The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-21
THE UNION.
CITY OF AsHIN GToN.
MONDAY NIGHT, SELL. Pr, ls46.

THE PRESIDENTS COURSE ON THE OREGON NE
COLLATION.
The Baltimore American, having substantially, II
its article Of Friday last, charged the President viii
Inconsistency and sslEeOnirGdietiOa in the course
the Oregon negotiation, makes this morning DIES
psrate attempt to wrigge itself out Of that position
and to represent us as making up an issue between
the President and Mr.. McLane We bar this III
the outset. Our issue is with the Baltimore Amer
lean and the National Intelligencer, and not with
MIR. McLane. We charge that both these journ'
ais have attempted to represent the President as
having held one language to Congress and the coun-
try in relation to the Oregon question: and at the
same time an opposite language on the same sub
jeet TO our minister al London. We charge that
these journals have made this allegation with an in
directness and indslinctness which show that they
have no confidence in its truth They have failed
TO make their accusation precise and specific, be-
cause they well know that such an accusation can
be fully refuted from published documents before
the world. Not the less this account, however,
have they sought to impress their readers with
an opinion which they dare not vouch for upon
their credit and character as public journaIs--that
the President has in this matter, fallen into self
contradiction We will prove that in attempting TO
create such impression, these journals have been
grossly dishonest or grossly ignorant, or bothi and
we seize upon the indstinctness and shutting in-
directness Of their charges, as presumptiVe proof
that they know themselves be in this Illuminating
position. Far from daring TO face their own issue,
they hayen even the courage manfuly to snuleiais
it, The American Of this morning, quotes the prop.
in, i.la of IA
with such comment, as to show that even in It's
Judgment, these, our propositions, cover the whole
ground Of the accusation against the President.
We will proceed, therefore, to make cut our prop
ositons as we stated them:
We said, firstly, that we would prove by the doeu-
nens that the President continually reiterated, as
occasion required, and in various forms of official
statement, throughout this whole period, his set
lied conviction that our title to the whole of the
Oregon territory up to SO 40, clearly and un-
questionaby the bes, title in existence.
II is admitted that this was the Presidents Ian
guage in his inaugural address--in his first mes
sage 20 Congress-in the correspondence with MIR.
Pakenhan, during the summer which resulted in
the withdrawal of our proposition for partition on
the line Of 49o-in the subsequent correspon-
dence declining the offer of arbitration, and in the
message to the Senate OF June 10Th, 1876, sub.
hitting the proposed treaty for their previous adj
vice. In this document, it will be recollected, the
President held the following explicit language
"My opinions and my action on the Oregon ques-
ton fully made known TO Congress in my
annual message of the second Of December last and
ths opinions therein expressed remain unchanged
"ShouId the Senate, by the constitutional ma rri-
4 e. 60. II l.
acceptance Of this proposition advise II with such
notifications as they may, upon full delIberation,
deem proper, shall conform my action to their ad
vice. Should The Senate, hOUtueT decline by sueh
Sutonai majority 10 gius such advice, 10 express
opinion The subject, shall consider u my duty TO
reject the ofsr.n
Ii only remains to be proved under this head,
that the Presidents language to Mr.. McLane, upon
this subject of the validity Of title equally
clear and direct In the instructions addressed to
Mr.. MeLane on the l2ih Of July ls45-eleven
months before the date of the message to the Senate
above quoted-the President, through the Secreta-
ry Of State, having reviewed the previous action Of
our government upon the Oregon question-having
shown that its successive administrations, from
that of Mr.. Monroe to Mr. Tyler inclusive,
had been constantly seeking a compromise on
vew arbitration out of the question
having made this preliminary review of the case
the President informs Mr.. McLane of the PROPOSE.
ton, which, "inaueneed by these considerations" he
had submitted to Mr.. Pakenham for division on
the 18th parallel ofatitude, though his own opinions
the abstract question of title were unchanged.
And at the close of this letter of July 18th,
le45, the President adds the following clear and I'M
mistakabe propositions:
Had this been a question: you are fully apars
that the President could hare presented such
a proposition; but IL must mol be frgotitn that the
American government never dies, although the
agents who administer 1t are perpetually changing
It's course of policy towards foreign nations should
not change with every changing administration; but
ought to be uniform and consistent, unless for
sons of imperative necessity.
Prom ,ohai has been said you piN perceive hoto
Dholy impossible it, is for The President to accept anu
terms Of compromise theh ioouLd bring the British
south efhs parallel Of 40 degrees and this you may
intimate to the British ministers in conversation,
should you deem 1t wise under all the crcum-
stances The only exception to this rule which
could possibly be made might be the concession, for
an adequate equivalent, of the small cap of Vancou-
ver's island south Of this latitude, which would be Of
importance to the United States, whilst it is of
considerable value TO Great Britain.
"You will enforce proposition upon the
British ministry with all the enlightened ability of
which you emlnently the master Should il
be rejected The President uiH be relieved from Tbs
embarrassment in ,chich he has been inpoiued by The
acts ers aud declarations Of his predecessors After
wards, if the difficulty only be resolved by the
sword, we may then appeal, with confidence, to the
world for the equity and justice Of cause, and
may anticipate the smiles Of Heaven upon the
right, .....
Here is the whole case thus far. Here we find
the President, in his first published instructions to
Mr.. McLane--in the very instructions which in
formed Mr.. McLane Of the proposition made by
the President, solely in Difference to the past action
Of our government, for division the line of ago
in the very instructions which directed Mr.. Nc
Lane to enforce that prooositionin the instructions
which contained the first public enunciaton of the
Presidents opinion subsequent to his inaugural adj
dress-in these earliest instructions we find the