The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-20

TO Great Britain, or hazard our nationai reputation
for fidelity TO treaty stipulation. Il is well known
that British statesmen, and eminent statesmen in
our own country, and In this House, deny that II
was treaty for "joint occupation but eOmmsr-
eai convention for the purposes Of trade and
Ii that be the true construction, ask we, with
that treaty staring in the face, decline giving the
notice, and pass measures 10 colonize Oregon for
the avo'esd purpose Of ultimately thereby sszing the
l"uhole Of Oregon" even TO $40 40y
The committee will mark the manifest distinc.
ton between projecting adventurous pineers il
Oregon, by throwing the shield Of our laws around
them, and encouraging them TO settle there for the
aFowed policy of sezing the country, to the ultimate
exclusion Of the English.
Mr.. Chairman, statesmen should ever hesitate
and ponder well when national hopor and national
faith is at stake And, sir, with great Difference to
the eminent gentlemen who differ with me on this
question, appeal " gentemens sense Of honor and
flank and manly dealing, " the policy OF emigration
and colonization TOR the purpose Of taking the terri
tory virtually before giving the notiee, comports well
with the magnsninous, bold, aud manly bearing Of
a proud aud hgh.minded nation. Will not the ma
tons Of the world iaaBi with "a, uaoAnly
piece OF management, partaking more OF the char
acer OF artful game than Of cardid, independent,
undisguiscd action And, sir, will they not have
too much cause TO do III | beseech gentlemen TO
pcsse, TO pause long, before nation is made to
act part even bordering on dishonOT
But, MIR. Chairman, when gentlemen seem con-
WINGED Of the importance Of terminating this dispute
with England, and that difficulties annually
cumulstiagj their lmaginations are haunted by the
terrific sc-Hes 80 iDgenousy depicted here that
while they talk with bprning patriotism about " the
whole Of Oregon" they urge the policy of eoloniza-
tlon and say II war must COME time, time, time 10
TO achieve our triumph. Sir, this cry Of tne--wail-
negotlaton-has been raised and sounded here for
twenty-eigh, years! Difficulties constantly null
upylng, and sill the same cry Is made. Gentle
men argue If giving this notice Is declaring war.
All admit IL Is Of itself not cause Of and, Mr.
Chairman, instead Of producing war, and shutting
the door Of negotiation, adS Ocate It because hun-
ly believe It tends TO promote and hasten negotiation
ard TO preserve peace. Sir, have we not Struggled
yes, Sfasglsd-for more than quarter OF a century
TO negotiate with England ulhoui giving this notice.
And after the lapve Of that time, II be called
tashucss, war, madness 70 give the notice May
we not-confdentiy relying on the strength OF our
title and righteousness Of caJse-inJuge the
hope, that, whea the notice Is given, England VIII
reflect, %1h appreciate earnestness, will he
aroused by the pressing Importance Of prompt nc.
ton TO act the part IN negotiation Of her own
which her own sense Of justice will
d ciatc and the public sentiment Of the world
will admonsh her she ought To dOi Sir, |
applaud the President for his effort TO settle
this question in that spirit Of liberal concession,
so ctedable TO his heart, but equally applaud the
prompt!.sss with which he took independent and
hrm position, wI.r The British minister hastily
rejected that liberal oGef. Win lille which ~
candid hesitate to pronddncs better than
hers, he STILL in the spirit 81 concession, approached
her. She discarded our offer. We have done our
part for Compromise; il she desires it, let her now
act. Sir, let ds DO duty, and give the notice. |
Has not negotiation, without The notice. bsiled the
efforts of wisest Statesmen, Did rot Mr. Clay,
with his lofty genius, tile admiration OF 30 many OF
his countrymen, try and fail' Did he not suggest
The most liberal offer, while he said that England |
had "coior of title to any portion Of the country"
Did not Mr.. Monroe, Rush. and the able Gallatin, |
aso attempt it; and fail Has not Mr.. Calhoun, |
whose giant intellect grasp any subject and who
has evinced much desirs TO adjust il, attempted
and faied' And have not all peftised with pride
The mastery correspondence Of our present etfnen
Secretary of State who has also failed in his efforts
II nego,ntioni When Lord Ashburton came from |
England as special minister to adjust our conro-
versesj do not gentlemen remember well that the cry
'htTs was to "hnsh up discussio'1'--tho notice will |
be considered threat, and check negotiations And
10 not gentlemen know thst his lordship returned |
home content with the laurcIs and lind he acquired
IN the northeast leaving II 10 some fortunate
'or to acquire laures and land in the northwest s
w as not the same suggestion made when it was an
bounced that Mr.. Pakenham was coming And
gentlemen know the result Of the effort to negotiate
with HIM. And yet Mr. Chairman, after all these
liberal concessions these anxious efforts at negotia
ION t6itkout notct by most eminent and learned
iiplonatists, struggling in spirit Of compromise,
or a quarter Of a century, we told to wait
while longer, to pause still, and thereby literally
,low Britain by time, to strengthen her preteBsions
title, and increase the difficulties in the way of adj
ustment. Sir, think our path of duty is clear and
,lan Fidelity to our treaty, demands that we first
1--WE the notice. for we are bound to protect and de-
end our people, who daily hocking TO that terri
ory under the belief that ours and that this no.
ice will be given.
Gentlemen say that perhaps war may follow. I
rust not and trust that England will do her duty.
But sir, must we be alarmed, frightened from the
discharge Of what honor and justice to our people
us to do, because England may in her
oily, W1thsut cause, involve us in war; Peace has
is charms, and wit he horrors. The mind delights
o contemplate the holy and benign influence which
IN honorable peace exerts on ffatioDs, science,
morals, and religion. The man that would reck-
essy check in its progress, promoting happiness
md prosperity in our beloved country, has neither
The heart of patriot or Christian. All--all
shrink with ubhorrence from contemplating the car
mage, and boodshcd, and wretchedness that mark
he desoiating track of But lei ''be Just and
fear not," has oft been said. Think you, sir, if
he great and gallant Washington and Lafayette
sould revisit US, they would not blush at our de-
sentrscy in shrinking from duty at this cry Of war
w ould they not remind US of our early history, and
tell us that the rnce is not always to the swift,
The battle to the strong;" but that just God con-
trolls the destiny of nations and OF menl Sir, while
listened with pleasure at the charming eloquence
1icated so ably our title to Oregon, | was struck
with no little surprise at part Of his argument for
ielay--for time, and against the notce-quite
Dvincive Of the scarcity of more solid reasons. II
was that John Bull was getting older every day.
and that already he had gray hairs upon his head,
and that therefore time would do much for us. An
adversary does US much wrong, and keeps from US
our own---we must bear it in patience--and, if
upon observation discover few gray hairs
on his head, we are to leave him for the
present to persist in his wrongs, calmly con-
selling oursef that as our adversary is already |
a little gray, he will become older and weaker in the
decline of years, and h'n the fight shall be made!
And shall an American Congress seriously act upon |
this principle in reference to our valuable territory
in the northwest in which we have already suffered
so much by delay Surely, surely not, sir. Sup |
pose our ancestors--the glorious sons of '76-when
but three millions only, writing under a sense Of
unjust oppression, and indignant at the unboly at
tempts to crush them with still more lntolerable |
burdens, had concluded that although Great Brit
ain is rudely pressing us down with the yoke of
tyranny, we will wait until she gets olderl" In
stead Of this proud, independent republics America,
,eah.h,li,,, he N of folO- 4