The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-20

prompt ana retrlbuuNe, anu her hnal degradation
was too dark and desrairing to make her career
the object OF rational ambition. ! cherish the hope
of a brighter page for my eountry's hisiory-ons
less bespotied with blood less sullled with tears
But the varied page is before US, and with dis
position 10 profit by the teachings Of the past,
may select the virtues and reject the crimes. Fin the
whole history 6f Roman greatness there is any one
trait Which than any other challenges imitation
aud approval it is the protection which her policy
in conjunction with her power afforded her citizens
In that age even of awles5 Violence Roman citizen
ship, alike In the wilds OF Europe, the wastes o.
ASA, and the deserts Of Africa, was tasmar
which invested its fortunate possessor with AN in
vulnerable panoply Our citizens, TO say the least Of
ii, are entitled TO like protection, within our own
territory and upon our own soil. ...
But IL 10 said, sir, that all our purposes may be
accomplished by delay. As far as have been able to
ascertain the state OF parties upon this subject there
are, among others, two, both of which claim the
whole OF Oregon, but widely differ in the means Of
obtaining It. The one proposes TO give the notice and
Immediately on IFS expiration take forcible pos
Of The whole telory the other TO defer the
notice, and by mastery lnactiylty-or, IN the more
expressive and meaning phrase of the gentleman
from Virginia, Mr.. BEDSGER,l by a quiet but ef-
hcieut action--accomplish the same purpose. The
first, shall attempt to show hereafter, would, IN
my view, be inexpedent and unjust; the other, ut
lerly impraclieabe. With England awakened 10 the
subject-Epgland that never slept upon her rights
or left her interests unguarded-it would be worse
than folly, il would be madness, TO hope to gain by
stealth what we dare not demand by open defiance
Hasten on, as You please, the emlgrant armed win
the axe and the rife, and for every hundred men
who crossed the Rocky mountains, England would
erect another fort, mount II with her cannon, and
garrison il with her troops she would draw around
her in closer alliance the Indian tribes, and arm
them with the implements Of their savage warfare;
and after the lapse Of any given period Of "masterly
inactivity" we should find either the British In quiz
ct military possession of the whole territory, the
war preclpIated with all its horrors, which the gen.
temeD much deprecaes and dreads Then, indeed
in The gentleman's own eloquent language, might
we hear budeniag every breeze from the west, the
savage yell and the shrek Of torture then might
see not in Imagination but in fact the bones of the
emigrants whitening the praries; and his own favor
lite ergle pterng his wild cry above their mutaied
blackensd, and fostering bodies No. sir, If we wish
to avoid the horrors which the gentleman has so
eloquenty depicted, we must settle this question Of
disputed boundary before our people are madly
thrust upon The danger. What, sir, is it proposed
to send our citizens forward into the Wilderness
far beyond the reach Of aid, expose them to all
the vIcssudes Of forest life, and the more terrible
weapons Of a powerful nation, united with savage
foe-and when their prowess and ioritude shall have
overcome all obstacles, and their industry made the
forest bloom around them, to eXemplify the be-
ngn influence and protecting care of our government
by kindly extending over them our laws, and visit
ing them with the Iax-gatherer? Such was the pro-
lection which England vouchsafed to her colonies,
and which they Indignantly hurled back upon her
In nv Judgment, this policy pursued, The war will
be speedy and inevitable; and by giving the notice.
il will be equally certain to he avoided. The notice.
if giyen will be in pursuance of a treaty stipulation
and its effect will be simply to throw into our ex-
elusive possession a large portion of this territory
the title to which is undispued, and leave the resi-
due to be settled by negotiation, accompanied how
ever with an admonitlon which may not be disre4
gnrded as to the necessity Of its speedy adjustment.
= =" the direct or necessary result of
the notice TO abrogate this convention. ''t o'"'
tngency will depend upon another and far more inn
poftant question, TO which shall presently aude.
confess that il war we're to lie the necessary con-
sedencs as some seem to apprehend, of the passage
of this resolution, should hesits,eI at all events,
Until a certain other measure had first found its
way through this House-thst Of providing for the
public defence | do not subscribe TO the oft-rc-
peated doctrine, that the genius OF our institutions
must necessarily subject us to defeat in the COM
mencement of war. We need not be prepared for
offensive operations; we want no standing army,
but the material for defence should, at all times, be
completes; we should be satisfied by the report Of
competent engineers, that the requisite number of
guns are mounted upon our defences and fit for
vice; we can at all times find hands to man them.
could not consent that, by any hasty action Of
ourA the mpbrtant seaports of the Atlantic coast
a
that our country should ever agaih be dssraced by
having the very walls of her Capitol blackened by
the torch Of an invading foe. But no war need be
apprehended from this measure. These conflicting
claims existed befote .h,S cshventoh was entered
into, and no war ensued; they may exist again upon
like terms. But the gentleman from Alabama Mr..
GANcEyl says the convention a substitute for
war. No. sir; it was wretched substitute for firm
and efficient negotiation; it was this putting off the
enconntering Of diffcul!ies, which time alone have
rsndetea Formidable. There have been several PC
Rods at which this CONTROVERSY might have bAkn favor
ably adjusted 1t is now well known that Lord Ash
burton had full instructions from his government upon
this question, and it is believed that he was prepared
to make liberal concessions in the northwest for the
advantages which he actually gained in the north
east without them. IL the government had, at that
time, firmly insisted upon connecting the two ques-
lions, we should not now be troubled with this but
the then adm inistaton preferred the continuance of
this substitute for diplomatic frmness and efficiency.
Happily we have at length arrived at period when
neither the state Of the affair ITSELF nor the incna-
ton of the administration will admit of longer delay.
But proceed to the consideration of the more Inn
portant auestion--that Of the extent to which eur
right to the possession of the territory should he
led under the notice Ii is the uncertainty Of the
policy of our government upon this question which
has alone multiplied the chafces of wtr.
Upon this branch OF the subject after looking ovef
the whole ground, cannot rid myself Of the Eon-
viction that England has some rights in Oregon
rights commencing in some preensons TO early dis
covery, continued by partial occuputlon, and con-
hrmcd by thirty years. negotiation and numefou9
entered upon and conducted
with the avowed purpose of settling boundary, not
the title and terminating in treaties for the joint oc-
cupaton Of the whole territory, but ecncedmg no su-
perior rights paramount title to either party. 1t
10 with this view Of the matter that arrive at the
conclusion that the action of otif own GOVERNMENT
has conceded to England some rights in tile territory
of Oregon. But the extent of those rights-we hav-
Ing the better titlc-must depend entirely upon our
sovereign will and pleasure. The determination Of
that viii has been repeatedly expressed by our gov
eminent, and recently sgnihed to the British minis
ter resident in this city, by a proposition to divide
the territory by the 49lh parallel Of latitude. This,
sir, take il, is the extreme limit 10 which conces-
sion will be carried. This division Of the territory
has been repeatedly offered to Great Britain and
those offers constitute almost the sole foundation Of
her title Whether it be viewed then, in the
light of gratuity, or a concession for compro-
mise, the Just pride and acknowledged power
of the nation alike forbid the resumption of the
gift. The American people should scorn to retract
The charitable boon. But | have said that Britain