The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-23

In the HOUSE Of Representatives., June 20, l646-oI
the bill for the reduction Of the tariff.
Mr.. SAWYER addressed the committee as fol
lows:
Mr.. CHAIsnASr My principal object in getting
the floor at this time is not 10 discuss 80 particular
ly the subject Immediately under consideration ~
10 sci myself right ia relation TO matters ADD things
10 general--a privilege which we have IN Commit
lee Of the Whole on the state OF the Union, Of wan
deriDg from the subject. ....
Now, Mr.. Chairman, when 1 came here at the
opening Of the session heard the Presidents mes
SAGE, and il was sxed upon my mind that we were
entitled 10 the whole Of Oregon. The President re-
erred us also 10 the arguments Of Mr.. Buchanan To
Mr.. Pakenhsm Tor complete justification Of our
tile 10 the whole Of Oregon. IL convinced me fully
that we have better title TO the whole OF Oregon
than any other nation. Well, | set myself about
To convince my constituents of that fact also, for
YOU know, Mr.. Chairman, that we like to have our
constituents with us in all these matters. | sue
eeeded in doing so with the help Of others; and in
every meeting they have held they have passed res
olutions spplauding the Presidents message and
appaudng the course Of members OF Congress on
he subject. Or speeches were published and sent
forth to the world declaring our right to the whole
Of oregon-eyery inch, up TO ffty-four forty.
Some Of nv friends here on this floor made
valiant speeches. they threatened the British lion,
IA laugh if they should meet him in the way,
that they would pounce upon him with the Ameri-
can eagle and mako the blood spout from his nose
like the spearing of whale, la laugh We'll, we
went on at this rate, and il was really mark Of pa
rotism andlvalor; and the member Of this House who
could make the most direct assault and place him.
self in the boldest posture Of defiance to the British
hon, was the most valiant man; and every man
who refused to do was held up TO scorn and de-
rsion, In vndication Of our course we quoted the
Presidents message; took up the letters and ar
guments. of Mr.. Buchanan and published them TO
the world, and constituents became as fully sat
isfed as we were that right TO the whole terri
tory was "clear and unquestionable."
Well, there was another class Of men in this
House and the other branch of Congress who were
for giving UP all above age, and short Of il they
would not yield one inch. My Virginia and my
South Carolina friends and the whig party generally,
were of this class. Some Of our wing friends, how
ever, SIR made speeches as ultra as we of this side
Of the House--we $40 4V men. They were for the
whole Of Oregon; some of the senators in the
other branch Of Congress when our resolutions
went there made valiant speeches also, and
especially they quoted the speech Of a celebrated
member of that body, [Mr. BEsros,l delivered
some years since in which he declared our right
and tile to the whole of Oregon was better than that
in his place in the Senate, made a most valiant
speech also in favor of our right up TO $40 40,
Well, MIR. Chairman, how stands the matter
nowi ara .,a
IA voice: "We are in trouble."l
Yes, (ssd Mr. So we are in trouble, ia laugh;1
but, Mr. Chairman,l think those very few who are
now the derided of this House, and the derded
might almost say Of the Executive, will some day
or other occupy envinble neutrality-suspicious. that
gentlemen who have now gone below ago will de-
sire 70 occupy. .r
Sir, wish now to Justify my self before my con
stituents for what am going to say; and take this
OCCASION to remark that neither the President of my
Oh tho ,arfty pf rhnIra
any member of that party shall ever lead me from
correct discharge of my duty, or seal my lips and
prevent me from saying what believe TO be true.
ask the good will of no man. or set of men, except
] can get it from pursuing an honest, indepen-
dent, upright course. Well, then | have founded
my opinions on these facts: in the first place it
will be remembered that at the Baltimore conven-
ton the party with which am associated in bonds
that never will be, that never be cut asunder,
made declaration of principles at that time. And
what was the OCCASION Why, delegates from al
most every State in the Union met at Baltimore for
the purpose Of nominating a candidate to be sup
ported by the democratic party for President; and
prominent among their resolutions stands this. |
have got it here somewhere. However it matters
not; we all know it by heart. 1t was that our title
to the whole Of Oregon is "clear and unquestion-
able'' up to $40 4V. ...... ..t
Cries of "Read it; read it."l ...
Well, have got it here, (said Mr.. 81 Here
i; is; ....... '....,.. b. ... ...ar.. .
s,d That our title to the whole of Oregon is clear
and that portion Of the ought to be
ceded to England other power and that the
earliest practicable period are great American
which this invention recommends to the cordial support
oil the democracy OF the Union" ..r.. ...
Well, Mr.. Chairman, we started out with that
declaration; that was the recommendation to the
people Of the United States, and it was sent out
with the announcement of the fact that James X.
Polk was the nominee of that convention. Upon
our banners il was streaming-54o 4U. have
seen on many n flag the figures $40 40 at least
two feet in length; and under them we rallied,
and they were one strong reason Of our sue
cess! And they were coupled with the annexa-
ton Of Texas. We met these questions on the
stump in our cities, everywhere; and dared our
opponents to the contest, and we triumphed-glo-
riousy triumphed with these two questions upon
our banner; and we announced to the world as a
part Of our principles that would carry them into
effect. Well, after we had succeeded under these
flags with these declarations, we met here in front
of this Capitol on the 9TH Of March last in the
presence Of $4,000 freemen--and democratic free
men too--and it was proclaimed by the elected
President Of the United States that title to the
whole Of OREGON was "clear and uDquestona BILE y
Well, that was right; everybody loved that decara
lion. Again, when the first Monday in December
arrived, we met in this hall; a message received
from the President Of the United Statesthe Presi-
again in language which shall read:
The extraordinary and wholly inadnssble demands
the British government and the rejection of PROPOSE
ton made in Difference alone what been done my
predecessors and the implied obligation which their &C
seemed 10 impose, afford satisfactory evidence that no com.
promise which the United States ought accept can be
effected With this conviction, the proposition OF comprp.
mise which had been made and rejected was y my drec
ton subsequently withdrawn and title TO me uhos Of
Oregon tory asserted and il believed maintained by
irrefragshle lacts and arguments"
Now, let US look at these "facts and arguments p
Here is the argument to which the President refer
red-found in Mr.. Buchanan's last letter to Mr..
notwithstanding our title to the whole Of Or
egon Mr.. Buchanan says:
Upon the whole from the careful and ample exam
nation which the undersigned has been able bestow
upon the subject he is satisfied that the spanish
e now held by the United States embracing the whole
territory between the parallels OF ~ deg and 50 deg 40 min
The best title in existence to this region and
the clam Of Great Britain to any portion OF h has no su
Gent foundation Even British geographsrs have no,
doubted our title to the territory in dispute" /
Again, before Mr.. Polk was elected Presiden, o,
the United States, after his nomination, on the 2sd
Of April, he writes as follows to Mr. Chase. and
others, Of Cincinnati:
"Le the fixed policy Of government he not 10 permit
Grsat Baia or any other foreign power plant colo
ny OF hold dominion over any portion Of the people ii
Their Oregon texasn IN.