Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-01-31


the encroachments Of the Union II asserted be the indie
feasible right and duty Of the Americans only to resist
European interference but to be utterly deafto the suggestions
Of European discretion and humanity.
With rather unreasonable avdity of self graduation, the
President claims the contradictory hono Of peace and
the Texan triumph This accession territory, he
says, has been boodess achievement No Of force
has been raised produce the result The sd has Ind
part IN the uictory He cannot, however, orego the pleas
of relating, few sentences after, what efficient military
preparations he had made and how thoroughly Mexico had
been hemmed all Sides both by land and by sea- before
it could have time to defend the disputed territory.
On point the message exhibits sympathy with
Ministerial intentions marvellous It is suspicious OF In
ernatonal amy. The principle Of protective duties OPP
posed to those for revenues clearly defined and strongly
demned and the Legislature recommended TO put end
to the oppressive Inequalities of what is called the minimum
principle, retained IN the tariff Of 1872 with the general adop
ton of 0d U0lre duties The President lays down the i'm
poran maxim that ought fall lightly possible
the materials Of profitable employment and the necessaries
Of life.
Oregon is the subject which the almost fanaca interest
with which it has been agtaed by the States and its
quent bearings the peace Of the world renders the most
prominent the address The long and animated
Of the American press show how little disposed the citizens
have hitherto been to let off the President this painful
and delicate subject What is actually said is neither
less than what million voices have dictated and we ha
long known II need not augment the erros Of the European
aarmss and certainly OiH not change The resopes add
to The preparations of the British Cabinet is already
resolved and prepared W. ~ 5i ssg
Mr. Polk after advertng to the recent negotiations and
temps compromise before he into Office informs Of
what he has done towards the conclusion of this
dispute. In reading his simple narrative, becomes
to remember that American exists in sphere Of his
and can hardly be judged by European ideas of mode
ton, decency, and honor The President takes great credit
himself for having made offer which he acknowledges
be less what the British Government has repeatedly de-
cined i 4 go, a5e 7sa
" In consideration, too that under the conventions Of 1918
and 1897 the citizens and subjects of thetwo Powers held
joint occupancy OF the country induced to make another
effort to settle this long pending controversy the spirit OF
moderation which had given birth the discussion
proposition accordingly made, which rejected by
the British Penpotentiar who, without submitting other
proposition suffered the negotiation his part drop,
pressing hi trust that the United States would offer what he
fit to call further proposal for the settlement fthe
Oregon question consistent with fairness and equity and
with the reasonable expectations Of British
The proposition thus offered and rejected repeated the offer of
the parallel Of 40 degrees of north latitude which had been
made by preceding Administrations but without proposing
surrender Great Britain they had DONE the free navga
of the Columbia The right of any foreign Power
the free navigation Of of rivers through the heart
of country which unwilling concede"
In making this proposal already twice refused the Pres
dent thinks it necessary apologize to his Democratic sup
poers He Pleads with all the humiliation of bound by
pescpve compances that he had been obliged proceed
the basis Of compromise and asks the public condonance
for that under this bondage he has offered what known
by repeated trials would not be accepted To make amends
for this semposed ndgny he declares that the day Of
compromise is a sr
" Had this been question: coming under discussion
for the first tme this proposition would not have been made
The extraordinary and wholly inadmissibe demands Of the
Difference alone to what had been done by my
and the implied obligation which their seemed to impose
afford satisfactory evidence that compromise which the Uni
ted States ought accept be effected With this convie
on the proposition of compromise which had been made and
rejected by my direction, subsequently, Withdrawn and
lieved maintained by irreagsbe cis and arguments The
civilized world win these proceedngsa spirit Of liberal
part the United this
will be relieved from all responsibility which follow
the failure to settle the controversy"
'sAl attempts compromise having failed, Mr. Polk
occupation of the country that the laws and institutions Of
the Union should be extended the American settler in Ore
gon and that military posts should be established Tor their
protection All formidable enough, could believe posi-
BILE that any civilized nation would really plunge into fatal
and suicidal error defend by the right Of
patton, and the still imaginary claim to which Mr. Polk
also refershe anteceden right of the Union to all the
settled and undecided territory the North American CONT
nent The declaration too premature however, TO be really
alarming proposes bring things to immediate issue,
and that immediate issue must be of negotiation not
slower might have been nsdious and more
certain. Mr. Cahouns policy OF giving notice, but push
ing the undoubed right joint occupancy to the utmost could
hardly fail in the of years. result in repetition
of the game of Texas rather Of the original Declaration Of
Independence Oregon, should've American population
attain substantial preponderance, would not long remain
British colony but occupancy though irresistible po,oer,
is not right, and depends numbers, not arms.
The terms Of the message imply them the alternative Of
conclusive negotiation. War is too monstrous to be
thought of for moment, except after every effort
promise has been exhausted Britain and America must be
sensible Of their mutual benefits mutual dependence and
mutual respect peril the substantial blessings they enjoy
and daily multiplying in the relations peace for the bloody
and precarious gories of is all but impossible that
two great and kindred nations after healing wide breach
and helping another 10 great prosperity,
should become again mutual and unnatural destroy
point Of honor for Wilderness separated from both
by journey Of many months by stormy and almost inn
passable rocks and deserts Unless Mr. Polk merely tr
ing with words and secretly scong at the universal sen
ments Of humanity, he is himself incapable Of great an
outrage and injury the country Of his ancestors the land
Of his BIRTH and the whole Of What he by
saying that he has adopted the maxim "o ask nothing
is not right and to submit to nothing that is wrong" And
his further boast that his anxious desire peace
with all nations " That the Union should be anxious heal
this sore and should think unmany and mpolc be-
queath quarrel TO poseny, natural enough That they
should think strengthen their claim with strong language
is also in conformity with many examples But If the deci-
Is be speedy, only be by negotiation either by
reference BY the method which, in the case
Of the disputed boundary Canadian frontier proved
entirely successful
LONDON MORNING CHRONICLE, DECEMBER %.
We received last night by express from Liverpool the
Message Of the American President which has been looked
f with much anxiety by the British public. 1t will be
found in another part of our paper.
One topic Of the many adverted to in this document will
Just engross the attention Of the English people "Whai
does Mr. Polk Of the Oregon ?" He recommends that
notice be Immediately given terminate the end of twelve
months the convention Of s27 by which the two countries
Jointly occupy the disputed territory "At the end Of the
years notice." he adds should Congress think proper TO
make provision for giving that notice. shall have reached
period when the national Oregon either be aban
doned firmly maintained And long before the end of the