The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-03


Calhoun has demonstraed the American title s entire
region dasd BY the C0snbs Ttrsr and i tTaarhss lie viii
Upon ths whole from the careful and ample exam
nation which the undersigned has been able 10 bestow
upon the subject he Is satisfied that the spanish Amer
hOs territory 5.nesIs Sssspsis 81 ds ysSs ana 81 a.
and form mss, q ihs 1ssilL ia erssnes 20 i'
tntrs regOa and that the clam Of Great Britain 10 any Por-
h0a Of has 40 sufficient Foundations. Even British geog.
sPhen have not doubted our title TO As Territory in dis
pute,
NooitLsaadiAg such was. aud sH a. As opinion Of s
PRECEDENT yet In the spirit Of eompromisc and concession
and ia difference to the action OF his predecessors the un
"sssh pyoposihO. as that which kas been made nsrsr
could hare been ahOrIEsd By the fresidsm had This been
Under these eircumstancss the undersigned is instruct.
ed By me Fresidsaf to say that hs oss' ioh Swn
Try, and jEst appreciation Of her tile 20 he Oregon tsri-
to' @ Withdraw tho proposition to the British govern
These extracts place the nature Of our claim to
the Oregon territory in so clear point Of view, and
define the trteni OF that claim IN such explicit and
precise terms, as 10 leave no room for doubt
cayil. What further evidence have we as 70 our
title TO Oregon In debate in the Senate, on the
Ashbunon treaty, distinguished senator Col.
Benton, in speaking Of Oregon declared IL TO be
"A country equal in to the Atlantic portion Of
Old thirteen States superior 70 climate soil and conlgnra
the great valley of tho Mississippi fronting
Asia holding key the north Pacific ocean the only
country hor colonization the extended Of north.
W s as eI,sr Ss hsir tue 10 ns District Of cohaJlq
Grsai Ws 10 see that no iraitoyoas treaty shall
ssna1n To Great Britain C9niented with her Poiisaion
into tide and fortunate events facilitate her designs By
cell cad sgssy Ss' sss"a.d on tbs point Our an
cs s rights and nfsTes' c country aud this may have
been The why we've no formal negotiations In relation
ageems 10 Svids oar country BY the rirsr 10 r,Jr The
Slois iitit % hs dseiSon Of a hisIdIy sorsreign"
Gov. Wright ofNew York, during the canvass Of
1874, declared at a public meeting, before thou
sands, "hat title to Oregon was as clear to his
mind as that the State Of New York was part of
the federal Union.n
Mr.. Chairman, the rights and claims Of the United
States TO Oregon have been before the American
people, and made subject Of investigation and re-
lection by them for years. So matured was the
public mind upon this very question, that in May,
1874, when delegates from every part Of the Union
candidate for President and Vice President, TO be
supported by the democratic patty, those delegates,
thus assembled III convention, drew up declaration
OF principles, framed with great circumspecuon and
care, and published them in the shape Of resoNi-
tons, as the political creed Of the democratic party
to the maintenance and support of which those can
didates solemnly pledged when they accepted
the nomination. They were elected upon the
strength and by virtue Of the principles thus PRO.
mulgated. Amongst those resolutions, tbs follow
Dg stands conspicuous:
Rssorsd That the title ofthe United States 10 the terri
tory Of Oregon icing IHqusIonabis hold to be the
bOHndsn duty u 0T government believe II to be the
'tHifsnf 81 ne united democratic party that kis territory
iotd BE- Pssisrrsd sH,rs aud Endridcd that part Of
'heHd Be- npTsndrsd 10 rsn POTr hut that ;G anil
occupation and for the protection and security our citizens
poV s,f;lsd IN Rnd 'aigraffaE 10 IT,
Nobly and truly has our excellent and worthy
President stood by those who elected him. and fulfil
led his duty to the letter. The first opportunity
which he had, officially, to declare his opinions he
seized upon the occasion to repeat the already ex-
pressed sentiments and views of the American peo-
pie, and in his inaugural address employed the very
language Of the Baltimore convention, when he as
serted that the title Of the United States TO Oregon
was "clear and unqutsonabLe." The same views
and opinions repeated in his message, with the
strongest confidence in their correctness, and sfter
he most mature and careful examination, together
with the fact-whieh confess, Mr.. Chairman, took
me by surprise, and do not yet quite understand
THAT a compromise had been offered on the 49h
parallel, and rejected by the British government
DO not blame the President for causing that offer To
be made; am glad that it was made, and that il
was rejected. do not believe, If that offer had been
accepted by the British government, and treaty
made and even ratified by the Senate that the peo-
pie Of the United States would have approved or
sanctioned il. My Beliefs that such treaty would
hive ruined, sooner or later, every public man who
bad anything TO do, either in its formation or ratf-
cation; for il would have been in defiance of the
clearly expressed will Of the people, and sacrifice
Of their "clear and unquesonable territorial rights ~
rs well as Of the national honor and interest,""
Who doubts our title to Oregon--the ,rhole of
Oregoni Is thre any one in this House, do not
know the man Why compromise on latitude 49'
That would leave, says the President if the Column
ba be adopted south Of where that line crosses it,
roirds Of Tie ,rhois territory The British sids in
Guiding all The raluabie harbors on the Pacific Ii il
well known that the most important harbors coasts
nd A laIt, 40 anIl
$40 40. The power that shall permanently pos
sess this portion of the Pacific coast together with
The northern half of Upper California, will ultimate
y command the commerce Of the world, and that
At no very distant period. Why surrender any
portion of our own Oregon' and surely, last Of all
he most important part--the key to the whole. |
No, sir go for the WHOLE every foot of it. Though
Of mature years, confess myself young in the bu-
siness Of legislation. And yet SIR il does not seem
% me 80 very complicated and difficult a matter.
ask myselfwhat is clearly and plainly right If /
IAN see that my unsophsticated mind leads me to
pursue it, without stopping to count the cost, or to
calculate the consequences. ! have been taught, |
and believe in the trte maxim, that honesty is the
pest policy, in the long run, and in every position
md condition IN life. "' '''
1t is said this notice will produce war. If by |
his is meant that should Great Britain persist in
ner present attitude and demands in relation to Ore
5on war must ultimately result, the proposition is
ieve, that she ioiH do Her interest must impel
ner to different course, and therefore do not
believe it. But at all events, and whatever may be
The consequences, the people of the United States
will stand by and sustain their President in main
aiming their own just rights Will the men who
defined those rights at the Baltimore convention,
md presented them to the President at his nomna-
lion as rule Of conduct in case of his election and
which was accepted by HIM, now hesitate to sup
port him, when honestly and faithfully performing
duties which they themselves enjoned upon him to
perform, as the conditions upon which they would
support him. am not prepared to see this strange
e. .. ...rrI H.-....
MIR. Chairman, this argument of war against the
giving of the notice am sorry to hear. 1t is out
Of place. tits the argument of our enemy Neces.
sarily, lhesame language is used by BOTH and from
the lips Of an American they CRATE upon my ear.
Even this question about compromise is all British
argument intended for effect so far as England is
in order to get the best bargain possible
in the end. Great Britain has no idea of fighting
us; but she is great at diplomatic bargains. A little
aid this side of the water, although it may not be
designed is always of essential service to her Sir,
in war Great Britain has much more to fear than
we have, and infinitely more at stake. An unset