The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1846-04-28

unspottsd, siry and desire to keep il %. I wish
to do nothing bordering even u,on the cosflnes OF
Injustice, and, therefore, SIR, II the Hudson Bay
Company have important interests there-and that
thew have | am free to admlt--aud the British go
vernment is responsible 10 them for any injury
which may result, In consequence OF any DISPOSE.
ton OF the country policy may require Great Britain
to make and II, in order to carry on their trade
few years longer, and settle their affairs, they
should desire the use OF the river tor short period
would concede II to them most cordially. would
afford them every facility for closing up their af.
fairs and leaving the country to our exclusive juris
dIctlon; out 10 no division OF the territory could
ever consent. We all recolect, sir, that memora
BILE display OF the wisdom OF Solom0n-the case oil
the living child claimed by two mothers-and the
exhibition OF true parental affection on that occa.
sion. She who consented to the division of the
child was adjudged not to be Tho true parent, and
the real mother was restored to her own. So il is
sir, with the true friends Of Oregon they cannon
consent to division of the child OF their love. II
England is the true parent, give il all to her, sir
We cannot consent 10 a division of the territory,
either by the Columbia river or the A9h parallel
And here, Mr. President, | must be permitted to
say. more m IN sorrow than IN anger regret as
10 offer TO Great Britain the proposition to divide
the territory on the 49th parallel think, sir the
error on his part consisted In this: that ne did not
consider 1t ~eU question, so Tar as ne ana MS al
ministration were concerned. In my judgment,
sir, 30 far as he was concerned, It was an entirely
new question. And why, sir Because, at the
convention which assembled In May, 1874, to no.
inmate candidates for President and Vice President,
to be supported by the party TO which he belongs, q
delegate OF the State of New York offered the fol.
lowing, among other resolutions, which was una
nimously adopted, as principle OF action and OF
union. Here II is, sir:
"Resolved. That our title to the whole OF the
TERRITORY of Oregon is clear and unreasonable
that no portion OF the same ought to be coded to
England, any other power; and that the re- occu-
patton OF Oregon, and the re annexation OF Texas,
at the earliest practicable period, are great Amerl
can measures, which this convention recommends
to the cordial support OF the democracy OF the
Union"
Now, cir, on these great " American measures, y
then tor the first time adopted as such, we went
before the country. The present Executive was the
candidate OF the party that avowed this right and
title the whole of the territory of Oregon. Ore
gon was the watchword throughout the whole
length and breadth of the land 1t was not con-
fined to the west or southwest, but in the north
ern, middle, aud throughout all the States, it was
the rallylng cry. Oregon and Texas were one and
undivided. The Executive was elected by the aid
OF this measure and to what did he pledge him
self on the eastern portico, before his assembled
In his inaugural address to them and
to the country! Mark his language. sir
/" Nor will it become In less degree my duty to
assert and maintain, by all constitutional means,
the right OF the United States to that portion Of
territory which lies beyond the Rocky Mountains.
Our title to the country Of the Oregon Is clear and
unquestionabe, and already are our people prepar-
ing to perfect that title by occupying it with their
wives and children"
in accordance with the public judgment Of the
country such was his pledge He had been elect
ed as friendly to series OF measures, OF which the
entirety OF Oregon was one and thus It became in
entirely new question. II never had before, Mr..
President, been an element In any political contro.
versy, and his inaugural address prefgured to his
constituents what his course would be when called
s1a r la1.
to Congress the present session. he does not de.
part from the ground he then assumed as to the
right, but In reference alone TO what had been
done by his predecessors, and the Implied obligation
which their acts seemed to impose" and not coz
sidering II new question, he made the proposition
Again, say, sir, regret the President took that
view OF the subject, and offered proposition so
well calculated TO embarrass his friends different
parts OF the country, and who had united in con-
d.mnlng those predecessors In making similar
offer. BuLthe proposition was made and rejected
by Great Britain, Withdrawn bv our government
and is no longer binding The President tells us,
With his conviction that no compromise which the
United States ought to accept can be effected, "the
proposition OF compromise, which had been made
aud rejected, was, by my direction, sequentIy
Withdrawn, and our title TO the whole Oregon terri
tory asserted, aud, as is believed, maintained by ir
refragabe facts and arguments" He then recon-
nends giving The notice TO terminate the conven.
ton, and says: 6 At the end of the years notice.
SHOULD Congress think 1t proper to make provision
Tor giving that notice, we shall have reached pc
Rod when the national rights Oregon must either
oe abandoned or firmly maintained. That they
cannot be abandoned without q sacrifice OF both
national honor and interest ia too clear admit OF
doubt" Again he says, "Oregon is part Of The
North American continent, to which II is confident
y affirmed the title Of the United States IS the best
eIistence"
To understand, Sir, what is meant by our national
rights IN Oregon, which cannot be abandoned with.
out sacrifice OF both national honor and interest,
have only n the first nhnvt
quoted We there find that II ID to the whole Ore.
gon territory, our title to which is maintained by
IRE Tagabe facts and arguments" Under these
full and patriotic declarations, the country can re.
pose, Sir, with perfect confidence entertaining no
apprehensions that their President will swerve from
them in the slightest particular, now that the hone
rdry obligation Is fully discharged.
The recommendations Of the President, sir,
should be carried into effct. | hope they will be
by the unanimous vote OF the Senate. / should re-
jolce TO entire union upon them In cases OF this
Kind there should be no party divisions party
should have no existence 1t Is not now party
House, 1t will be seen that party lines were not OBJ
served, and hope 1t may be SO here.
Even, sir If the very Objectionable resolutions Of
tered by the Senator from Georgia Mr.. Coqulti]
should receive the assent OF the Senate, l SHOULD
still feel assured, having so much confidence in the
wisdom and hrmness OF the Executive, that what.
ever compromise he might be compelled, under the
terms OF 1t, 10 offer or accept. ii would not be such
Ohc dS Wouiu uNUlNe SESSION OIL any part Oh Tie
territory, because, sir, he is uy committed to the
nation TO maintain Its right to the whole territory,
and to reserve unsullied the national honor and
he feels the responsibility Of that position.
MIR. President, let US enquire what will be the
state of things after the notice is gwen, and the
twelve months have expired. What will follow,
srl II British subjects remain in the territory they
will, necessarily, become subject to our laws, as
they are now in every other part OF The United States
in which they may happen to be. That, sir, will be
their condlon-that will be the effect Of the termi-
nation of the convention tor we would be at once
RENTED to our right OF possession, whichmust ne
cessary be exclusive, placing in the actual sove-
reignty OF the country. That we can maintain that
position Is very certain. There need be no appre-
hension, sir, If notice be given, and the measures
recommended by the President carried out, and
emigration encouraged, that any act OF violence ON
the part OF Great Britain will take place because
addition to oeher considerations, we have her un-
qualified admission, that we have the right OF pos
session, and any act Of encroachment on her part
would be entirely unauthorized and unjustifabe,
and which she would not hazard, az it would be an
act Of war. She cannot now gainsay that admis-
sinn tho ahp,d0 ~vhs IL 70