Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1841-1853, 1846-03-12
Oregon.

Arbitration, Is OF course totally lnadmIsslble. No
argument is needed to convince the people Of what they
already believe We copy the following articles,
therefore, merely because they place, in the simplest
and most striking light the merits of the ques
ton in dispute between our people and The govern
ment Of Great Britain.
From the Ne7r York Evening Post.
With regard to Mr. Buchanan's refusal of the pro-
position refer the dispute to arbraors it strikes
US that any one who considers the question with the
map of Oregon before him. must see that 1t is pro-
position in which all the advantage lies the side Of
the British government. No decision to which the
arbitrator could would wholly exclude the Brit
ish from port the leciic Even if the uttermost
inch of Oregon yielded to us, the British have
still the waters and inets about Fort Simpson, where
the vast territory of British America stretches down
TO the Pacific, between Oregon and the Russian do
main. If, again, they could simply rafy the line of
compromise offered by government to the British
government. they would still possess north of the
foryninth degree multitude of harbors, carving the
coast into deep estuaries and long peninsulas, fitted
for the rearing OF race of seamen. But II the
claim of Great Britain should be allowed by the
bitrators down to the mouth of the Columbia river or
even half way between that and the forty-ninh par
alle the American colonies off from the nav
gatlon OF the Pacific; not harbOr is given wOr
thy the name for the shelter of cockboat, and the
whole future trade between this country and the wat
ers Of Eastern Asia is passed over to the British.
"a consequence so important should not be left TO
the chance of arbitration. Our title to Oregon,
whatever it may be-be ii even weak as the Brit
sh dplomatists pretend-is yet sufficient to enttle
20 port the Pacific. No disposition of the ques-
ton can rghtfully be made by our government which
shall not give this advantage; arrangement
should have the consent Of our government which
can, by any possibility, draw after If the loss of that
advantage. Yet this is the very question which the
British minister desires US TO leave TO the opinion Of
arbiters. With ,chat face could Mr. Polps admins
tration present 10 the nation the decision of board of
drLirdOrS, giriHg TO Britain the chole control Of The
Pacific coast, the entire lcih China and the
rchoe foreign trade both export end import of our
lCeStern possessions ~
1.-The first emotion of those who are informed that
offer to settle the Oregon question by arbitration
has been rejected, and that this door of escape from
the infinite nuisance of is closed, will be, in most
cases, surprise and regret.
"But closer examination Of the question will per-
haps lead to different judgment. What is the SUBJ
ect matter which it is proposed to leave to arbitra
ton! The Oregon territory extending II deg, from
AZ deg. to "a deg 40 mn is divided by the Columbia
river emptying into the Pacific between the parallels
of 46 and AZ deg. To the country lying south of
this, England has never alleged any serious claim
Between four and five degrees of the disputed terri
tory, therefore, may be considered conessedy ours
But these worthless for commercial purposes. The
coast is an iron rock-bound shore, without single
port. I'm retaining these five degrees, therefore, we
have single place of maratime ingress or egress
The real controversy relates the seven degrees
naming south of 81 deg. 40 min. OF this country
England and the United States each claim the whole
its internal advantages involved in great doubt
but 1t is admitted to be admirably adapted to COM
mercial objects The shore is a broken one, abound
ing in islands, inlets and ports.
"We have repeatedly proposed to divide the coun-
try by the 49th parae-this offer England. for thirty
years. has steadily refused Anything shor; of this
line deprves of every port on the Pacfc-gives
territory without single harbor port, roadstead,
and yet it is this absolute refusal of ports that Eng
land calls offer, when she suggests to the Column
bia river the dividing line. Equally unfair is her
last proposed division by the Columbia with the add-
tod of headland completely cut off from the rest of
our possessions, and of certain free ports. What
avails beadland separated from territory BY
a hundred miles of British Oregon ! Of what use are
ports free only at the pleasure of Great Britain
sin word, have proposed to divide the country
by line, giving to each power moeties of Its sur
face nearly equal and giving TO Great Britain almost
all tie ports Great Britain has made any pro-
position which would give single available port
ais this reasonable Is it lust Is it friendly |!
The Oregon question to-day is of little moment-half
a century hence, the enterprsing population employ
ed in the of the Pacific Will look back with
amazement at the men who, in 1S45, pronounced the
controversy of no consequence and in its discus
sion utterly overlooked the question of the harbors Of
the country.
"What now is the proposition to arbitrate What
is to be left to arbitration The matter, and the only
matter, TO be left to the proposed board heter the
United States shall hare any ports The ocean,
mot hoW many, but aohether any. Draw the line
where you will, Great Britain must be left with beau
| tfu and abundant harbors Draw it half degree
below forty-nine, and the United States left with
out one.
as this question to be left to arbitration IAN
arbitration which, go it may, will go in favor of
England. and which may result adversely TO the
United States To offer such arbitration, after
whole generation spent in a steady refusal of our
reasonable offers is surely little in accordance with
what Mr.. Pakenham calls friendly Intention or "a
holy purpose"
A Christian ON HANGING.-The REV. Mr.. CHEZ