The New era. [volume] ([Portsmouth, Va.]) 1845-1847, 1846-04-16

States IN an exceptional position, to place them
beyond the pale of civilization, and quite aboye
the beggarly elements of religion and morality.
Differences we must have with such wide
spread and powerful and bordering nation. But
differences eau never be settled with the present
governing party in America, unless by our sub
| mission To their wishes, for reasoning is out of
the question. With country where political
conscience and reasoning are of this kind, war we
lear' is inevitable, sooner OF later II not for the
oregon, Tor some such question. In the society
ut mere bully man is never safe. How can
our relations with America be ever secure when
her language and logic are of this kind and whilst
the feelings which dictate both are so undisguis
edly insoent as almost To reach the burlesoue 2
The great difficulty in this question is, and has
been, not TO discover what the American or the
English right is, but simply to make out what
The Americans want. We English are anxious
10 satisfy them, and give up all we can with
honor But American pretensions have always
SO regularly and impudently advanced as our
claims receded, that our statesman begin to think
with much reason, that all the Americans seek
1--WE aliude, of course, to the mad and domins mt
portion OF ihem) is war. Some years past they
were contend To give the free navigation of the
Columbia IN common. and to take the 49h degree.
Now they repudiate this, and as they say, go
Tor all the Oregon"
The danger III peace on this side of the Atlantic
has certainly been caused by this slipperyness of
American statesman. IF Mr.. Polk was bent upon
producing war, he could have taken no other path
ana adopted no better means Open, disguised,
unreasonable war he had not msjority TO support
him In declaring and prosecuting hut he has
maneuvred and provoked and set every engine at
work TO create and work up majority in the
Congress to insist on the whole of Oregon, which
is inevitably war The House of Representatives
n We in tbo
that notice to suspend the convention with us be
given. The wing votes were evealy divided on
tile question. The House of Representatives
have accompanied its vote by the declaration that
IL considers 1t by no means bar to the wal of
negotiations. When the lower House of Represent
tatives have said this, the Senate cannot be less
courteous; and thus disappears the fear that any
measure of the Legislature might lead To IN imme-
date interruption of our relations. But the diff
cultles OF negotiations still remain, and unfortu-
natey they remain in the hands of Mr. Polk wbo
may with much reason be suspected of wish TO
precpitaie and provoke war. and TO drag his, in
great measure, unwilling conntrymen into it, If
he told us exactly what he wants, we would
take coun sci, and make every effort to satisfy
him.
III his sane qua non was the Columbia River,
because of its being the great road of ngress and
egress to Central America from the Pacifc-if
mis- wish was not only TO monopoize this, but also
TO grasp the best part in Fuca S straits-here, too
we might know, at least. how far we could 90 TO
meet him But whilst English diplomatsts play
down their cards, and frank in their proposals.
MIR. Polk covers his face and purpose with one
defiant mask of demanding the whole of Oregon
to the 54th degree; and we have not yet arrived
at the gertrude of even good conjecture as to
what will satisfy him. AS to the American peo-
pie, there is majority against war, and con-
siderable portion is favorable to amicabe relations
with u.s. But there is minority, formidable
from its energy and its influence over the iqlIo-
rant, which decidedly desire quarrel with US;
and Mr. Polk, if not exactly of this party, makes
use of it, and Identifies himself with it, in order
to force the more reluctant and wayering MAORI
ty to support him in holder risks and more dan
gerous pretensions. Mr.. Polk then ventures forth,
like civilian field marshal, probably in search of
no more than diplomatic victory over the Brit
shers. He may, however, venture too far, and
convert diplomatic into a military struggle
Never, certainly, were the fortunes and the peace
OF two great countries so perlled by what strikes
US TO be more political coxcombry than either pa
tTlotIsm or generous ambition.