The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-08

# thsse gentlemen, il, indeed they had any con
ssenees, which he held TO be an open question HI
II warmly defended the foreigners Of the country, de
n eIadng himself TO be an lnshman, and condemn
,ng ia unqualified terms, the attacks and slandeu
| mon them by those who dsparaged their intelli
senee, their subordnation TO law and their moral
| Nv and would seek 10 make them marked anC
pfoscribed class. He briefly touched upon and re
4 led 10 many other remarks which had fallen frsn
The advocates Of the native American in thi'
Mr.. HOPKINS gave notice Of an amendment be
intended 10 offer when in ORDER and lest there
should be allowed no opportunity hereafter, he
wished 10 say few words In explanation Off, The
amendment is as follows, ...
BE further enacted, That post-route be estab-
Ished from Fort Leayenworth via Grand island, on
the Platte river; Fort Lanmee, the south pass OF
the Rocky mountains; Fort Hall, Fort Boise, Fort
wallawss, and Oregon city, OF the Willamette
river 10 Astoria, at the mouth OF the Columbia on
the Pacific ocean. .... ..
".ind be farther enacted, That il shall be the du,
~ of the Postmaster General 10 cause the United
States mails be transported the said route from
Fort Leavenworth TO Astoria and back at least once
a month, by such means Of conveyance as he may
deem most advantageous 70 the public service, and
on the best terms that be obtained by contract
ia the mode now provided by law for the Transport
tation OF the United States mail; Provided That IT,
in the opinion Of the President Of the United States
il be expedient 10 cause the mail on the route afore-
said 10 be carried by detachments of mounted men
in the service Of the United States, he may order
the said mail TO 10 carried in that way, instead Of
having il transported by eontmet, as above prov-
ded."
Il would be seen CONTINUED Mr.. H. from the
reading of the latter part Of that amendment that il
proposed 10 incorporate into this Dill provision for
the establishment Of post-route from Fort Leayen-
worth TO the mouth Of the Columbia river, and TO
connect il with the regiment proposed by this Ill., IL
the President Of the United States should deem IL
proper. Il was proposed 10 assign limited force
a mounted force--to the line OF emigration along
which il Is desirable TO transport the mail Of the
United States. There was therefore nothing ineon-
sstent In this amendment with the duties they would
be required TO perform in protecting the emigrants
along the whole extent Of the route, from Fort Lea
yenwonh on the western border Of Missouri To the
mouth Of the Columbia river. We have now, IL Is
admitted by ALL some eight or ten thousand Of Amer
lean population In Oregon. To that population
we owe protection not only, but we owe TO them
the privileges and benefits which, under the admin
istration OF our government, are conferred upon
Al present they were left in their distant homes en-
trely deprived Of any regular mail communication
with their friends, and the region Of country they
had lon behind; strsggers occasionally return, is
true, but they form no security TO the emigrants who
remain, that any intelligence they may desire to
transmit viii ever reach its place Of destination.
These additional services would be deyolved upon
these mounted men without involving any additional
expense to the government. Il had that merit which
he hoped would recommend II to the favorable con.
ndeuuon OF the committee, and TO its adoption; for
while the country continues at present land a
large portion Of Il might be expected to remain for
long time uninhabted, infested with rowing bands
Of wild savages, no contract would be likely 10 be
made under the ordinary law, for the transportation
Of the mail Of the United States without large adj
ditional expenditure for military guard which
would be absolutely necessary to accompany IL. IL
seemed to him, therefore, peculiarly proper that the
provision contained In the latter clause Of the amend
ment should be adopted, and that this regiment OF
mounted men, lin his judgment wholly inadequate TO
answer the end,l far it can afford protection to
migrants along The line should also afford protection
to the public mails; for while il did not constitute
force large enough, (Which was his only objection to
H. still, an far az IL went, it would accomplish both
purposes, and tho necessity for both seemed most
obvious. He referred to the narrative Of Cap Ere
mont, and to account he had recently in the
papers, Of the attack and robbery, by Indians, Of
return trading party from Santa Fe, showing the
dangers Of travel in that direction and said that the
necessity for this protection was, he believed uni
yersafy admitted; the only question was as to the
best mode in which it could be afforded. II seemed
to him that this bill proposed the only protection
which was safe and practicable, and he regretted
that It did not raise larger force for this purpose.
He considered the amendment an important one,
and that its importance would be diminished by
no settlement we may make Of the Oregon question.
Some eight or ten thousand of our citizens (as he
had already stated We're already in that territory.
Ii was necessary for them But il would also be
found the shortest and most direct route from the
northern cities to ships in the Pacific, large nun
Der of whom would be found at the mouth Of the
Columbia river; and communications would be con-
veyed in thus way to them in much shorter time
than was possible to be done by the irregular, I'M
certain convcyances around the Cape II was ne
cessary therefore, for citizens engaged in that
trade. II would also be the shortest and most d.
rect route to China, and would doubtless in the
course of time, become the route from Europe to
China. mail must be established at no distant
day, and he was happy that this opportunity was
offered to the government to establish and put it in
operation without any additional expense, whereas
under the ordinary method of contract for transport
tation, heavy expenditure would necessarily be in
CURED. But this much was due to the citizens of
Oregon alone, and he would not, considering their
remote situation and their utter desttution of mail
facilities, stop account of expense, il additional
expense were necessary; but, happily in this way,
1t might be entirely avoided. #. .a...,.
Mr.. J. DAVIS said, with no unfriendliness to
the object of the gentleman from Virginia, (for he
thought it was Of the great objects to be accom-
plished in conncxion with Oregon--the establish
ment Of regular mail to that territory,) he must
ooJcct W SentleUdfls dmenuIncnt, anu ne nOpeu
no amendment would be Incorporated into the bill.
Immediate action was essentially necessary; any
amendment which sent this bill back to the Senate,
would produce such delay az would almost defeat
the object Of the BILL t 10 gal-r a.n ... au
Mr.. HOPKINS (Mr. d. yielding for explanatory
said the amendment which he had sent to the Chair
was not likely 10 delay the final action of Congress
upon this subject TWAS amendment in direct con-
formty with the bill already reported to the Senate
by the Committee on the Post Office and Post
Roads Of that body, which was likely to meet with
favorable consideration there. The bill of the
Senate differed from this amendment only in this,
that it proposed to give to the President of the
United States the power to have this mail trans
ported to Oregon by attachments from the army of
the United States while his amendment was spe-
cfc in its provisions, and referred directly to the
regiment they were about to raise by this bill--a
regiment assigned to this particular line. His
amendment, therefore, had that peculiar merit over
the bill Of the Senate, and woul doubtless be con-
CURED in in that body without delay.
Mr.. DAVIS resumed. The bill as il was now
before them (he said) had passed the Senate. To
attach any amendment certainly would beget the
delay Offending il back il the Senate would act inn
mediately upon it, it might not be so objection