The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-09

/ day IN opposition To the notice, challenged tht
friends OF the measure 10 show why il should b.
passed he asked, with a seeming air OF triumph
what good reasons could be assigned 10 It's behalf
There are many, sir some Of which, most Impor'
tant IN my estimation, | will endeayor to exhibit
First Oregon is ours every inch ours from Az Il
$40 4O, north latitude, inclusive; and being ours
the honor and interests Of the country require thai
we should take possession of IT, The Amerieal H.
lie TO Oregon rests upon several gronnds-the rights
Of discovery by the limited States and Spain, and
the pre-oceupation Of the territory by both these
powers as against England. Up to the period Of
the late war were in exclusive possession OF the
country.
In 1918, Lord Castleressh the British minister
Of foreign affairs, admitted the fact and in the
year Astoris, spost established by American citi-
zens and then commanding the whole territory, was
formally restored TO Us, under the article OF the
treaty OF 1873 which s,puIates that "a territories
places, and possessions, taken by either party the
United States or Great BntaInl from the other,
during the war" with certain exceptions, "shall be
restored, &c. But, in derelietOD Of the rshis 90
thshueated by ihsSe n'ets, the convention oil 1871
admits Great Britain TO Joint uagruci IN, and, &C.
cording to the views Of some gentlemen, divided
juI isdieiiOn over the whole territory. Should such
n condition Of things be continued Ought Il not to
be terminated When did Great Britain grant a
joint usufruct and divided jurisdiction in her do
minionsl Never. Her policy has been, To get all
give uOlulllS-tO grasp MI HattoUdl
~ within the broad limits Of worldwide empire.
Look, for example, TO the plundeTed and desoated
plains Of Afghanistan; TO the smoking runs OF the
fortress Of Hekes Pah, in New Zealand. Great
Britain is securing all abe could secure unmolesIed,
independent Of the convention. She has established
civil and criminal jurisdiction over the country. Her
subjects hunt trap, and fish, throughout It's limits
they are stripping the lands of their timber, and
appropriaIing the best locations for the purposes OF
commerce and agriculture. At Vancouver, Col
Vile Nasqually, and other posts, farms have been
opened and wheat, barley, and potatoes, are raised
IN abundance. At Vancouver, in particular, there
10 farm nine miles square supplied with one hun
dred mich cows three thousand head Of cattle two
thousand five hundred head of sheep and three
hundred brood mares-alI the property OF the Brit
ish Puget Sound Company. She has established
thiuy-one forts, scattered from the Pacific TO the
Rocky mountains, and from Fort Simpson on the
north 10 Fort Umpqua on the south which gar
risoned by the servants Of the Hudson Bay Com
pany, and liable, at any time, to he employed
by the government Of Great Britain TO conquer, by
force, what she does not possess by right. II has
been her constant policy 10 impress the American
settlers in Oregon with the idea that any settlements
they might make TO the north of the Columbia
would be dispossessed, If necessary by the bayonet
whilst those made or to be made upon the south Of
that stream would not be disturbed.
BY this device, she has until now succeeded in
limiting the American settlements to the south Of
the Columbia in the mean time she has been occu-
pying the country to the NORTH converting her
temporary huts for the purposes Of trading and
fishing into agricultural settlements and strength
enlrg her numerous trading posts, by arming them
for the permanent maintenance Of the whole or a
large portion Of the country. The effect Of this pol-
icy has been, and will be, encourage the spirit Of
British encroachment; it will tend to array the inter
ests of American settlers against their patriotism :;
will distract their purposes and parayZe their en-
In ia n n Nhirh uyer
eyes, that n lukewarmness prevails, TO some extent
in Of the cities upon the Atlantic seaboard in
regard to the Oregon question. Why 10 this so' Is
II not owing to the apprehension, that in of war;
American shipping may be destroyed, commerce
crippled, and property LOST Yes, this would be the
answer. Well, may it not be supposed that Amcri-
can emgrants in Oregon, who have established
themselves on the south Of the Columbia and whose
prayers to their government for protection have been
80 long Knocked, will svmpathize in similar appre.
hensions2 IL is but fair to suppose so. For this
reason, therefore, il for other, the convention
should be terminated, and the whole Of Oregon
thrown open TO American settlements freed from al
restraints. 1t is urged, however that time will ef:
feet rything for u.s. How so' Until now it has
effected everything against us-has been greatest
enemy. mastery inactivty-a state Of ris liner
tiR-wIll avail nothing against the scheming policy
and active means of Great Britain 1t would BE- AS
vain for to expect TO secure the golden prize Of
Oregon by action as to suppose that the courscr
who refuses to run will beat his speeding adversary
Neither will II avail us much to encourage emgra-
ton thither q substantive and sufficient means of
securing the country. Great Britain. in that re-
spect, possesses abundant means to coun'eract u.s.
She can offer the lnducement of chartered priv
leges and monopolies of trade, TO encourage and
augment emigration we Cnnnot-the nature of our
institutions forbid it. Devoid Of this ability we
still refuse to grant bounties Of money, a rife an
axe n spade or anything else, to compensate for
Tbc Of nh;
gentleman has gone, has been to promise to give
our emigrants lands when then themselves by their
numbers have peaceably conquered the country.
Such munifcence is certainly obging. 1t is a snb-
imaton of generosity that the hardy pioneer, who
goes forth, amidst dangers and difficulties to plant
the fug Of his country upon distant lands, will
hardly be able to apprenticeship despisc. The
inducements to emigration therefore, belong to
Great Britain. What, now, Of her relative cnpaci-
ty for colonization' The population of the United
States is sparse, few millions spread over Il vast
extent of country for the most part devoid of v
motive to change their locations, except that rest
less and enterprising spirit which animorcs Ameri-
| can freemen. Emigration would extend our ret
Elements, and render population already too
sparse still more sparse. Not with Great Brit
ain; by colonization she would promote her domes-
tic safety, and at the same time extend her domin-
IONS Her population il frarfully redundant; the
hungering masses are struggling with mighty cf
fort rid themselves of the horrors and tortures
| Of starvation. Human suffering is taxed 10 the
last point of endurance and confederated king and
prestcran could not therefore, more effecually Sc
cure themselves against volcanic overthrow than
by colonizing her gaunt and furnishing thousands
in distant land. Hence the capacity az well as
the inducements to emigration peculiarly arper
tain to Great Britain. Another reason for the ter
mination of the convention is to be found in the
anxious desire Of our feIIow-ciiizcns in Oregon ,c
| be aggregated by laws and institutions with
the government Of the United States. TREY arc
wearied and dshearened with the cxcitemcnts and
uncertainties of their present situation. Hear them
speak in their own noble and touching language for
| themselves:
"Ageted BY the uncertainties Of M onll tieputcs;
salale from the sl", AMI surrounded rlLe
where by whrlike Indians and laoie he crushed o
every quarter moreover impeed By the necessity Of DO
nestle government and internal police have. accord
ing 20 the mmemoria usage Of Anne leans formr for our
selves government and enacted laws Information cor
corning which has already been transmitted 10 the
government We have ~ present residing among rs pn in
dian agent commissioned by the War De artmrn In whom
resides the only Of national authority found within h
tcrriofy. Your msmoa1S tornss y drt inn res, %
with ne dangers hy whcb they sueomp07ssd and me DIN
cwhrs "hich prPisI hR In the absence Of all govrrnurn
ndr1uo TO their defence from foes abroad md the
| vation Of internal peace and order