The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-01-03

French and others. are also mortified, but gay little
except shrug their shoulders, and exclalm, I" Mon
Dieu! Mon Dieu Monsieur Polk IS one very hne
native American"
WASHINGTON, Dec. 81, lea5.
Tie Oregon Question-Ftvther Interesting Facs in
the Case, erplanatoryof the Why and The Where
fore-1hs Issues of War Contracted Wih Mr.
Calhoun 81 Policy for Paced clear and undsnia-
bic Exposition.
Upon this last day of this eventful year, while the
last sands Of the glass are sinking, suppose we give
you a serious disquisition upon the Oregon question
Good, you say. Then here goes.
The question Is not settled-it must be settled,
and soon settled; and the primary consideration is,
how is it TO be settled We incline TO think that it
will be settled upon the line OF 49, But first, lei US
begin with the cue OF the Baltimore Democratic
Convention OF May, 1914. The resolutions oil the
party declared for the whole Of Oregon. The West
carried the ticket for Polk and Dallas more in behalf
of g every inch of Oregon" than for the Immediate
annexation of Texas. Col. Polk came into the
Presidency az the advocate OF every inch OF Ore
gon-he was SO proclaimed In one OF our songs,
published in the first number OF Father Ritchie's
Union
"Nor yield an inch Of Oregon.
Hurrah, my boys, hurrah
Ia August, '45, however, the President proposes To
Mr.. Pakenham, through Mr. Buchanan, the line OF
forty-nine-Mr Pakenham refuses-and the adml-
nlstration falls back upon "a 40. Congress meet
Gen. Cass introduces his resolutions tor enquiry
into the expediency OF putting the defences OF The
country in order-makes war speech--war is inc
vitable-sOftened down, after two days debate into
probable contingency, dependent upon chain OF
concurrent circumstances. "A fortnight afterwards
Mr. flanagan introduces resolutions, declaring II
dishonorabe to surrender single inch OF Oregon
south of 81 40. Mr.. Calhoun meets him face 10 face
takes up the glove-and the cashng OF the spears
of the two brave knights immediately succeeds The
l.t dsd h,f AeeI-
slve achievement has been attained on the part OF
Mr.. Calhoun. The onslaught has determined the
position of the Southern democrats In the Senate TO
be in favor Of the line Of fortynine Il has deter
mined majority in the Senate against Mr.. Alen'j
twelve months notice, against Mr.. Hannegan's re-
solutions, and against the inevitable war" OF Gen.
Cass. The South, and the North, and the East, the
whole Atlantic seaboard, side with Mr.. Calhoun
the great West are inexoraby resolved upon "a 40.
Suppose we surrender the five degrees and forty
minutes OF the territory scope OF country OF near
ly thousand miles from the Rocky Mountains to
the Pacific, and of three hundred and forty in width,
equal in size to the States OF Virginia and Pennsyl.
vana, together with the islands on the seaboard
north OF ty-nine, what do we lose !! We lose
that much land. gentleman from Oregon, who
has lived there for several years. informs us that
that part OF Oregon north OF ~ deg 10 tar the best
portion OF the terrtory-tha the climate at b44O
as genial that at Washington-that the region
north of 40 is the great timber region, Astounding IN
the finest materials for ships-that the body Of this
region lies between the ranges OF mountains east
and west--that great portion OF It ls champagne
country, diversified with beautiful lakes like those
of Western New York, with soil much the same;
that the very mountains are arabic TO the snow line.
And the intelligent observer further states that
while such are the advantages of the territory north
OF 49, that south OF that Latitude the mountains are
comparatively barren and more numerous; that the
lowlands except upon the Willamette, Ia strip OF
land about equal to the surface OF Massachusets)
destitute OF trees, sandy, and without rain, and
that the whole region thence southwark tor
fanked in upon all sides by impassablc
mountains, except to the eastward through the great
south pass. The comparative value OF me two sec
tons OF the territories thus represented. exhibits
most clearly that the British in the division upon
the 49th degree, would get the hons share OF the
east-hat they would get the tat Of the land, while
our portion would be the offal Why, then, did not
Sir Richard accept The line Of ioriy-nipe /! The
reason is simple as the rule OF three. From the
mouth of the Colorado OF the west to the Russian
line, upwards OF thousand miles along the coast
OF the Pacific, there is not single entry INTO The
heart OF the territory for ships, saving the Columbia
river North OF the Columbia up to $40, there are
numerous harbors, but flank OF snow clad noun
tains shuts them OUT from tne INFERIOR. 20 ..
the coast OF the Pacific. the main chain OF the
Andes, running up from South America, extends
Ranging east and west on the south bank OF the
Columbia is another high range, while SIX hundred
miles south OF this range is another running also
nearly east and west. The interval between, OF
six hundred miles or more, north and south, and OF
thousand east and west, thus enclosed by snow
covered mountains, constitutes the Great Bsan Of
Lieut.. Fremont. In this basin is the Great Salt
Lake. the reservoir OF the various rivers issuing and
running into it NORTH SOUTH east and west, from the
SHOWS and springs Of the distant mountains The
supply is exhausted by evaporation, from the great
surface OF this inland expanse OF water The only
practic bic passage, therefore, from Oregon to Cali
fornia is not across this Great Basin, and over two
chains Of the Alps, but down the Columbia, and
along the sea coast, while the only penetrabe route
into northern Oregon, is by the same channel, the
Columbia cutting nayigable passage through the
mountain barrier thanking the sea board. here,
line OF 49, excepting upon the condition OF the free
passage OF the Columbia, which empties into the
sea considerably below the compromise parallel
With the exclusive command OF the mouth mouth o. oil ie
accessible to Great Britain, except at our discreton
and her exports in exchange would be necessarily
subject to our revenue laws.
We say, then, il John Bull will retract his refusal
Of the line Of fortynne, and accept it, leaving to US
the exclusive command Of the Columbia, notwlth-
standing he may have the more valuable part OF the
territory, we shall have the better halt OF the bar
gam. But why bargain at all for that which is
clearly our own! Just so. We know that the
clothes upon our backs are ours, but II an armed
brigand demands them as his, and we can compro-
haps as well to do SO, though thecase is damned
(excuse us) is rather hard one. Suppose we nigh,
him, he may take our very shirts oft-as tar as
Oregon is concerned. North Of the Columbia, the
1uOeOn Day company nave ulviucu VIC Wi
rltory into convenient districts for their mutual trade
and defence, with fortress in each district. But
suppose we pour fifty thousand rfemen through the
South Pass into Oregon, and capture the whole
country, what then While the mouth Of the CO.
lumbia is blockaded by fleet Of British steamers,
just sent across from China, the armed occupation
would be absolutely useless There would be no
outlet either for trade or supplies except by land
passage Of two thousand miles from the head Of the
Missouri.
So pre-eminenty important is the control Of the
mouth Of the Columbia IN every point Of view, that
our only doubt is in John Bulls agreeing to accept
it. But the cotton trade and the Irish, we guess,
will compel him to the measure And II ne should
knock under let us have the question settled the
line OF forty-nne. II is to be the arbitration,
we shall not be found in the rear guard Of the CO.
lumn despatched to occupy the line Of 81 20; But,
tween the parties, upon the line Of fory-nine, while
on the other hand, a war would give us the whole
Of Oregon or none," what would be the cost OF
fighting it out Say what you will, dollars and
cents have some weight in the calculation. II would