The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-28
HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES.
OREGON.

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES,
OREGON.
motion TO that effect having been made and
agreed To, the House resolved itself into Committee
of the Whole on the state Of the Union, (Mr. TIs-
BATS, OF Kentucky, In the ehar.)
Mr.. OWEN, who was entitled To the Roor, said:
Ephusp BuNKE, when a member OF the British
Parliament, was once asked, why ministers, when,
in any case, they had well ascertained majority,
did not press the question at once, without the
trouble Of discussing It's merits. THAT has been
tried" was his repyi "but II would not do. The
minister who should perseVere IN 1t would soon have
to go our"
And yet there is no direct responsibility Of the
British Premier to the people whom he governs.
Powerful he is; absolute, almost while he re.
tains controlling majority at his beck but still,
he must defer to public opinions or, If he neglect
such Difference, loss of power and degradation from
place, is the speedy penalty.
And thus, we Of these United States, while we
responsible for our acts as a nation to no hui
man power, must yet defer TO the public opinion Of
mankind. II we would retain our station and in
fuence among the nations OF the earth, not only
must our public acts be UNSUITABLE, but, before we
eonsummate, we must take the trouble to justify
them.
My motive in rising now is to furnish such small
contribution | may 10 the mass OF evidence and
argument so ably supplied from our Department OF
State, in vndlcaon, to the world, Of the course
pursued by our government, on the great question
of the day.
Accusations OF a grave character are brought, in
respectable quarters, imPugning the justice OF the
measures recommended by the President and now
under consideration by the House. in regard to the
territory Of Oregon. | do not speak OF charges
coming from foreign and interested sources; but OF
language used by the press here at home, and
by members on this very floor. We Of the major
ity may feel exceedingly well satisfied, that our
course Just, and these charges unfounded; but It
is not the less an imperative duty to defend the
one and repel the other.
| select as a specimen Of the ground assumed by
a portion OF the press, paragraph from New
York paper Of good standing. Speaking Of our IT,
tie to Oregon, the Journal Of Commerce, in edi-
toral of December 25, says
THE evidence, far south Columbia river, is
attitude on 90 Od the English claim better than our
II this be true, then the President lost sight of
right and justice, when he adhered to the offer OF ~
as an ultimalum; and Mr. Pakenham was justified
in expecting from our government some further
consistent with fairness and equity"
And, when some London journalist triumPhantly
quotes against us such paragraph as that, drawn
from the pages of one among the leading periodicals
of the Union he will hnd in further aid of an argu-
ment about the reckless and grasping ambition of
these States, certain resolutions touching war and
Oregon, offered at your table, not by some young,
rash, hot-headed partisan, but by a member from
perienced, gentleman whose talent and standing
no one disputes. The second of these resolutions
declares:
THAT 1t would be dshonor to the age which live
and in the highest degree to both the nations
concerned they should suffer themselves to be drawn into
upon question Of no immediate or practical interest
to either of them"
An eminent British statesman once said, that as
we ought never to go to war for profitable wrong,
neither ought we to 60 to war for an Improbable
L.. oil,
and the gentleman from Massachusetts, doubtless
considers it strictly applicable in the present case.
The direct inference from his resolution is, in the
first place, that the right in dispute, indeed be
right at all, Is an Improbable right; that It Is OF no
practical importance whether cede to England a
part the whole, of the territory lying south of
40 and north OF the Columbia. He esteems it our
imperative duty rather than resort TO war, to make
some compromising division of the disputed tract.
| will ask the gentleman to take map in hand,
and answer me question or two. 1t ayails nothing
to talk vaguely of some compromise Let him tell
me phdi compromise, beyond that already offered,
he suggests. If he recede but half degree south
of 40, he touches already the straits of Fuca the
entrance, and the only entrance to Puget Sound. If
he abandons to England but one degree out of the
three, which span this debatable land the line cuts
us wholly Off from these straits, from Admiralty In
let, and consequently from Puget Sound; we might
as we'll take the line Of At at once and surrender
that Sound altogether, to cede Its sole entrance
and exit.
Is this, then, the gentleman's propositions tina.
England should have the harbors of Puget and that
it is of no practical importance, whether she has
them or not
Let Captain Wilkes, speaking in his recently
published narrative say word to us, touching the
harbors of that territory. He tells u.s.
The Coast Of Oregon, to the south Of Cape Flsttery
Nhs southern cape on the Strait: Of rues rocky much
sels"-pof w, p a96.
And again:
No ports exist along any pert Of the Coast OF Oregon
south Of the Columbia River that are accessible to any
class oil vessels even those OF but very small draught OF
water"-poL ~ p lis
As to the mouth of the Columbia itself, which, for
so many years, repealed discovery, he tells US;
Mere description an give little Idea OF the terors Of the
OF the Columbia all who have have spoken Of
the wdne Of scene the roar Of the waters
Representing as of the most fearful sights that
meet the eye Of sailor"-poL ". p 29a.
Experience and accurate surveys will doubtless
diminish these dangers; but yet il must remain mat
Ter of doubt, whether the mouth Of the Columbia
can ever be used, throughout the various seasons
of the year, general port Of entrance for vessels
OF every draught.
On the other hand, all navlgators, from Vancou-
yer TO Wilkes, concur in tesfyng to the safety of
the entrance to Puget Sound and to the value of its
bsrbors; as capable of receiving, and sheering in
nerfect security, the largest feet Of line Of battle
ships the world ever saw brought together. Cap
tain Wilkes says:
NohIng can exceed beauty Of these waters nor their
safety not shoa exists within the Straits OF Juan de
Fno, Admiralty Inlet Puget Sound or Hoods canal that
can In any way interrupt the navigation OF ship
venture nothing in saying, there Is no country IN the
world that possesses waters equal to these-poL up
a05 .+s
repeat my question: is it Of no practical inn
portsnce whether or not we, as the future owners
Of Oregon, cede to Great Britain the only safe har-
bors in that country, retaining not even one road
stead Of value, along the entire Pacific COAST Is the
maritime control Of Oregon a matter 20 trifng that
we are tamely TO surrender il to England, merely
because, without color Of title, she sees ft to ask
us for ID According to what code OF logic or NOR
ais does il become our imperative duty submIsslvely
to give way for this only reason, that she chooses
pertinaciodsly to INSIST u... :,
See, in her very pertinacity, The proof, how wen
she .estirhatcs--h6w differently from the gentleman
from Massachusetts, tMr. WsrHRoP,l or the gen
tieman from Virginia, Mr.. PEspLErosl-the value
of this disputed tract and It's magnificent harbors
She is experienced; she is far-seeing She looks TO