The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-16


plunge il into war Let him be prepared 10 show,
If war comes, that he offered all fair terms for
settlement OF the question. No party promise, no
Baltimore resolution would excuse him If he neg
lscted his duty TO his country. He knows the
whole history of the matter; he knows what had
been done in past times. Sages and statesmen had
marked out the way for him-a was before him.
There was way 10 peace, and way to war, Let
him choose on his responsibility Let HIM ask
himself what is the value Of the territory IN dispute,
and what were the consequences Of war. Set down
this territory at any yalue-lt was mere question
Of property-just such as arises between two lndl-
yiduals. Was honor involved in that latter case :
Was there any here' None; 1t was a mere naked
question of property Ii it were any great ques-
lion OF principle as the senator from Texas, Mr.
HOUsTONl had said yesterday, the cost Of war
ought not 10 be counted. He agreed with that
But when there was no principle inVolyed-no ma
lonal honOr-ought they not TO estimate the value
of the property inyolved' Divest war Of all It's
horrors-regard II only as that gay, fanclful, fine
thing, with all its parade and music, on parade
day-and was II a thing TO be produced by this con-
test But what did not war do' Did il not impede
national progress-lncur vast national debt-lnyOlve
great sacrifices Of human interest And were they
10 he blind 10 all these considerations II war were
a thing that built school.hOuses and churches, and
tended TO advance mankind in all the arts Of civil
zation-in all the charities of social liie-lt might
be desired But, on the contrary, II was TO be sed
uOusy avoided, The subject Of this contest
strip Of territory OF equlyOcal value And for
such prize were they to encounter war He said
not "Shut your eyes TO the consequences Of a war"
He said, Look at them" Each party was great
and powerful. The United States was a great
moral and physical energy, with spirit competent to
employ 1t To the fullest extent or England It had
been proudly said that the never set on her do
minIons. OF that war, the same might be said.
On that war the sun would never set Each hour OF
the twentyfour would find the parties holly engaged
Then what would be the debt thus incurred Was not
that TO be thought Of? On the other hand, let them
look at the wonders and progress Of human pros
peuty in the United States Ltte more than two
centuries had passed since the first feeble hands Of
their forefaihers were struggling for existence.
Now the child had been born who would live TO see
one hundred millions Of freemen in that land. That
sought to be achieved to-day by arms, would to-
msrrow be their national inheritance. They were
the great hrst.born Of the continent. Ia the full
confidence Of the power Of the United States, he
smiled with contempt al all the petty schemes Of
European ambition. Nature, and their own natu-
raj growth was doing everything for them. Without
aggression, without awakening the Just jealousy Of
any other nauon-they were destined 10 achieve con-
quests such the Roman legions never did, and
never could achieve. Why then pluck green fruit,
that tomorrow would fall ripe into their hands He
spoke Of all this part oflhe element of that conquer
ing character which he ascribed TO his countrymen-
violating no rIght-preseryIng their sacred Union
and all the rest was certain From their lineage
was 10 descend a race welding a sceptre Of
imperial power such as the hand of Europeans
never grasped Il could not be doubted that
the President would look at the whole mat
ter in a spirit worthy Of his station There was in
the office itself, in his judgment, means Of pur-
hcatioh by which a man, whatever the medium Of
his elevation, became as Il were = new moral being
Would he not, then, see the value of peace on one
hand, and the value Of Oregon on the other And
would he not be proud, that, in the great destiny Of
this people, Providence and his country have placed
him as leader in portion Of that march which with
giants step they were performing Was It, then,
likely that he would out Of this notice create cause
of war He felt envy, no fear Of any Of the ma
tons Of Europe Looking to the future, who could
entertain the apprehension that the progress Of the
United States could be retarded by European ma
lions? lie, (Mr C., therefore, could not help, en-
teraining these views, being surprised at the lugu.
brious retrospecdon INDUCED in by the senator from
New York Mr.. DIcKHsosj with respect to the ne
gotiations Of this country with England. He (Mr.
c. read the history Of the past differently. So far
from seeing anything to excite regret, he saw every.
thing 10 awaken rejoicing. They had given up it
was alleged, barren hill or frozen valley. But
Just let them ask where the boundary Of their
possessions was? Why, it was so far re-
| moved that they could not find 1t. He believed
it was just where they chose TO place it. II
they had met with losses, they might say with the
marshal of Napoleon, in reply to the emperors re-
mark that when he and the marshal were lieute-
nants, promotions were net SO frequent as they had
come to be. "True, true" said the marshal; shut,
an you have made up fap1otlsiy for since" 1t was
said that compromise would disgrace the country.
He regretted to hear such term thus employed.
IL that were true, need he remind gentlemen that
Jefferson, Monroe, Adams, Galatin, Clay, General
Jackson, had all "disgraced" their country. After
few remarks in reply to observations Of the sena-
tor from Michigan, Mr.. CAss,l relative to settle
ment ago, Mr.. G. went on TO vindicate his con-
duct Attorney General with respect to the case OF
Mcleod, in reply to the remarks of the senator
from New York, Mr.. DICKINSON. His communi-
| cations in that with the governor of N. York
Mr.. Seward in obedience to the direction of the
President, were merely with the view Of consulta-
| tion-no, interference. The governor complained
of no interference except to express objection
TO the appointment Of Mr.. Spencer as attorney gen.
era OF the State of New York, as he had
been retained as counsel Of Mcleod. But
Governor Seward had no right to com.
plain. He (Mr. c. would have gone to Lock.
port and discharged his duty, altogether irrespective
ceeded to reply to the objections urged against the
form Of the notice submitted by him. 1t left the
| President entirely unembarrassed by any advice OF
| Instructions, which, indeed, could not be imposed
| upon him. In his opinion, it would require very
strong case indeed, to authorize any such interior
ence with the course OF the administration In the
| present case he saw no necessity for that-none
He (Mr. c. did not exactly understand the senator
from Texas, Mr.. HoUsroN,l in saying that he pre-,
| ferred "naked notice" to any one implying the
| language of apology and submission to England.
Mr.. HOUSTON did not refer to the proviso con-
tanned in the resolution submitted by the senator. II
| was a general remark.
MIR. CRITTENDEN could assure the gentleman
| on his return to his former brotherhood he would
find such feeling that Of crouching submission
to England. But he (Mr. c. apprehended tina, the
whole difficulty in this negotiation was whether Mr.
Pakenham or MIR. Buchanan should speak the frs
word. He was confident that both countries had
too much intelligence to go to war in such case
and after some eloquent remarks to the duty anc
mutual interest of both in the preservation Of peace
the honorable senator concluded by expressing his
appreciation of the "notice," leaving to the Execu
tive all the responsibility which properly attached tc
his action.
| THE VOTE.
| Mr.. ALLEN then rose and said, that fve-and-six
y days ago, he had opened this discussion. In tn,
intervening debate, many things had been said e
II b,rh h. TnplA Ac.,r Is.