The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-19
THE DAILY UNION


opportunity TO offer few remarks relative to an al
usion made 70 him by the senator from New York,
Mr.. DIX, IN the opening OF his speech yesterday.
He is reported TO have said
ln entering into the debate on the question under
feel constrained 10 differ in opinion
with two distinguished senator's who have preceded
me, IN relation 10 the manner in which the discus
Ion should be conducted. | allude to the senator
from Ohio, tMr. ALLEs,l who opened the debate,
and the senator from Delaware, [Mr. CLAYTON,
who followed him, not now in his seal. Both took
the ground, and with equal peremptoriness, that the
title TO Oregon ought not to be discussed but for to-
tally different reasons-the senator from Ohio, be-
cause the time for discussing had gone by, and the
senator from Delaware because the time for DISCUSS
ing II had not arrived. With the unfeigned respect
which entertain for Them dissent from their opinion
with great ditidence of my own"
As the senator said, he Mr.. c. was temporarily
absent from his seat, but came in few minutes al
ter the senator had made that remark. He had mis-
taken his Mr.. C.'s) position. When he had the
honor Of addressing the Senate on the 18th inst, he
did object TO the discussion Of the title in open
sion but he ayowed distinctly at the time his perfect
Willingness TO enter at any moment on that discus
sion in executive session. He did not mean 10 say
nor did he think that he was generally understood
at the time meaning to say, that he objected To the
discussion of the question at that very moment
On the contrary, he thought that he expressed his
willingness TO go into II then, II his associates IN the
Senate wished to do so-but in executive session.
And he begged the senator 10 recollect the reason
which he assigned why the discussion should be so
conducted. He said, that, If the question were TO
be settled by treaty between the two governments.
the remarks made in open session were calculated
TO PREJUDICE, and must necessarily PREJUDICE, the
question which would arise upon the treaty He
thought then, and; he thought stll, that if the
question were TO be settled in that manner, great
danger might arise from these public discussions,
because it would be recolecied that il took but nine
teen OF them TO defeat any treaty; and If the discus
sion became extended, as was very likely, there
was danger that nineteen senators might become so
committed before the whole country in regard TO the
tltle and differing FROM the Executive, why, then,
was 1t not obvious that their consideration of the
treaty would be seriously trammelled' On the other
hand, he thought then, and thought still that If dis
cussed la executive session, such difficulty could
occur; no man would be then committed before the
country. But open discussion was attended with
the danger Of so many men committing themselves
some parallel Of latitude different from that pre-
scented in the treaty. II the senator would pardon
him few moments longer, he would make sim
gle reference 10 a remark which fell from the hon
orable senator from Indiana, Mr.. HAsNEGAH.l He
seemed to apprehend that there greater danger Of
stranging Oregon in that chamber than elsewhere
How soi He (Mr. c. could not possibly compre-
bend that. IL the title to Oregon be clear-ifi be
such title as the country could stand up for and
fight fort was one that would bear discussion in
executive session we'll as anywhere else, and the
only difference was that II could be much more
safely discussed IN executive session than in open
session. The honorable senator, however, at the
conclusion of his eloquent address, seemed 10 APP
prehend that If the Senate took the responsibility Of
discussing this question in secret session, perhaps
some Caius Gracious might drive from our
Seats add forcibiy expe our President from his ele
waited sect
ware will allow me, | will restste what uttered in
this particular and a misreport Of which was given
in both the Union and lnteligencer gross as
To be ridiculous.
Mr.. J. NJ. CLAYTON yielded the floor, when
Mr.. IL. said, that the language he uttered was,
that the withdrawal Of so momentous a question
from the public eye for secret deliberaton and dis
cussion, to be followed-as perchance it might be-
by silent and sudden death of the measure in d.
rect violation of the will Of three fths Of the Amer
can people, would be most serious, if not mean-
choy hour IN the history of the country. 1t might
prelude the entrance of some Caus Gracious into
that hitherto consecrated chamber, whose heart big
with the fires of freedom, and reused by such an
outrage upon public rights, would lead him to ad-
dress the mighty tribunal without, and by this sim
pile change of attitude, there Mr. H. pointed to the
doors of the Senate and raised his hands the gal
leries,) turning from that veneraed chair reverse
thcnceforth the cherished forms Of this BODY impair
its dignity, and destroy its lofty and commanding
attitude.
Mr.. CLAYTON was glad to hear that explana-
ton.
THE honorable senator from Indiana is slightly
mistaken: The remarks made by him, and referred
to in the above explanation, were heard so indis-
tnctly by the reporters for the Union that no report
,rha trsr of them attempted, and no report
tphateptr OF them appeared in this paper.
These personal matters being thus very satsfac-
toriy disposed of,
oREGoN-THE NOTICE.
Mr.. DIX then proceeded with his remarks, and
said:
Certainly nothing would give me more pain than
to misstate any senator on this floor; and | accept
with great pleasure the explanation which the
tor has made. ! desire also to saw in Justice to
him, well as TO the senator from Ohio that did
not use the term "peremptoriness" in referring to
the manner in which they had insisted that the
question of title ought not, in their opinion, to be
discussed | said they had taken the position in
equally strong language.
/ now resume the consideration of the important
question which | had the honor TO address tho
Senate yesterday; and in doing So cannot with
hold the expression Of my sense of the kind indul-
gence which has been extended to me. | will en-
deavor to afford the Senate substantial proof of that
sense of obligation on my part, by bringing my
marks to close in the brefest possible period of
time
The historical sketch was giving when the Sen
ate adjourned of the discoveries and establishments
which had been made in Oregon, ended with the
year 1892.
The discovery of Bulfnch's harbor and the Co
lumbia river by Gray and the explorations of Gal
liano Valdes, and Vancouver, in the strait of Fuca,
in that year, terminated the series Of maritime dis
coveries in the disputed territory, which had COM
menced two centuries and half before. From that
time to the present, nothing has been done on the
coast but to ill up the smaller details Of the great
outline completed by the labors Of these navigaors
In the same year, (l792) Mackenzie, leaving
Fort ChiPpewyan, on the Athalasca lake, in the
5sth parallel Of latitude, and nearly midway be-
tween the Atlantic and Pacific oceans, proceeded
westward to the Rocky mountains, where he passed
the winter. The next spring he resumed his Jour
ney, struck the Tacoutche Tessce in the Saith paral-
lei Of latitude, (now Frazers river, and descended
it some $50 miles. He then continued his course
to the west, and reached The Pacific IN north lartue
$50 20-a degree north Of the island of Quadra
and Vancouver. This river which takes ts rise
near the 55th parallel of latitude, was for nineteen
years supposed to be the northern branch Of the
COlumhia but 1872 II was ascertained nv Frayer tn