The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-20

| possession accordingly; they are entitled to oul
protection, and an impartial world viii justify ia
maintaining those rights, If necessaryiby a resor
to arms. And we would do it, We would feel l
necessary to go further back for title; but would un
hesitatlngly hur back the threats Of England by q
stern defiance.
am aware, sir, that claim in our favor para
mount TO all others has been set up--that of mani
fest destiny. II runs thus: God hath given TO this
nation the western continent and the fitness thereof
This, as understand it, oyenides all titles aud
| at defiance all reasoning. This claim to universe
| dominion was put forth in the commencement o
this debate, aud has been frequently urged in the
course of q, and more particularly by the gentle
man from Michigan, Mr. CHrfMAE, as a final anc
conclusive Argument. | regretted to hear the sent
ment ayowed in an American Congress, because il
implies doubt Of the validity Of our own perfec
ute, and because II had ever been used 10 Justify
every act OF wholesale violence and rapine that
disgraced the history Of the world Il is the rob
ber's title, but its record is accompanied by the in
sIuctiye lesson that II ultimately meets the robbers
doom The Macedonian conqueror consulted the
Dephic oracle, and having obtained FROM The priest
ess an equyocal answer, which, in his construction,
gave hun The right, by manifest destiny to conquer the
world, he pursued bis career of victory amid
signs, and tears, and blood, homes and hearths
made desolate, cities wasted and prosrate thrones
undi, standing on the verge of the then habitabe
globe, he wept that he had not another world to
conquer Confident in the omnipotence of his fate,
ly boased Of the endless duration Of his dynasty
and his throne, But death struck the conqueror
IN drunken reyel, and his fated empire was broken
into fragments, and disappeared from the EARTH like
the sand before the simeon Of the desert Rome too
consulted her oraces and sought, in omens and
Signs, her title by manifest destiny to universal en-
pure. The response Of the priest Was pTopitous,
and her legions proceeded 10 execute the decree
The title lost nothing Of its force whilst there was
wealth to Plundet or nations to subduei under il, the
rnpacity Of the Roman proctor knew no bounds,
his cruelty remorse. She checked not her ca
reer OF victory until the spos Of every nation from
the pillars of Hercules 10 the Indian ocean, sweed
the triumph Of her conqucrOrs and contributed 20
the Injuries and magnlhcence Of what she fobdly
termed the Eternal city. Whilst The Coliseum
stands Rome shall stand, " was her proud boast.
The Coliseum still stands, ma estic in its ruins
but the Eternal city, long since depsoed ofits CORY
and iIs power, is now only known 10 the traveller
as the city Of shattered columns and mighty rec
elections, The modern conqueror-the man of UNI
beating heart and Of iron nerve, who pursued his
purposes with like unbendng frmness upon the
sands Of Egypt and the SHOWS Of Russia--whose
eye never quaed, and whose heart never fatered-
who asser,ed and proved his title at the lannon's
mouth until victory, even, seemed the doomed min
lister of his stern aud anrelentng wIll-he, too
pointed to his star and talked of destiny; but that
bright luminary has set IN perpetual night, and the
eve that gazed upon It's brightness was closed for.
ever upon a barren rock IN the steep Atlantic wave
Who hath read the book of fate, or fathomed the
purposes OF the Almighty: Sir, we may read the
future by the past | have no doubt Of our destiny
il we limit our ambition TO the development of the
human faculties and the cultivation of the arts of
peace With territory capable of sustaining a larger
population in comfort and opulencc than any other
country under one government upon earth, the hui
mind scarcely limit the progress of our do
minion, either in duration extent. But it. on the
other hand, we should be stimulated to territorial
H. b. l.A
| have little doubt that the western continent
would soon be found too narrow sphere for our con-
sus.i. s,, .'h this brilliant temptation before
u.s. we shouid remember thai an h,.,ary ~"mes
bnrdened with the adni0nton, that the nation
which is destined 20 exthnd its territory by CONQUEST
is equally fhted to perish in the midst OF Its tcto-
Hes. y il due, Sir, TO the American people, to
know tina, their title in ds instance reeds 10 such
eduiyocal alliance, In the APPROPRIATE language of
the gentleman from Tennessee fMr. STANTON I our
right is our destiny, moi our destiny our right But
we are led consider in this connection the da3 Ct
our government in case England should propose to
renew the negotiation upon the basis of the division
of the territory in the spirit Of amicable adjustment
snswer, she should be met in the same spirit and
in case she should offer the terms recently rendered
and Withdrawn by this government, they should be
uhhesitatngiy accepted Fit was consistent with the
duties of government to make the offer them il is
PROPER TO accept it now. The interests and
changed in regard TO this territory. do not say
that the negotiation should be reopened at our in
stance, that any more ia vornble terms should be
offered or accepted. On the contrary, | think our
government Ii The ftatfests.ion Of its disposition to
adjust this difficulty has approached Ike halteniest
limit which the rights the interests, or the honor
of our country will warrant; and if England should
prefer try the issue of a resort to arms we shall
then be restored to our belligerent rights, and may
claim and take the whole. England well knows
that war is a gafte which more than one can play
a.,
Sir, the inference draw from this view of the
matter is, that the notice being given the joint occu-
pancy terminated, and England remaining quiet our
rights to exclusive jurisdiction should be asserted
only mp to the 49h parallel of latitude. This being
understood to be the policy and determination of
government, the chances Of war entirely re-
moved. England will not incur the hazards of a war
for an uncomfortable tract of unproductive wilder
ness the title to which she knows is clearly and
unquestonably in us. This being known, the ex-
element upon this subject, as we'll in England as in
this country, would entirely subside and we should
hear little more of Oregon.
But if the extreme policy, of the whole or none,
urged bya few gentlemen upon this floor, is to be
ried out cannot see how n war can be avoided.
England cannot, consistently with her national
honor accept less, In the division of this territory
than has been repeatedly offered her; and however
reluctant she may be, see not how she can escape
d resort to this last dread alternative
proceed to consider fot one moment whether 1t
is our interest to drive her to this extremity.
Our national honor is no wdy concerned in the
matter BY adopting the 49th parallel as our boun-
dairy make own terms, and dictate thcm too,
somewhat imperiously to the haughtest and most
powerful nation upon earth II s, then, mere mat
ter Of expectancy, and as such propose to consider
H.
The value Of the territory in dispute, compared
with the expenses, the sacrifices, the sufferings,
bloodshed, and horrors of war, is the question at
issue Sir, address not my arguments to those
subimated gentlemen who assert that the existence
ola right precudes the consideration of consequent
ces in its assertion. The gentlemen have forgotten,
hsply never learned, That regard to consequent
ces is the first duty Of statesman; that it is tina,
alone for which impartial history will give him
credit for sagacity and wisdom. The notions of
these gentlemen are somewhat too abstract and
transcendental for my present purposes. On this
branch Of the subject, prefer addressing the gen.
tlemen upon this floor who have been educated in
less ethereal school Of craftsmanship. ..t'
First, then, the territory comprises sons six de-
grees Of latitude north Of parallel Of 49, The