The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-26

ton Of candidate for the presidency. lie had
voted for Mr.. Polk certainly not because he was ~
favor Of Texas, or had ehined in with any otheI
popular cry bu, because he believed HIM hones' ana
capable, and because he hal confidence "a ms mug
rity. Much had been said about another game or
another eompact-the whole of Oregon and the
whole of Texas Ifa game wos playing no had no
mari in that either. II compact, he had already
shown by his vote IN what hight ne regarded one
mart Of IT, al east. And yet u bad been suggested
Thai his vote, and Of those who like him had voted
AGAINST the annexation Of Texas, or rather against
clause in us constitution, had been influenced by
a certain distinguished northern statesman, MIR.
Wright and differences had been drawn theretrom
in relation TO that gentleman alike unjust and I'M
true. He knew nothing Of that genuemans opln-
what the public knew. He did not represent him
or any other individual. He had acted in accord
ance with the views he had always entertained. IL
was a matter in which he could know no man. nor
would he suffer the opinions OF any man to come
between him and the convictions Of his own con-
science Nor had he voted against the annexation
of Texas from any supposed hostility, As had been
minated, TO the South. He had acted from no
such motive, though he had already seen (and
might again see) the peculiar institutions OF the
South made sine qua nsa qualification tor The Pc
sdeney, and those same Institutions made a SUBJECT
matter OF instruction to foreign minister by dstin-
gushed southern statesman then holding high sta
ton in the government. To that gentleman (Personal-
~ unknown to him) he meant no dlsrespect. lie
would give him credit for his every virtue, and for
the fact that his position, for the time being at least
was defined. He believed that that gentleman ana
his friends in this House sincere IN their oppo-
sidon TO this notice They viewed II as war meas
ure. In this ne differed with them. Did he view
in the same light he should hesitate long before
he gave il the sanction Of his vote. But he did not
so view IT, Tie giving Of this notice OF itself can
not lead TO war. That depended on subsequent
,n..tf IN a..lfF VtaK in
lnon TO Oregon which had been avowed in that
House The "mastery inactivity" Of which 30
much had been said by bringing the citizens Of the
two countries in collision, would sooner or later
lead to war Selling the whole Of Oregon by mas
terly inactivity" would inevitably lead to war and
why the latter course had been called mastery he
knew not, unless il the conduct Of masters, and
very young masters too. He would not at this
stage OF the debate discuss the question Of title He
would merely lay down few positions, without re-
course to the nIusty records from which he had de-
rived them which others could and would, he trust
ed, examine for themselves. These positions he
thought, on examination, would be found correct
and true There very few who did not believe
that Great Britain had a claim of some kind
or other TO the territory IN dispute Whe-
Their her title was derived from the Nootks
Sound treaty from the exploration Of Mackenzie and
tbs discovery Of Fmscr's river, from proximity or
cOntyuity, or from our own concessions, II was I'M
material and he should not now stop To consider.
He believed our own title south Of ago was unques-
iionable; and if the position taken by the gentleman
from Indiana [Mr. OwESl was correct. and he
thought IL was, title was good 10 49o 30a; be-
cause it asserted that Spain had a settlement al
the time of the Nootka convention, at that point,
and Great Britain had abandoned all claim to any
territory sou h Of il. IF he had any doul Is in this
matter il was to the fact, whether any bona fde
settlement ever had been made in the disputed ter
ritory until recently, and since the commencement
L. LII. IL. III
claims, founded upon exploration and discovery,
which, putting the Spanish title ont Of the ques-
ton, would carry US up at least to 49o. South
of this parallel, Great Britain had claimed no ex-
elusive sovereignty. On the other hand, aside from
the Spanish title and by exploration, and discovery,
he had yet to learn that we had any title to the
country north Of $50 and east Of the straits Of Fuca
Mr. Rush had conceded to Great Britain all north OF
$40. What then was the question ut issue' What
Is the matter at stake which to plunge two great
nations the most civilized in the world, into q war;
IL was strip of land about two degrees in BREADTH
on the uninhabited northwest coast of doubtful
value and but little known Would you, sir, fight
or negotiate for this?
Besides, and in addition to all this-and this was
with him the greatest dificulty-the government had
thrice, with perfect knowledge Of its title and in
all sincerity Offered to divide thus territory on the
line of 400. This was the line marked out by the
treaty Of Utrecht, and the line Of proximity and
contiguity. Would you go to war for what you
had three times offered to give away Would we
be justified before God and the world in rashly seek
ing war on such quarrel Gentlemen had talked
about the great value of the country north Of 400
and some Of them had asserted, he believed, that
without the whole, Oregon would not be worth a
rush. We knew thing Of the country north OF
that parallel. All that had been said of its value
and beauty were mere draughts on the magma
ton. Capt Wilkes had confined his exploration
to the south Of 400. All that was valuable to us
loxr halo hat line mn ha rhn
Puget's sound, Hoods canal, and Admiralty inlet
were all south Of 400 The gentleman from Ten
nessee, Mr. JoHNsoN,l had said that the territory
actually in dispute between the two countries lay
beween AGO and AGO. This was new to him, and
the first time he had heard Of it. He had new
err heard Of any one who. contemplated settlement
of this difficulty upon any line as a basis farther
south than 400. 1t had been said that American
commercial enterprise could not succeed in Oregon
unless the British driven out. This was a
reflection upon the American character he would
not permit. For who ever heard of an instance in
which Americans placed side by side with the
British, or any other nation, could not compete with,
and outstrip in any enterprise All that the Ameri.
cans wanted was good ports; and with them, and
left to themselves, they could rival any nation in
commerce without the protection Of any powerful
Incorporated company, the patronage of the gov
eminent. The difference between US and them is
Just the difference between this city and its badly
regulated concerns, and those cities which depend
on themselves instead of the government. And
here, in RAISING, he would say that the popularity
Of the President great as it was and deservedly so,
was owing to his moderation and wisdom. 1t rest.
ed on lis ago, not his $40 40 and he regretted
see resolutions offered in this House virtually re-
fleeing his course and his predecessors in this
NATTER and he had yet to learn whether they were
the price Of that forgiveness honorable gentle.
man had kindly granted him for offering to compro
mise the line of 400.
| If this notice should be given, and should
within the year refuse to negotiate, England would
| then fill Canada and Oregon with troops; the Yves
Indies, Bermuda, and Halifax with her shps-of-wa
| and transformers. She would strike no blow, but
| wait our action; and should we attempt to take the
whole Of Oregon, or, mistakenly relying on disaf
feclion in Canada, attempts annexation, shouIC
have war to the knife. Judging from the past, HI
| had too much reliance on the moderation and wis
dom Of the President to suppose he would take any
such course. lie believed the administration would
negotiate, and settle this question by the law Of
| tons, and not by the law Of popular occlamalion
He would not so far dstrust the BOD sense Of eithe
nation rs to suppose that, at time when their com
| mercal relations were becoming more and more in
innate and so beneficial to each other they would