The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-12-03
POLITICAL.
THE OREGON ouEsTIoN-No. 0. \
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a From the PennsylssnisA
IS THE OREGON QUEsTIoN.-No. 8. h
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Proceedings and debates Ia The Senate the resou-
tion for giving The years. notice, eOniinnsd-ths al
vios giosn by The Senate 20 accept me British PROPOSE
tios-aad the conclusion Of The treaty Of Limits Dtih
Great Britain, tsssh0ard " the Rocky mountains.
After the 26,h February, 1926, the discussion in
the Senate, on the question OF notice, took more
extended range. Mr.. Clayton, ana after MN Mr.
Webster, had denounced the employment OF argu-
ments against our own title, in public debate In
deed the latter gentleman, in Of the psrox-
ysms of patriotism 10 which he is sometimes sub
eet had declared; "If negotiation be pending wish
TO hold my tongue. 1t shall be blistered before
would say anything derogatory TO the title Of the
United States, whilst the government Of the United
States was engaged in negotiating for that territory
on the strength Of our title" ....
These patriotic and prudential considerations were,
however, soon disregarded On the 9th and 10Th
March, Mr.. Evans, of Maine distinguished himself
by an able and elaborate argument IN favor OF the
British title north of 10 degrees, and in opposition
TO our own. At the time, we often heard II said,
that he had displayed more ability and research on
the British aide Of the question, than all the British
diplomatists who had taken part in the discus
sion. This is a high compliment TO his understand
ing, perhaps at the expense of his patriotism; but
from his speech reported in that excellent work,
the Congressional Globe, we think Il was richly Ge-
served. MIR. Pakenham had never attempted TO an
swer the clear and convincing argument of Mr. Blu
chanaD, contained in his letter of the 30th August
1845, in favor of our title; but this wholly
necessary. Several American senators performed
the task for him better than he could have done II
himself
number of senator's, commencing with Mr..
Johnson, of Maryland, followed Mr.. Evans in the
same strain ofargument.
Mr.. Calhoun commenced his great speech as il
was called, ION the 10th March, in his usual man
ner, by vndicang his consistency; and never had he
more easy task to perform. He proved conclusvely
his consistency in having opposed the resolution to
give the notice, In its simple original form, or even
in the manly but concilmtory form in which it had
passed the House; and in now supporting the reso-
luton in the only shape it could pass the Senate,
which was neither more nor less than an offer sub
stantay to surrender the whole territory north Of
the 49th degree to Great Britain. He dwelt with
peculiar emphasis upon the horrors of a war with
that powerful nation. In such contest, we must
in hn opinion, raise seven armies and two nayies;
we must have, at the least estimate, 300 900 men in
the field. II the should last ten years il would
leave public debt of $3.50 600 000 besides in the
time, raising s50,000,0 600 per annum by taxa
ton And, what we suppose the Carolina sena-
tor dreaded more than all, we would have three or
four successful military cheflans as candidates in
the field for the presidency .'
Alter the debate had continued until tho Both
March, IL then became necessary again TO send
something authoritative and encouraging 10 Great
Britain by the next steamer. This was the last
day'r proceedings which could reach the British
ministry by that opportunity. Mr.. Webster, on
that day, rose In the Senate, and with solemn and
oracular tone, read speech. In this he condemn
ed the President for having asserted our title to the
whole territory-decared that the United States
had admitted, through long series Of years, that
England had rights in Oregon which were entitled to
be respected-expresseda strong opinion in favor Of
the settlement of the question according to Mr. Gal
m WI nd Nod ba
parallel Of 49 degrees, with the perpetual sur
render Of the navigation Of the Columbia TO all
British Subjects and stated, matter Of fact that,
, IN his opinion, there was no room to doubt that
this country was "ready 10 stand by that offer sub
stantially and in effect" We have never learned
that Mr.. Websters tongue clustered" whilst read
ing this speech to the Senate, though well it might
Even Colonel Benton went strongly for the paral-
lei Of 40 degrees. He became entangled in the
meshes ofthe old treaty Of Utrecht which had been
concluded more than one hundred and thirty years
ago, between Great Britain and France; and having,
without proper precauton, chosen this position il
was impossible either to persuade or to drive him
from it. Indeed, it is a striking characteristic Of
this great, honest, and generally wise statesman,
that when once he gets wrong on any subject, all
mankind may in vain attempt to set him right He
insisted that commissioners under this old treaty
had settled the parallel Of 40 degrees as the dividing
line between Great Britain and France, as far west
as the Pacific, and that we were bound by this set
trace Of such proceeding could be found, after
diligent search in the foreign offices of London,
Paris, and Madrid 1t was in vain 10 state to him.
that If this had ever existed it would constitute
part of the diplomatic records Of Europe, and would
have been published with the other volumnous pro-
ceedngs under the treaty ofUtrecht. 1t was in vain
to direct his attention TO the absurdity Of supposing
that Spain then one of the most powerful, and by
far the most jealous of all the nations of Europe in
regard to her territorial rightsa party too in sub
atSr.ao ,,t IL Co. a. L. - --rU ~.
should have stood by, and quietly her territory
on the northwest coast Of America the title to
which had never at that day been disputed, parti-
toned out between Great Britain and France, Just
as il they were its legitimate proprietors. Disre-
gardng all these considerations the colonel carried
out his blunder in 80 bold style, that be even at.
tempted to render 'the ffty-four forties," as he
termed them, ridiculous, whilst the "forty-nines"
were the subject of his highest eulogy.
And here itwould be objectionable for us to with
hold our humble need Of praise from those senators
who 80 ably advocated the American side of the
question. Among these, Messrs. Allen, Cass, and
flanagan, greatly distinguished themselves They
did all that men could do to sustain the righteous
cause of their country, but they were overborne by
numbers. In our opinion, they had greatly the ad-
vantage OF tho argument on the question of title
They deserved, if they could not command sue
cess. a-.
But why should we trouble our readers with fur.
Their detas' After debate which had continued
from inc iutn fepruary 10 the 10Th April, the rcso-
luton for giving the notice. in the form most accept
able to those who desired to surrender the whole
territory north of 40 degrees to Great Britain pass
ed the Senate by a majority of 40 to IA; and of
these fourteen, three (Mr. Thomas Clayton, OF Della
ware, Mr. Evans, of Maine, and MIR. Wescott, of
Forda voted against il because opposed to the res.
olution in any form. Its character had been so en-
tirely changed that eleven of its strongest original
friends voted against it in the form which il had
assumed. Those were Messrs. Allen, Atchison,
Breese, Bright, Cass, Dickinson, Fairfield Hanne-
gan, Jenness, Semple, and Sturgeon. Those who
voted in the affirmative were, Messrs. Archer Ash
-lsy, Anterior, Bagby. Barrow, Benton, Bcrren,
Calhoun, Cameron, Chalmers, J. M. Clayton, Cor
win, Crttehden, Davis, Dayton, Dix, Greene, Hay
wood, Houston, Huntington, Jarnagin, johnson, Of
Md, johnson, of La, Lewis, McDufie, Mangum
Phelps, Rusk, Sewer, Simmons, Speight, Turnev'
Upham, Webster, and Woodbridge.
This was the al-important vote. 1t was this vote
which finally decided the fate of Oregon II
Mt 1 fp mn puitot n