Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-07-02


that it extended up 10 $40 4V, and that be
/, would defend il mp to the last2 MIR. S. frank
" confessed that he had himself felt ready to
quarrel with his venerable friend from Massa-
chusets when be told the House there would
+ Be no war, and that we should get the whole
Of Oregon peaceably III Mr.. Polk did not
z back QUIZ He believed that was the expires
sion used, ''if Mr. Polk did not back out" OF
4 s'Sip out !" be was sure thar was the idea.
! Many voices "Back out, that's IT. A
laugh. in which Mr. ADAMS was seen very
/ heartily TO join.
I Mr. S. said that when he heard such Ian
guage from that venerable gentleman be no
more believed that JAMES X. Polk would ever
back out on that question than he would have
his right arm cut off, or his head severed from
his body Nothing could then have made him
believe that the man Of his choice would ever
deceive the American people. On this cues
ton MIR. = would have ventured his all ; all,
he meant Of an earthly character. He thought
that Mr.. Polk would have been the very last
man in the United States to back out from the
position he had taken nor, indeed was he yet
fully advised that Mr.. Polk had backed out.
Let that be as il might. there had been KIND
OF backing out somewhere, and by somebody.
lie had been told that when the late treaty
was sent mo the Senate, il was sent with a
letter from the President protesting against its
terms. II that was true the President, so far,
did right, and in his Mr.. SIS opinion, the first
thing the Senate ought to have done was $50
! to speak, to throw the treaty back 10 the face
OF the British Minister
Mr. $. again said that he stood now where
| he stood at first. He was as clearly convinced
at this day as he ever had been, that our title
10 the whole Of Oregon was "clear and I'M
questionable, and that it had been established
by "irrefIagable facts and arguments" This
was one chief question made IN the election
canvass. Mr.. $. had so argued on the stump,
and his constituents had become thor ughly
convinced of the fact. But how stood the case
now2 Though the territory was clearly ours,
il had been baseIy. cowardy, ANONYMOUSLY
and pusillanimously, surrendered. Who did
this was matter on which they might posi-
bly differ and it was not for him to Inquire
lie did not know. The veil Of secrecy still
covered the whole transaction, and 1t was I'M
possible TO ascertain any thing about II. But
we knew the general features oil the treaty
which was said to have been made, and 1t was
a matter in which Mr.. 5. felt, as he wellmIght.
peculiarly sensitive; and those who had
been concerned in tnis transaction would,
in due time, that the great West felt so too
This was the first and only important and lea
ding measure the West had brought here TO
be acted on II was comparatively, the only
great public question that they had near tner
heart; and how had they been treated2 Had
they not had right TO expect that the question
would be carried in full2 We could have ia
ken possession Of Oregon and defied the ar
mics of the world to dispossess us OF our right.
| Texas and Oregon had been associated in the
canvass. The Democratic party had gone for
both; but no sooner had we uiunphantly car
ried the annexation of Texas than the South
turned round upon them and told their West
ern associates, lin ciiect,) we have got Texas,
and now you may help yourselves. DuplIcl-
ty Of this sort might answer for time, but a
dav was coming when the voice of the West
and North would be heard. MIR. S. regretted to
speak of the South while such adeed stood upon
record; but there stood the fact, and he could
not change it
| We now, however, put the whole question
out Of our power. 1t had gone from us. The
syren song of deceit had fully answered its
! purposes. They had been urged, and urged
| from high quarters. TO pass the notice IN a mo-
diied form, because 1t was better than no no
! tee at all. That was the argument urged and
under il the notice was passed, and even some
of the strongest fifty fortes had voted for
it in its Diluted form. Mr. S. had not, and he
was glad of it. He felt that he stood on a high
and elevated position, and he was well con
WINGED that the American people would so
Judge upon the matter. They were people
who knew their rights, and who would stand
! up for them to the last drop OF their blood and
the last dollar 10 their purse.
| How stood the nation now? BY assuming
firm and energetic position we had annexed
Texas to the Union, and out OF that annexation
had grown the present war; 1t was wal
brought upon US, as he believed. by our own
Just act Our army had been fighting there
| for little strip ofland between the rivers Nue.
ces and Rio Grande. On that subject we
| could be very jealous and very firm, and in
! this quarrel the Government, rather than sur
render an inch Of territory that rightully be-
| longcd to us, was ready to go 10 war. Mr. >.
went for the war; TO use a Western phrase,
he had ''gone it with rush" He had voted
men and money without question or stint, be-
cause he believed that we had the best title to
| the territory in dispute. He had been ready
and was still ready to 60 TO war for 1t. Nor IN
| this was he alone. His constituents were
with him both in sentiment and action, and
they had proved their sincerity by volun-
tcefng to 20 and fight. But what did We wit
ness al another end of this Capitol? There
the representatives from the very territory for
which we were shedding our blood, after a
most valiant speechinproof of our right to Ore
gon up to $40 40', had very deliberately sat
| down and given away one half the territory.
| Because we had taken Texas into the Union,
and placed her in safety under the protection
of our stars and stripes, as soon as her repre-
sentaliveS got their ends accomplished, they
stood ready ts vote ay or no, as the case might
| be, so as to throw away into the hands OF a
/ foreign Government territory which as right
/ fully belonged 10 the West as Texas did to the
| South; and vet these Were men who sailed
under the Democratic flag! Nor was It only
] Southern men who Were guilty Of this sort OF
conduct. There were to be found men from
| the Wesl--WeStem Democrats--who did the
Same. One Of MIR. SIS own Senators voted
for the modified form of the notice, and when
the late treaty was up be could either absent
| himself from the chamber, or give his vote in
its favor lie. to be sure, did not profess 10
be a Democrat but there was member, Che
referred 10 MIR. BENToN.) who had once said
| that England had no tile whatever 10 Oregon
and who in another speech had declared that
/ the latitude Of 400 was his fighting line, who
! had now shown himself ready TO give away
territory below 400, and to add the navigation
/ Of the Columbia river And to whom would