The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-02

boundary. But | would accept it with indefinite
limits, leaving the whole adjustment TO the Presi.
dent. Ifthe amendment Of the senator prevails, |
shall vote against il.
Mr.. BENTON spoke about an hour in reply to
Mr.. CAss. He asked him il he had been engaged
in thSsport OF the fox-chase'
Mr.. CASS made negative sign with has head.
Mr.. BENTON Nor either; but have learnt
one Of the rules Of the SPORT which is never to at
tempt TO ride on both sides Of the saplng. The
senator from Michigan seems 10 have been igRorant
of this rule, at least politically; for he is on both
sides OF Greenhow-washing his hands Of him in
the beginning Of his speech, holding fast to him in
the end. Mr.. Il. said he should spend no time on
the Utrecht treaty, but he would say there were two
sets OF eommssares 10 be appointed under the tenth
article OF that treaty-One TO determine boundaries
between the French Canadian and the British Hud-
son Bay territories the other 10 determine them be-
tween French Canada and the British Atlantic colo.
MES In the south. The former was TO be done in a
year. the latter without limitation Of time. Com
missaries acted under the first; they failed to agree
under the last and these two sets of commissaries
are COMPOUNDED by Mr.. Gceenhow and his follow
ers Chareyoix speaks Of these latter commlssaries
as being appointed in l7l9--sK years after the
treaty Of Utreeht-and discharged in 1922, without
having come TO any agreement These two are
COMPOUNDED, and what CbarlevOix says Of the latter
is applied 10 the former. Such this Is so
gross 10 show that there is enure confusion IN
the ideas of those who speak upon the subject MIR.
Is. complained that the senator from Michigan had
slipped over all the strong proofs which he had adj
duced upon the line Of Utrecht, such as the king s
nap, Jeifriess Geography, the exclusion OF the
British for fifteen years from Louisiana, by virtue
Of that line and the refusal Of the British ministers
10 take any notice Of their complaints.
But Mr. b. would not quit the great point before
the Senate, TO 90 into argument about the line OF
Utrecht The mint hefaFa The SAnAle "A uecla-
ration Of title the part Of the United States TO
Frazer's river and its valley known al New Gale
donna, and, as such, occupied by the Brush with
out question SINCE 1906 Mr.. b. said this was the
great question: for It was a question OF peace or
war, and a war upon a mistake blunder-geo-
graphical and political The blu nder was that the
United States had line with Russia, dividing the
country with her from the sea TO the Rocky noun
tans, and that all the country this side
This was the political blunder. The geographical
blunder was in relation TO FrazeT's river and its
valley, called by the British New Caledonia. and
which was assumed to he part of our Oregon.
There was no such line, and no such extension OF
our Oregon. The Russian line was in the sea, con-
lined TO the islands Frazers rlyer and It's valley,
covered with British establishments since the year
1906, covered the country from $50 to 400. These
were the facts But the fifty -lOur.fortles, upon a
mistake 10 the Russian line, and upon a mistake
to Frazer river set out to take that entire river
and valley from the British and therefore, to in
volve US in war and that IgHoranuy and uT ustIha-
bly,, with Great Britain. Their double error had
been shown; the readings of the treaties with Rus
STA and Great Britain detected this double error.
The gentlemen who had led the country into error,
who had prepared them for a war upon a mistake,
instead Of retracting it, had this day taken their
course TO perseverc in it! And what was war upon
mistake before, now became war upon design, and
without a pretext. Mr. b. sard without pretext;
for the senator from Michigan, in a speech Of an
hour and half this day, with an instructive dread
Of the fatal point, never once mentioned Frazer's
river; never once mentioned New Caledonia; never
once yentured to assert that the United States had
one particle of claim TO that BRUSH possession.
Yet he would still adhere to $40 4U, which In
cudes 1t; and thus, by inference, 60 to war for
what he could not even venture to name.
Mr.. B. said it a case to try the fraty Of poor
human nature. The great organ, and FIVE hundred
small ones following its notes, and many ten thous
ard tongues, had proclaimed the $40 40 line, and
our right up it; and, thus acting upon the patrl-
otto feelings Of the people, had prepared them for a
war with Great Britain for that line, when there
was no such thing; and for Frazer's rlver on this
side Of It, without knowing 1t was there. The peo-
PIE had been led into error Inhimed to the
point upon a mistake; and now, when the mistake
was shown, the tug Of another came upon poor
human nature. To admit the error and ask pardon
of God and man, was the part Of justice and candor;
but this was humlliaung to vanity, and self:love,
and the pride of consistency To persevere in this
error, after 1t detected was the part of human
fralty; and the senator from Michigan, on the part
Of his party, has obeyed the law of fraty: he has
persevered in error: he converts into design what
was in the beginning mistake We are now to
have war, as far as the senator and his party can
make 1t, upon design, and without pretext; for he
could not name Frazer's river, which is the sole OBJ
lect, and would be the instant cause of war.
And how does the senator conduct his new de-
slgn' BY endeavorng to make me ffty-four-forty
man; by reading mutllated scraps, cut from my old
speeches, torn from their context, and made, by
mutilaton and false application, to apply to $40
4V on the continent, when lappled it to the islands;
making it apply to New Caledonia when | spoke il
of the valley of the Columbia. | had occasion to
cut some of the fftyfour-forties for the "simpie,
when spoke some days ago, and must now do it
agaIn-bnt first explain the operation, it is only
In the West. 1t comes from horse sur
gery-cutting a horses eyes for the hooks. The
horse is subject to disease of the eye, something
like cataract, which blinds him; and, when emol-
lient remedies fail the knife is applied, the diseased
part cut away, and then the animal sees clear. So
OF the smples The alluson is metaphorically to
the cutting for the hooks, and is to make PILE
ton see clear, by opening his eyes to what he did
not see before All these caterers for the senator;
all these searches among my old speeches, may
ook out when they are worth it, for the operation
Of being cut for the simples. or course the opera.
Ion NC performed on a senator.
A line has been cut from one of my speeches in
which $40 40 is mentioned, without continental pre-
liked. The senator from Michigan gravey parades
hat line to-day to make me advocate for $40 40
70 the mountains. In fifty places in the same
speech the existence Of such line denied and
ridculed Yet the senator, u deceive people unac-
lualnted with the subject, to keep up deusion, in
'tead OF admitting his own error endeavors to make
ne an accomplish in his error! Well, if he wants
ny authority, he shall have it, and that is, that
here Is no such line and never was; that the hon
st feelings of the people have been msled their
excited about nonentity, and war pro-
'oked for what has no existence. | tell him this
he wants to quote my authority. Let him con-
eSs his error, and recan, if he wants my opinions
give them to him freely, and when they may be
IT service to him. If an individual is leading two |
nelghbors to quarrel, and fight, upon mistake,
lie is bound to acknowledge the mistake as soon as
he finds 1t out, and go and stop the dscord which
he has created. This is the course among mere in
ivlduals. How much stronger when the quarrel is
2 be between nations, and war the consequence
he senator and his partythe big organ, and those
'hich have followed its notes-have been leading |
ne country To n war with Great Britain upOn n mis- |