The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-06

here, also. Let them pass this measure let us en-
courage our people TO go there and let the English
attempt to resist u.s., and he would guarantee that
100, 900 swords would leap from their scabhards,
and would be welded for the defence of our rights
in Oregon, by those who would 90 determined TO
drive of our enemies from the last inch Of the soil
of the republic.
The gentleman had treated at some length Of the
effect of war upon our institutions; and had seemed
TO dread something like despotsm resulting from
It. In this he differed from the gentleman. war,
he maintained was no positive evil, occasionally.
China Is AN example OF nation which never wars
which spends millions OF money To build walls to
hedge herself around, instead of relying on the
breasts Of her sons buwark Of defence. On
the contrary, England, France, and Spain were ma
lions that wee prepared TO defend their rights. He
did not regard war as positive evil, II was forced
upon us by aggression and injustice; and he told
the gentleman he might look TO the West for de-
fence for any war which might come upon us.
On the point of territory, IL was subject, as he
had remarked of vital importance TO this nation. VI
the territory of Oregon was barren rock, il il was
burning volcano still II ,Cas ours; and, he trusted
in God, that there was in the hearts Of the people
an idea Of national honor which would forever pre-
vent them from yielding up one foot OF the territory
which rghrfuly belonged To us. lie knew II had
been questioned when we had seen Maine dlsmem.
bered, and portion Of her people sold TO despotsm
and tyranny; but he trusted that such disgrace
this subject We might derive a most beautiful lenson
from the ancient Romans.
Amongst the tabled deitiea of the Romans, they
had god of boundaries called Terminus, who was
represented without feet indicating that he had
power Of retreatng from the spot where Roman
yalor had placed him, To this tabled deity, the
homage Of patriotism, courage and sacred faith IN
the proves Of their arms, were rendered up with
divine honors. Religion and patriotism combined in
the preservation Of the soil OF the republic In sup
port Of this sacred principle Of Roman faith, Of
Roman patriotism, il was ordained that any one
who proposed 10 remove this god, and dismembcr
the republic, should be deGreed Infamous. Armed
alike with religious enthusiasm, devotion to this
god Of limits, and ardent and burning patriotism,
the Roman people not only preserved from dis
the soil Of the republic for more than
a thousand years, but planted the statue OF their
fayorite deity in Britain the north, on the Eu-
pirates in the east, Mauritania in the SOUTH and
the pillars OF Hercules IN the west. Roman arms,
and Roman yalor carried him 10 the utmost limits
of the then known habiiable globe. Inspired by
holy faitn IN their tuteary deity, they could look
amidst the slsughters Of Gamma, and
the ruthless plumber Of the Gauls. Even in her
greatest extremity, senator dared counsel peace
at the sacrifice Of an acre of her soil; no diplo-
m atist had the temerity TO breath the thought
Of removing the favorite deity from his pedestal at
any price. Where Roman genius and Roman en-
terprise erected the sacred symbol, Roman yaor was
ence of this mingled sentiment Of religion and pa.
triotism, Rome grew and spread until
She yelled
Earth with her naughty shadow and displayed,
Until the oeT-canoped horizon failed /
Her rushing wings-oh! she who was Almighty hailed
From this beautiful story of the tabled divinity,
let learn TO draw lessons Of wisdom and patriot
ism. Let US, like the Romans, nculcate a sacred
reverence for the unity of our soil, for the unfair
nshed lustre of our honor. Let enshrine in our
bems Of faith. Let us plant them upon the Ut
most limits of the republic, and invoke execraon
upon the head Of him who would counsel their |
or their dishonor.
There was still such a thing as national honor,
though il had been tempered with and he differed
IN toto from the gentleman from South Carolina,
who thought there was no cause OF war but to pre-
ourselves from being trodden under the foot of
power, and to resist that aggression which strikes at
our liberty. There were cases other than these Of
national honor as nice-ay, perhaps even nicer
thnn any which existed in personal intercourse.
Carolina, that he was mistaken when he supposed
hat the people of the West had nor high sonoe OF
personal honor and readiness to vindicate it when
occasion required -- Wall. |
Mr.. WooDWARD-hi colleague [Mr. RHErrl
being at the moment absent from his seat-made an
IN this point, which was inaudible at the desk on
he left of the Speakers chair.
Mr. BOWLIN continued He was going on to
show that there were other just causes Of war
han those which had been laid down by the gentle
nan from South Carolina the only ones. He re-
erred to the revolutionary war an instance in IL
ustration of his position, in which country had
rome into bloody conflict for the vindcaton Of an
distract princpe-viz, that no power on earth had a
light to impose taxes on us against our consent. II
lid not arise because, according to the genteman's
definition of the just cause Of war, our personal
hntp biohar
md nobler question: question Of principle.
There was another branch of the subject to which
ime would permit him barely to allude, and that
was the commercial importance of this territory.
And in the first place, he would call the attention of
he gentlemen to the fact that from the Atlantic coast
o the valley of the Mississippi, and on to the Pa
life ocean, were by nature, ay, we were stamped
by the hand Of God himself as one nation Of men.
Mr.. b. here entered into more extended geosraph-
cal view of our country, and of the great impor-
ance Of finding western outlet on the Pacific for
he productions Of the immense valley Of the Mis-
,ssppi referring to the immense amounts of money
which had been expended to provide an eastern out
ct in penetrating the Allegheny mountains, and in
he grea. chain of internal communication on this
,ide of those mountains and arguing that the west
,rn outlet by the way of Oregon and the Pacific
ocean would be vastly more valuable, as affording
or our agricultural products market with China,
With the Japanese islands, with the Philippine
stands, with the Burman empire, and with other
Countries of the East containing an aggregate popu-
alton of more than 500 millions, who were not our
vals in the products of the SOIL Let us perform
,ur duty in relation this territory, Che urged and
{ war was forced upon us he trusted in God that
we should not be found afraid 10 meet it, and that we
should not crayenly postpone 1t for our postcrity.
Let us preserve our territory from dismember-
nent and ourselves from eternal dshonor and
lisyrace. There was not heart in the ma
ion, he trusted, that did not leap at the glo.
ous thought of meeting enemy in such
,ause as this il war was forced upon us, and Of
pressing forward not stopping until we should
lrve our British invaders from the American CONT
,ent There was no difficulty on this point, how
ever. Great Britain was not going to declare war.
Did she declare war on Russia when she resumed |
he territory on which she had given Ter the right
o trader or upon us, when we had resumed the
light of the navigation of the Mis- issippi river,
which we granted her under Mr.. jays treaty. No
She was not going to declare war now; and he re-
yrctlcd that any part Of the legislation of this House
should he tinctured with n British feeling-with
ear that Great Britain would not approve our ac-
ion in regard to our own territory He utterly de-
and deprecated such course; and he in
voked this House to continue to egislate upon our
own soil precisely il Great Britain did not exist
IS nation--precisely as if, with an aggressive
,pirit she was not spreading her dominion far and