The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-21
Oregon, 4 /. were po..ibls .h.y .heuIa reach

him N behalf of the women and chlldssa now 4
Oregon--in behslfof those companions of his boy
hood, Of whom he -spoks--those connexions Q
kindred blood reared al The same hearth, an
taught in the same school-house with himself. Fo
them appeal to him, and ask BIN how he cen ex
pose them thus cut off as they are from the proiec
!, ton of their country, TO such cruel dspser~ Sr,
say TO that gentleman, in the words Of one @
Americas most distinguished statesman, ",he voic
of humanity issues from the shades OF the wilder
ness; il exclams that while one hand Is l,tsed up 4
dissolve this convention, the other grasps the iona
hawk. II summons our imaginalloas 10 s,snes tina
viii open. II ia no great effort Of The imagination
10 conceive that events So near have already begun
can fancy that listen 10 the yelis Of savage ven
/, geance, and to the shr.eks OF torare Airead,
they seem 10 Sigh on the western WIND already the.
mingle with every echo from the mounseins.o SIR
is all this idle defamation Is there NJ reality ia
the pielurel Are not oar brave maieyants Their
wholly without defence, withons prospcoon, They
are there with their wives and lhsir fAs ones zulu
waiting the soil in peace, causing the ~ssderoess-l q
bloom as garden. But " war shall be declared
1 long before any protection can reach them from us
their blacksned dwelIias- will stand smouderins
monuments Of our neglect, while their scattered
bones will whiten the praries. They viii eithe
be taken prisoners, and forcibly converted into
British subjects, or else they win be given over q
the tomahawk and scaping-knife. | know they
have strong arms, and stout and fearless hearts; bu
Of Great Britain and her savage allies. And when
they cry 10 us for help is il by such policy as this
that gentlemen are prepared to help them.
And now, sir, woald respectfully ask my west
ern friends TO place little more confidence in the
pledges Of their southern brethren. Ii is not right
nor generous in them TO accuse the South of the
selfish disposition TO avoid this contest on her own
account and in consideration of her own interests
only. We pledge them southern integrity and
southern honor that We will stand by them in the
hour Of need. We differ with them to the poll
cy proper to be pursued; We do not think the Time
has arrived for terminating the present convention.
But IL gentlemen will do tiff they choose to as
sumo the esponslbility-then, when the deed is
done-when the die ia east--when the Rubicon is
crossed-turn your eyes TO the South, and il you
find one recreant bosom there, call me prophet.
Meanwhile, all that ask Of the gentleman from In.
diana, MIR, KIsEpr,l who declared that in the ae-
ton upon the Texas question, ''the West went IL
biind'-all that ask Of him is that he will NOT "go
il blind" upon Oregon. Let gentlemen study well
the steps they about TO take, and when they are
taken the South will not finch. We will lend our
best exertions, and pour out our best blood, to
snatch Oregon from the grasp Of the foe. But il Is
not kind or generous TO tauDt us now. The South
breads not this contest on her own account more
than other portions Of this Union, and possibly no,
half much some. And il is a foul aspersion
upon her character to say that she irembes because
she is weak and helpless, defenceless and slave
holding" And will say to the person Mr.. GiD.
Dngos, Of ohiol who threw out the base suggestion
that the South is able to defend her rights, only
on her own sunny plains, against the bloody efforts
OF reckless incendiaries, but this floor and else
where, against the federal encroachmenis oi
him and his party upon the constitution Of
the country. And ] say TO him further, that
there are bondsmen in the South--negro slaves
there, who have ever been more true and more
faithful to their masters--to the hands which feed
and cherish ihem--than he has ever been to his
country or It's constitution. And should he, and his
cherished allies and friends, the "black regiments
from the West Indies,n attempt invasion Of
southern soil, there are negro slaves there who
would meet him al the thrssholds sf their ~asters'
dwellings,, and scourge him home! (Hsre Mr..
BEDNeER was called TO order by the chair on the
ground of personality ~ er.r fs-a
A great deal has been said in this House against
The character of Great Britain and gentlemen have
seemed to vie with each other in the use Of oppro-
brious epthets against her. l do not desire to be
behind-hand, even in this matter, sir, and l have
therefore selected from very humorous le,ter-wri.
ter to the New York Herald, certain expressions
admirably suited to the occasion. That writer de-
clares that Great Britain is damned, incorrigibe,
Unsuitable, indispensable, insatis6able unrslentng,
never yielding, always-grasping, never-receding,
|always-encroachng, unreasonable bloody prate.''
Not having skill sufficient to find words of my own
wherewth to express my Indignation against Great
Britain, have been compelled to borrow them and
if any gentlemen can find stronger, or more appro-
pirate, should like to hear them. But, sir, what
has this to do with the question: And why do gen.
tlemen waste their time and their energies in such
idle vituperation' Sir when the strong man girds
his loHs and nerves his arm for some death grapple
with foe worthy Of his efforts if he be wise he is
generally chary Of HIS breath, and wastes not his
wind in idle nvec,ives, which he knows will fall
UNDECIDED on the ears of his adversary. Will the
railing against Great Britain spike ore of her guns
or burst the boilers of one Of her steamships
fear not, b
Much also has been spoken here in praise Of the
American eagles and that bird has been compelled, of
late, to take a vast deal of unnecessary exercise,
''pluming his wings and soaring alol," and "soar-
ing aloft and pluming his wings"
Sir, happen to know something Of the nature OF
that great monarch of the feathered tribe. Those
who, like myself, have stood amid the sublime
scenery at-Harper's Ferry, and watched him there
in his favorite haunts, perched in solitary gran
wheeling into the heavens with his eye upon the
sun--those who have delighted to watch him thus,
know something of his nature and his habits. They
know that he is never rash, that he makes unne-
cessary noise, or idle futtering that he strikes
until he is ready and when he does strike, il is with
the rapidity and deadly certainty of heavens light
ming Witnessed there, upon one occasion, sir, a
scene which wish had the skill or ability to de-
pict to this committee for it was very beautiful,
There was black, lowering and portcntous cloud
in the west, charged with thunder; over its dark
bosom the red lightning cleaned and danced and
the voice Of the thunder came forth in tones which
shook the hills. An eagle came awooping on from
the east, directly in the face ofthe cloud itself On
ward he came with the npidity Of an arrow, seem.
ingly resolved to penetrate the dark barrier and
make his onward way in spite of all resistance
Now he plunged into the dark bosom of the cloud,
il determined to snatch the Iightnings Of heaven.
Anon he wheeled aloft as IL resolved to scale it's
summit and his shrek came forth in fierce defiance
of the angry thunder. But, suddenly, he made one
majestic swoop--not backward sir, retreat in his
naurebut directly along the very verge ofthe cloud,
skirting the Blue Ridge, and perehed himself upon
one Of its oftesi peaks. He paused one moment,
with bowed wings and gIancing eyes--the cloud blew
over without even the smallest paitering Of rain the
sun came out again from the cloudless heaven, the
eagle sprang from his perch, and puraued his course
far in the dim regiona Of the tackless Westl
So, sir might it be with US, if we could.but curb
our impetuosity and mprudence, IL we could but
pause and ponder, and wait, for brief PERIOD the
dark cloud now lowering upon our political horizon
would pass away, without difficulty or danger, md
the "Amercan eagle" would take its onward fight,
unresisted and unopposed, to the rich regions Of