Jeffersonian Republican. [volume] (Stroudsburg, Pa.) 1840-1853, 1846-01-29
The Right of the Oregon Case---The
Claims Of Each Party-.-War Com
SihArAh

Claims Of Each Party..-War Com
! sidered.
The North American Reuie,c for January con-
lalns long. able and candid account of ORE
CON- its actual value and agricultural capacities,
with summing up of the rights and claims of
Great Britain and the United States respec.
lively in iha, region, aud an exhibit of the rea-
sonableness of resort to War to seule Them.
We make room for the powerful conclusion of
This article, which is as follows:
"War is defined by high authority to be a
means of establishing Justice. If so, i. is
ry poor means, for il is demonslrabIe that il es-
tablshes no right buI that of The strongest
When stripped of its pomp and circumstance,
and viewed only in theory, its pre,ensions to
be called judge Of right and wrong appear
simply ludicrous. Imagine proposition serl
icians aud dIplnmali,ts, who 'sre ready 10 shed
every drop of their ink and of other peoples
blood, in defence Of their country's rights as
they have hitherto had the war of words all to
themselves, should be allowed also the exclu.
sive privilege OF carrying on The war with keen
er weapons lha, his national duel should be
fought only by the principals, and not second,
or bv proxy; that Sir Robert Peel and a dozen
members Of bis cabinet, duly equipped with
swords and muskeis, should be drawn on, In
open field sgans, President Polk and his Sec
IL r..
rifles and bowie-knives, 10 put this great ques-
ton TO The arbitramen of deadly barle. As the
latter party would be he weaker in numbers,
they might be assisted by half dozen Of The
most valiant members Of The Senate; and as the
Duke of Wellington, who has the reputation Of
being terrible fighter. would appear or the
other side, he nigh, be opposed BY that gallant
Senator who ended fierce speech on this very
matter Of Oregon wllh the following startling
prophecy: "The man is alive, and with a
beard on his face (hough it may hot be who
will see an American army in Ireland, and an
American general in The streets Of London
The two chlsalrous parties, thus made equal,
their hearts content, illl, one troop being cui TO
pieces, or having run away, the other might
take formal possession of Oregon in their coun-
,ry's name,-and be required TO end their days
there.
Every one would laugh a, The proposal, wor-
thy only of Captain Boabdil, for settling The
controversy in this fashion. YET which is the
more absurd we ask it in all seriousness, =
that these grave civilians, ministers and diplo-
maiss should be required TO fight their own
battles, or rba, they should be permitted to hire
| forty or fifty thousand wrelches 10 do all their
fighting for them. bile The shame, the suffering
and the loss which must accompany every war,
would fall broadcas, on The community at Target
/ IL damned custom had not brazed them so, y
had nol so inu,ed them 10 passive coniempla-
,ion Of the tremendous evils Of war, we might
safely trust this question TO every man, woman
or child arrived AZ years Of discretion, either in
Grea, Bi,aiu or .he United States, and be sure
Of an answer on The side of humanity, or in ia
! WI WI cunning w tHC pOa-
sible number The bulk of the population OF
either country care nothing about Oregon: Why
should they? Not one in ten thousand Of them
would he made ricner or poorer. happier or sad
der. by gain OF he whole Territory. But
where shall we pul limit, even in imagination,
to he suffering, The disasters. the horrors,
which must follow in The train of an obstinate
and proiracied, though it he a successful war
/ To what freside, either in England or the u
States, will il no, brMg distress, # not feeling
of desoIalion and despar7 Whar commercial
conv vulsion, what pesrIIrnce, wha, famine, ever
diffused afflicton so widely. or caused so fear
tuI destruction of human life, as a single year
of sanguinary warfare between TWO naughty
and pow werluI naIions, for whom Science has
carefully studied The most effective means o
wholesale murder, aud years of study and delib
crate preparation have collected all The muni
rons and enginery of destruction The for
mer awful dispensainns of Gods mysterious
4 4 s,,G