The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-10


give the notice; and TO insert in lieu of the word
stricken out, "the first of June" Ii | be right d
supposing that this is the only alteration, hav
nothing 10 say upon point which, to my mind,
so entirely immatsrial And, for the same reason
shall pass over, without observation, the PROPOSE
ton Of the senator from Illinois, MIR. BREEsE,
which, at best, is only designed TO correct Verba
omission.
Thus far, sir, | have attempted to detail the pro
ceedings Of the Senate, in their preliminary efforts
upon the question of notice; and that my narraty,
may be complete, II becomes necessary for me Il
detain the Senate this branch of the inquiry fo
a moment longer.
In the House of Representatives, after full debate
long deliberation, and | will add able and search.
ing investigation, this measure Of notice TO annul the
conventions of 1918 and 1927, has passed, and has
been sent the Senate for It's concurrence The rs
resolution of the House is essentially the same az
that reported by the Committee on Foreign Relations
Of the Senate In substance these resolutions
IDENTICAL and whilst prefer the resolution Of the
Senate, on account Of what regard as the better
phraseoogy, am yet willing TO save time, and out
Of Difference the action Of the House, 10 give up
my preference for the one, and vote for the other
To this first resolution Of the House there is an
other dscaiming all intention TO interfere with ne
gotations. This latter resolution | dislike, and
think il entirely out Of place; and yet am willing
to LET t stand, If any gentleman desires il.
Sir, am not trained in the language Of eulogyi
| ed, and ON that account, and thai account only,
| should be appreciated. | cannot forkear, on this
occasion, however much as il may to be out OF
my element to say 10 that house, that, IN passing
this notice, you have faithfully responded 10 the
message Of your President you have faithfully re-
fected the opinions and wishes Of your constituents
and, what is better than either, IN the fear Of the
timd and amid the terrifying cries Of war, you have
manfully sustained and upheld the interest and
honor Of your country. And God grant that this
Senate may have the wisdom and the courage 10
initiate your example.
Sir shall we pass this notice. Shall the President
he sustained by in his recommendation, as he
has been by the House Of Representatives Shall
the people of these States be gratlhed in this part-
cular' Shall we pass the notice and nothing more,
or shall we have a sort Of half-and-half qualified
affair Or shall we, after all our parade-afer ex.
citing hopes at home, and attracting the attention Of
all Europe, whose eyes yet upon us-quIeuy
adj ourn and 60 home, and do nothing, leaving this
Oregon question, where IL has been for about thirty
years unsettled matter Of constant irritation, ben
efcal only TO Great Britain and daily becoming
more and more difficult Of settlement by our unwise
delays These are questions well worthy the grave
answer of an American Senate.
Sir, some senators opposed to this notice
in any form, and have kindly favored the Senate
with their reasons for their opposition They
are against it, because they think it unnecessary
for the purposes of negotiaton; and if wanted for
unwilling to give it. The President informs u.s.
in the progress of his negotiation, he finds this
convention, for the abrogation of which this no.
tice is intended, mpediment in his way, and de-
slres Congress to remove it. He has told what
he has done, and, this convention out of his way
what he hopes yet to be able to do. We all know
that long as this convention continues in force
Great Britain have no motive for settling thi,
dispute. By the terms of this convention she has
practically the possession Of the whole of Oregon
She never get more, and by any negotiation she
must lose something; and knowing this, what i'm
ducement can she have for settlement of this
question: What has been her past policy upon
this subject Whenever this question has been up
before Congress and pressed for decision, she
Immediately begins to talk Of negotiation; and upon
this being minated to us, we, credulous and con
6ding souls, stop proceedings, and wait for
negotiation But sir, so soon as we cease to talk
about Oregon, Great Britain to negotiate; and
this is the game we have had played upon us fol
several years.
Lord Ashburton was authorized to negotiate upon
this question, and yet he evaded it-said nothing
about 1t. And now, sir, when we are pressing the
settlement OF this question, for the third fourth
time in Congress, told, a usual, to wait q
little longer and leave to be adjusted by negotia
ton. How long, sir is our patience to be abused
| How long, sir, to be trifed with by such in
sincerity, by such hypocrtca professions Is this
question never TO be settled IL will never bt
settled until Great Britain shall be induced tc
believe that it is intention TO change the
state of this question, and that are, at last
resolved to have it settled in some way. Let u,
nullfy this conventions let restore ourselves &c
the possession of the valley of the Columbia river
as we had it in 1918; let US plant citizens there
make them freehoders there, and extend to then
the benefits of our laws, and secure the friendship
of the natives by Just and liberal treaties; and last
though not least, let defend and protect them
| by the power and force of our army and navy
| III = al. = IL
however humble, or however remote from Thu
capital has a right to claim at the hands o
this government and that protection, | hope
he will never invoke in vain. Let these thing
be done, and then, sir, if Great Britain de
sires negotiate for the country north Of the valley
I we will think of it. All of these things law
| fully do when this convention is abrogated, and i
| may be doubted if we can do them before.
| The President doubtless thinks that this step vii
facilitate land probably by negotation) the settle
ment of this question. But should he be mistaken
in this he then tells us that it is our duty to
But the assertion of our rights, and above ALL tn
preparation manfully to defend them, the yer,
things which these gentlemen don't want to do
i If these gentlemen can get Oregon, the whole or
part of it, peaceably, and without fight, they, il
their generosity, are now willing to accept It. Tim
was, sir, when some of those gentlemen unwil
ling to have Oregon, on any terms, peaceably an
without fight. Their speeches and their votes il
1870, Is4l, fs42, is43, and in 1914, will throw
flood of light upon their past policy in relation t
this subject. And invite senators, on some rain
day, when they can't 60 out, and have nothing els
to do, to look over those speeches and those votes
These senators then thought that some lofty pea
Of the Stony mountains, and fronting the east, tn
god Terminus, of this republic, should be placed
and that all west, or behind him, should be give
up to others They then thought our territorit
possessions were already too widely extended fo
the harmony and safety of the American Unior
or for the improvement of our people or the
t country in mind or morals, wealth. resources, G
comforts. They told us, on those occasions, some
thing respecting the effects Of the loss of popult
ton and capital upon the value of lands and proT
crty in the good old "Thiriten;' and Of the ruInou
effects upon workshops and manufactures by tn
destruction of competition, and the enhanceme,
Of the value Of labor, resulting from this process
emigration We we're favored with touching PR
, dlctions as TO the fate Of the poor Indians, no.
quiet and happy in the still and gloomy forests
, Oregon, undIsturbed in their wigwams and huntin
: grounds by the woodman's axe, or startled by tn
r sound Of an American rife. Oregon they describe
asbeing poorer than the mountains dividing Canad