Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1846-07-03
THE ENQUIRER.
RICH MOND, VA.
Thursday Morning, July 2, 1916.
The Oregon Settlement.

The Oregon SettlemcNt.
The National In!elIigencer takes short art-
Gle of ours on this subject, and makes il text for
nearly column Of comment, The opinions ex-
pressed in that article are entirely mistaken by
The arguments Of The InteliseEcer.
The Intelligencer is mistaken in lis assertion,
that we attribute the adjustment 10 The Presidents
rejection OF Arbitration. We have always main
tanned lha, 10 the nnoice" Tor the termination OF
the joint occupancy, is mainly ascrloab'c the
speedy and favorable proposition OF Great Britain.
The Wings originally opposed The notice" as
being war measure-but whes it passed The
House by an overwhelming VOTE Wings and De-
mocrats uniting, The Wing leaders in The Senate,
seeing the popular drift, shifted their ground, and
look up The measure Though they changed its
torm, the gia of The matter was still retained
The snolice" was recognized BY Congress- aud
the President was armed with authority TO car
~ out a policy which he had warmly recommends
ed. Can any reasonable man deny that the effect OF
The notice was the offer on the part ol Great Bri-
tain OF better terms than she had ever before made!
The London Times said:
nlflbe overture which Mr.. Pakenham has been
instructed 10 make, in reply 10 the notice for The
termination OF The convention, be 1avorably re-
ceyed, we may hope that in four or five weeks
the Oregon controversy may be settled, and final
treaty Of partition signed"
Is il not here evident that the proposition ollhe
British Government was made I'm reply 10 the
notice for the termination of The convention ~
Oush, no then, the President 10 have the credit Of
inducing BY his 'nolice' policy 81 favorable an
offer on The part Of Great BIain2
While, then, We give The main credit OF the
adjustment to The "nolice," we maintain that, had
The President accepted The offer Of arbitration,
The controversy would have been prolonged, the
terms would in all probability have been much
less favorable than those we have now obtained,
and general discomfort might have pervadei
The country. This is what we meant, when We
ascTibed TO The President the credit Of wiselyre-
fusins arbitration As il has turned out, the diff
Gully has been speedily and satisfactorily seuhd-
the ieverish agitation ofIhe public mind has been
Gained down. and our commercial relations with
Grea, Britain will be conducted in peace and
with new spirit, especially if oar Congress shall
relax our restrictive system and meet the liberal
trce-rade movement in Great Britain.
Bur, says the Inlellisencer The Presidents re-
fusal 10 arbi,ra,e was "nolhng less Than tic next
most violent ,iep 10 declaring war-especialiy
when we consider the terms in which thai refusal
was conveyed" We have not before us MIR.
Buchanan's letter declining arbilration-but we
are strongly impressed with tie fact, that, in de-
Ginning the proposition, he wound up with the
hope that the question might be peacefully settled
that, while he wa. unwilling 10 place in the
hands Of irresponsible agents The decision Of mo-
msnous national interests, he yei hoped that the
"sense Of Justice" OF he Two countries would agree
upon some fair plan Of bringing the controversy
10 a close Unless our memory be,rays us, me Ma
lional Intellgencer itself looked 10 these express
sions in Mr. Bucbanan's letter as indicating a
willingness, on the part Of the Administration, 10
arrange the difficulty wilhou, reeort 10 arms.
The Ineligencer then falls into The general IT.
gument OF the Wings, that the President main
tanned the title 10 The whole territory, and that
The Senate By accepting less, deserves The whole
credit OF The arrangement We know nothing
certain OF The terms of The message, in which
ne communicated 10 the Senate the British
propositions but are induced 10 believe that
The Presidents course is consistent throughout.
lie believed tina, cur lille 10 the whole OF Ore
son was complete. AS an homes, statesman
he was bound 10 repea! his convictions 10
that effect but does i, fellow, that he was oppos-
ed to any settlement short OF the extreme claim
He, himself in Difference 10 previous negotiations,
had made an offer OF the forty-ninlh parallel
which The British minister had promptly reject
ed, inimaling al the same time, that the British
Government would not for moment listen 10
such concession. Whatever his own opinions
nigh, be- he did right in consulting The Senate
That was the proper tribunal 10 raufy a treaty;
and he said to Them, that il they were unwilling
10 accept the terms OF the treaty. he should reject
il. Could he have done otherwise? Why should
he raliy treaty, after he had ascertain ed that il
would not be acceptable 10 the treaty making
powers2
But these points cannot be cleared up, until
The veil of secrecy be removed and The conduct
of the President and The Senate be truly known.
One thing seems 10 be universally conceded, viz
that Treaty ha. been made, and that il has
given 10 US more territory than Great Britain has
ever before been willing 10 concede-that rot
wilhstandng her obstinate assertion that she
would not recede from the Columbia River, she
has actually surrendered 10 lis some two or three
hundred miles North Of lha. river. we con-
tend that this important concession 10 our claims
was secured by The firm, yet moderate stand OF
The President, in recommending the termination
of The joint occupation. Had The Wings con-
tinued their narrow and selfish policy OF resist
ing the notice, and had they succeeded in defeating
il, does any man believe that Great Britain
would have rendered any thing like The present
favorable terms? Had The President claimed 10
the 49th only, would not the British Government
have insisted upon her old line of the Columbia!
Had arbitration been accepted, is il not probable
that The controversy would have been KEEP
opcn for many years, producing irritation in the
minds Of both nations; or, If settlement had
been made, can any one doubt that we should
have been forced 10 take much less than we had
offered Whatever then be the facts as to the
combustion of the settlement, (and we cannot as
certain them for some time,) no one can reason
ABLY doubt that the Administration deserves
credit for the inception and progress OF nesolia'
lion which has terminated SO satisfactorily
The Wings were forced 10 shift their original
ground, and support the Presidents "nolice" poll
cy. This policy induced The last favorable pro-
position of Great Britain, and therefore should &c
entitled 10 high credit.
The Philadelphia North American seems 'c
concede that The new Tariff bill will pass the
House-and says, that a strong probability ex-
iss that The vote OF The Senate will be equally
divided, and the casting vote will rest with The
Vice President. 1t then proceeds to Halter him
into opposition to The bill, and calls upon the Ia
riff press 10 ''step forth and cheer BY its encou
raeement him who is ready TO dare The chasm 10
redeem The State" We do moi believe that The
struggle will be so close. We cannot think thai
the Senate will assume the responsibility 10 de,