Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-02-12
,vOLUME aG.-NUMEsEs so.

"AH attempts al compromise having iailcd,
II becomes Che duty Of Congress to consider
what measures il may be proper to adopt FOR
the security OF our citizens now inhabinng Or
egon, and FOR the maintenance o. our Just tito
to that TERRITORY"
He elsewhere asserts that onr tile is 10 ''the
whole Of the Oregon territory, and he aiilrms
that il is maintained BY Treiragable facts and
arguments" | give the words OF the message
that there may be no mistake about the mean
ing OF il.
as il now stands? Stated in the fewest posi-
bic words, and in reference TO the single inquI-
nv of whether this notice, in the actual crcum-
stances in which ii must be given, if given at
all, is or is not war measure, whether intend
ed to- be so or mott
A long negotiation 1.-THE argument greatly
on our side) has been abruptly broken Off I;
England, however, has manifested zeal, an
earnestness, and willingness to submit TO ar
bitration. which proves that she is sincere in
the opinion (however erroneous in ITSELF that
she has rights in the premises, and that IN her
opinion they are rights Of some value. And
if. sir, il does not prove that she is sincere in
her conviction as to the right, then ii shows
the more strongly her high estimate Of the
value OF her real or pretended interests there.
The President Of the United States has him-
self offered 10 give up five degrees forty min
utes OF the entire twelve degrees forty minutes
which is its whole length, and that Eve de-
grees and forty minutes is said to be the best
part of the whole territory thus acknowiedg-
ing that there was some color Of claim on the
part Of England
| do not mention this offer of the Presidents
in spirit of complaints for ! prove II. Nor
am inclined at any time to make unnecessa-
ry complaint of that high funcuouary, or even
to do il in any other terms than those of prop
or respect towards the officer and the man.
refer to il TO show that, by our own admins
tratlons, England has grounds--some grounds
on which to assert her claim.
Rejecting the Presidents last offer, the Brit
ish negotiation suggests that he make some
other proposition which, in very nfelciious
phrase, he expresses the hope viii be "more
consistent with frmness and equity and with
the reasonable expectations of the British
Government"
The President then says, substantially.
have offered you a large portion of the Coun-
try did SO for peace sake; you refuse to
accept it; then withdraw my entire propo-
sition, and claim and will have the whole
country; you shall not have one acre of il ;
viii call on Congress for authority to give the
notice, (that being the rG po,eey Of orr system,
and therefore the only one competent 10 This STEP
and, il II concur with me, we viii proceed to
make good out title in our own way.
II is vain for gentlemen to say that sit is a
provision of the convention that either party
should give, notice when 1t choose, and there
fore il is the first, and peaceable step too, To-
wards settlement" Had either party given
notice TO the other (and given it in advance Of
any attempt at negotaton) that the joint oc-
cupancy was to cease; then, sir. il was a reg
ular, peaceful, and proper measure. Ii would
have been in that case the first step towards
the settlement of long postponed question:
The next step would of course have been ne
gotiation, which would have brought the mat
ter to an amicable adjustment, or to the arbit-
ralnem OF arms.
But here, sir is altogether a different state of
things. The notice now proposed is moi that
peaceful notice contemplated and provided for
In the convention Of 1878. and afterwards con-
tinued as part of the subject That notice was
intended as means in the hands Of either par
" Of bringing on, when ii saw fit. negotiation
TO settle the points in dispute. But in This case
the parties waived the formality Of notice. and
proceeded to actual negotiation. The President
abruptly without exhansting the usual and or
binary means Of adjusting international ques-
tons of territory and boundary. He declares
to us that no compromise can be effected. He
publishes the whole transaction, as if to cut Off
the possibility Of retreat from both parties, and
calls upon US for our cooperation. The diff
ference is too manifest not to be seen and com
pretended by the ieehleSt understanding.
The import OF notice, il now given by au-
thority Of Congress, is nothing more nor less
than this: We back the President at all haz-
ards: we concur with HIM in the opinion thai
YOU do not mean 10 do what is right; we VIII
not allow you single inch of this territory /;
we viii proceed at the end of twelve months
TO take possession of the whole country, as
well as your present establishments there as
the rest we have no proposition for peaeea-
bic adjustment TO offer, but we will proceed to
make good our claim by some other means
than compromise or arbitration. DO we not
present to Great Britain the single and only
alternative OF war or submission Sir. there
is not little page upon your fioor that does
not see that. Then. | ask, can any man who
knows anything of England suppose that she
will submit 10 so harsh treatment To say
nothing of the injury, did she ever submit to so
much insult. from any Power, or from any
combination of Powers She says II is injury
all the world must pronounce il insult.
England is, however, prudent and saga
cious Government, and would not like more
than another to 90 to a hopeless and unequal
war. And alarmed, as doubtless she will be,
when she hears of the very formidable PROPOSE
ton of the honorable gentleman from Michigan,
who the other day pledged himself that Gen.
Cass, and Michigan, and himself would take
Canada in ninety days, and let her loose and
take her again in half the time, she viii pause
and survey her actual condition, and see for
herself whether or not she is prepared for the
contest.
Is there, then, in her present circumstance
her credit, her army, her navy, her resources
ofevery kind-any thing 70 make her fear the
hazards of war, more than in ordinary circuni-
stances, and at all iimes2 Her army is stronger
than. on a peace establishment, il ever was be-
fore; her navy power infinitely greater than
when, single handed, she swept the com
bined fleets Of the other principal naval Powers
from every sea. Her credit is equal TO the
command Of every dollar in Europe. She is
al peace with all the world She has the pros
pect of alliances on our own continent, in con-
sequence # the relations which the wisdom
Of progressive democracy has established be- I
tween ourselves and Mexico; and, if we are
to conhde in the judgment Of those gentlemen I
here who seem disposed to take the manage /
ment of this whole business in their own