll
ma, that so far as honor concerned il could not
be mixed up with question OF interest In one
sense the gentleman might be- ught, but in another
ne wrong Mr. u. referred 10 the principle laid
down by Gen. Jackson, that this country in regard
10 us foreign relations, should adopt the principle of
demanding nothing which Is not right aud OF sob
hitting 10 nothing which is wrong And that in
Mr. BIS opinion, was the true rule Of honor and IL
was IN thet sense that national honor concerned
in this question.
Mr.. b. spoke Of the spprehended results Of
war, the destruction Of property on the seaboard
he htlafio af au
Of the cotton interest, the spirit which had been
| eonjured up In opposition 10 this noti6e. He ad.
mitted that these interests were very great but he
did not see that therefore we should surrender
Oregon, or decline to tight for its defence. He
would say that no nation desired 10 be possessed Of
such valuable interests, unless she was able and
willing To defend them. lie knew very well that the
| property hazarded in Charleston alone was worth
more than everything IN Oregon, or that would be
there IN a hundred years. AT least he was willing
TO admit that, and sl he would contend that all the
hazards and dangers Of war ought to be encountered
IN defence Of our rights TO that territory. Perhaps
there was never case Of war between nations IN
which the costs OF the war did not exceed in
amount the value Of any pecaniary interest mme-
diately involved in IL. What had made England
great She had spent vast sums in war; but war
had given her confidence al home, and influence
abroad IL her prosperity had been promoted by
the arts of peace Il had been secured by the art Of
war. She could trace her tile to her possessions
and TO her power, TO her victories by sea and land
during the whole period of her history. The glo-
rioas pleasures, profits, and honors Of peace had
/ been much dwelt upon in this discuss on--so much
that he feared that Its effects may have been almost
eneryaiing upon US A nation, he thought, had
passed It's best day when il ceased to rely upon the
sword to defend and secure the blessings which il
enjoyed; and any nation that, from fear of It's ad-
yersary, conceded its Just rights, was doomed to
4 speedy downfall. IL was in the destiny Of ma
tons TO decline from that hour in which they
timidly abandoned the defence Of their rights. In
our we had at all tines claimed The SOW
ereigny over the soil Of Oregon, and how, without
the deepest disgrace and dshonor could we sIrrep-
der iRespecaily AFTER 1t has been announced to u.s.
upon the best authority that our title to il vas clear
and unquestionable. He trusted that he need not
say that he was OF the party that elected Mr.. Polk
He had given his feeble influence to the success of
that party and Of their nomination, and he trusted
that the principle upon which the nomination was
made would be sustained. But he could NOT see how
our title should be deliberately asserted to be good
TO the whole territory and ye. be subject to COM
promssc ar an sbandonment. He wonld AJAX wbeth-
er. n would become a young, vgovo9s, wealthy,
and powerful republic like this TO give up to Great
Britain or to any naiion-but least of all to Grea,
Britain-a territory to which we claimed clear and
| unquestonabe titlei You need not tell me Of the
horrors of war, or of the power Of Great Britain,
nor Of her 100 s,eam-vssses, Of her formidable
preparations by sea and by land. We were told the
same thing during the last war. He remembered
that when the question arose, during the Last war,
upon some bill for the defence Of the country, was
said that G,sat Britain was very powerful nation;
it was very dangerous to 60 to war with her; and
that il was very idle to fghi about few xofn-out,
disspatsd sailors, who cared nothing for themselves
What the to IL Il was given by the most
eloquent man who ever appeared on this floor; and
he should forget the impression which his elo-
| quent reply had made upon hs mind (Mr B. here
reci,ed passage from Mr.. Clay's reply to Mr.
Quincy-) Mr.. b, wished that he were possessed of
| such powers Of eoquence, that he could awaken
the whole people of the country, to sense Of their
true honor and interests as involved in this question
| Mr.. b. was surprised to hear the gentleman from
Virginia, speaking in sneering manner Of the en-.
| thusiastic spirit which the West had displayed on
this subject, especially when il had been the
| policy of this government, from its earliest origin
to promote new settlements in the West, and ia all
our vacant lands. II had been its policy to extend,
as far possible, American power and the area Of
freedom and civilization accompanying il. Il was
! in this manner that Wisconsin, Illinois, all the
western States and Territories, and even Oregon had
| been peopled by enthusiastic men--mcn who en-
countered the priyatons of the forest and the viii
derness, to lay the foundations of civilization and
liberty, which were our boast and our power. But
now, you say these men went out on their own
| hook The men who have gone TO Oregon, you saw
had no right to 60 there, and they must take care Of
themselves, and not rely upon for their defence,
| which. might involve us in war with the most
I
them, that although Oregon is ours we have not the
courage to defend il, but that we would like
very well that they would 90 there, and take
good wagons; and axes, and rides with them, and
| make settlements and revoutionize the coanry,
and then we would come in and claim all the glory,
and oil the advantages Of their enterprise There
were men in his district Of 10 years Of age who bad
emlgrated to Oregon, and also boys Of Is. He
could not soy to them that they mist dorihc best
they could, for az to fighting for them there was
dark spirit in the air which forbid il. Mr. B. here
resasrkod eP.rihe fact, that for yrcrs past,
had been generally conceded in CONGRESS-, that Ore
gon was rigbtfhly ours; and a proposition to rxer
else sovereignty il failed ct the last session. by
only two votes in the Senate Was not this anindre-
! ment to the people Of the United States to go to
oregon' Should they not rely upon the declarntions
| Of Mr.. Polk in his late message3 Should they not
rely upon the American name, and the principle OF
American progress The faith and honor Of the
country was pledged for their defence and protec.
ton. He mir. 3D. at least was willing to stand by
i tl,a and ,,ull.. su.ls- L..