Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-03-28

authority but in constitutional Government like ours even
the people may bind themselves against doing wrong they
woudse about taking OIL that shacke they must esoutonlze
and strike at the Constitution Alter that they choose but
the people have right TO do wrong TO other nations
and leave the Constitution honor that statesman
who go whittier the honor of his country carries him. for
getu Of himself and his personal convenience the conss
tency of his opinion Had Mr. Polk repeated his opn-
ion of clear and unquesonabe title for amen to
his daily prayers for years and years together, would still
have been the duty Of the PRESIDENT go the line Of 49
compromise, he believed as he says he did, that his
country commtted and the honor and faith of the
ton babe him there II is still his duty to do it, if he sim
ceey believes what he says Talk what you may of the
pefatter them you please-yet in spite Of all the
sided arguments upon title to Oregon, and the unaness
of precudng debate upon here by the clamo of g B
tish against every that doubts for n-only let
this question go the people Of the United States whether
the honor Of the nation not dearer than "eUy inch Of
Oregon the other side Of 49le the people hear and
dersand the motives and the policy and the honorable
sy under which the President has acted and from the
tain valleys Of the West the shores Of the Atlantic they
will respond that the President has done ghhe honor of
country before every thing else If honesty and patriot
ism did not sustain the President prudence and peace
would lend their aid and all the world would that war
for the whole Of Oregon, when ourselves divided in
opinion upon the question of right to the whole of it. and the
Chief Magistrate himself believed that not honorable to
60 for extreme right would be madness How could
pray God to bless and to aid such conflict
But Senators who relying upon the Presidents message
Congress declaration Of hostility to further negotiation,
and the pledge Of determination his part not to settle
this controversy at all by pacific compromise even his
offer should be returned upon him, may find themselves
disappointed them that they have been deceving
themselves by their neutrality-suspicious. Even if there
could be found in the record" Gas the Senator from Ohio
has called his message line sentence to stimulate the
hopes Of Senator's excite the suspicious of Others
hope dsspate them all by review of his acts and
sons and of the oor Of that Presidential record For
undertake to say, that there be truth in logic faith in the
integrity and virtue of public agents. and meaning English
words be demonstrated from the Of the Admin
sation from its acts of commission and acts Of OMISSION
and the language of this record" that the President will
not he ought to, epel and refuse to entertain offer
from the British Minister for compromise substantially the
that he himself has heretofore proposed and that whilst
the Senate session he could not think of such thing
,cithout their adcice For he must know-we do know
that constitutional majority of that body would prefer
promise the line Of 40 to inevitable war; for the line
Of $40 40,.
Upon this subject of ,oar, suffer to say word before
/ proceed to this demonstration.
To deprecate war; calamity, by any abored remarks
the nineteenth century, and in American Senate would
be espass upon your time, and fear insult to your
Outstanding. B it has been thought that Great Britain will
not fight for Oregon and the Senator from Illinois, mr.
BREEsE) speaking for the true friends of Oregon, would
almost think that the only of negotiation about
this matter and that he does allow Of is let her get time
quit as to avoid being kicked of the possession all
the way up $40 49, These his Words but this
hardly cacature of the impression they made upon the minds
of his hearers Now without going at all into the question
of which country has the best title above the line of 49, lei
ask the Senate look at the map Of Oregon printed by
your order TO your eyes above the 49th para
leo Frazers river occupied and fortified from its mouth
to its all English forts to rccoect that Great Britain
has held possession there for forty years and to bear
mind that American settlers foot ESQ far know never
tod that soil not to forget that have been negotiating for
forty years. and always offering to Great Britain to compro-
mise for all below Fazers river then to turn to the sixth
protocol of the negotiation this day pending and undeermn
ed and there read what the British Minister said wit
the oath of September, lsh he ,oas for the present o6hg-
ed TO declare that he did not feel authorized to ENTER IsTo
DISCUSSION respecting the territory north Of the 49 pa
raLel Of Ldude-ay, not authorized to the British
claims this Fnzers river and then tell me if national
pde national honor and every consideration that stmu
late nation to war; would not compel Great Britain to resist
should Government undertake TO dsodge her settlements
there after first udely terminating the negotiation, and boldly
declaring that COMPROMISE is inadmsshleyes
oe for two generations out OF the question" all none
the whole fight" In such Great Britain must
fight she ought to fight; and she couh fight If the Sen
ator will permit suppose him Englshman, to him
put the question, then Were you Engshman, would
you not resist would you fight And if you would fight
were you EngLShman what, being american states
man. have you done with the golden re-what with the
Jackson ruewhilst you thus demanding what is not
right J"
propose now to call the attention Of the Senate the
Of the President having immediate conncxon with the in
quiry of what is his position.
His acts of commission: What they. Look to the
records and Therein you find that he himself offered
the line Of 400 compromise last August He made that
offer, Notwithstanding his "sced conviction, individually
then well now that title clear and
able mot unquestioned, but unquestonabenot the only
claim, but the best in existence He admitted in many
words to the British Government that he felt committed
Chief Magistrate of the nation He tells Congress that he
COMMITTED" "Committed" say by every thing but
the bond Of the United States have already shown that
in saying and in doing all this he only did what was right
in him to do President Of the United Sates At all
events he has soemny declared to the world that such
his opinion. Having committed himself by his own jeca-
ration and by his correspondent act who friend Of the
President in this Senate and yet will dare to say Of him,
having said will that account adhere to declaring that
he ought that he can be understood speaking to
for himself By The "rccord" such language this
81 recant it all. "True, my country committed by
the acts of my predecessors "Trus have my per-
offered to redeem her honor by proposal yield
portion Of what believed to be her strict right" "But
should the offer Of predecessors, already adopted by
that OF the nation itself happen to be returned upon will
not entertain it !" 'fThere shall be compromise -"
consultation with the Senate "-"al of Oregon none
$40 40 fight or no fight I" Oh my God what atti-
tudc is this for a mans friend to assume for him
hear Senator behind say from his seat, /" TIE Pre-
sident has put himself Merer' Never never He has
not said it. II is nowhere the records This kind
office has been performed for him by his "fend who
determined to have his company and because they go for
call of Oregon none to take the Administration along
with them by construction, any and every peril to its
sency and to the peace Of the United States No. SIR
sir The President has not put himself into that position
Had he done it. if he should do it. for one, do not hest
tate 10 declare that would compel me TO turn back upon
him and his Administration. have not that friend upon
earth whom would support in position inconsistent with
his professions Of high devotion to his counys honor
injurious to this great nations famcso pcrous TO the
worlds peace The President made not manly Offering to
the committed character Of country and TO the Of
the world that he might ngoousy snatch back again be-
fore could be accepted simply and sngy because not
seized upon in the day, month, year he offered it.
ask his pardon for the supposon that he could For one