Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1846-01-17
OUR FOREIGN RELATIONS.

Our readers have been made aware of our de-
sire and our purpose, the subject having been
fairly taken in hand by both Houses of Congress,
to refrain from any further discussion on our part,
Of the merits of the Oregon question. From that
purpose we shall not now depart, albeit strongly
tempted to do so.
Il has, however, become our duty to put our
readers, and especially those who are engaged in
commercial and maritime pursuits, land therefore
most likely to be affected by change in the present
prosperous circumstances of the country,) upon
their guard against too great reliance upon our
predictions, by stating that recent occurrences
have shaken the confidence which we have hereto
fore expressed in the peaceful termination Of the
Oregon controversy We refer, Of course, to the
indications which the Debate in the House of Re-
representatives. has furnished upon the subject.
Our avowed confidence in peaceful termination
Of the controversy was founded upon convic-
ton, derived from the Annual Message of the
President of the United States, taking all its
parts together,) that he looked forward to pacific
result which, we do not doubt, he still expects.
This confidence was fortified by the information
which has reached this country, in different ways,
unofficial but credible, that the British Government
has anxously desired and yet desires, to maintain
peaceful relations with the United States. And
when, added to these considerations, we saw Mr..
CALHOUN, a leading member Of the Democratic ma
ority in the Senate, availing himself of the earliest
opportunity after taking his seat to declare himself
for peace, we felt justified in congratulating our
readers the fact Of SO important an accession to
the body OF those legislators who think that
"peace may yet be preserved with honor, and
who are not, at any rate, disposed to incur the
hazards and horrors Of war until all efforts for
"pacifc and honorable adjustment of the dispute
" shall be exhausted
We cannot, even now that the course of the De-
bate in the House has unsealed eyes, and shown
us how near we stand to the edge Of precipice,
persuade ourselves that majority in either House
Of Congress would, all things else being equal,
prefer war to peace but we must confess our APP
prehensions that the tone of the Debate in the
House of Representatives, connected, it must be,
in the estimation Of all the foreign world with the
claim to the whole of Oregon" set up in the Pre-
sidents Message cannot but be Of the worst augury
for the maintenance of peace.
We desire therefore 10 recall any expressions of
confidence which we have heretofore felt ourselves
ton Of this Oregon dispute hoping at the same
time, that counsels wiser than those which now
seem in the ascendant may yet avert the dire
catastrophe of War.
FROM INTELLIsEScER TUEspAr.l
The Oregon question came up yesterday in the
SENATE, upon the motion Of Mr.. ALLEN, with a view
to fixing time for its discussion which Mr.. ALLEN
moved should be postponed and made the order Of
the day for Tuesday, the 9th of this month. A
motion Of Mr.. WEsTcoTT, however, to postpone it
to the 10th Of February, decided in the affirm
alive by vote of 80 to Is; vote which certain
ly argues an indsposition on the part of the Sc
nate, to precipitate the question. Mr.. WEsTcoTT
did not indeed place his motion distinctly on that
ground; but reference to the yeas and nays on
the question will show that the delay was against
the wishes Of those who have heretofore been for
ward in pressing the matter upon the Senate.
This vote Of the Senate, however, we presume,
indicates no more than determination TO act on
the subject with elaboration, in a manner worthy
Of the dignity of that body.
The apprehension, which we yesterday founded
upon the tone of the debate in the House of Repre-
sentatives is certainly in degree qualified by
yesterdays action of the Senate, in so far as the
delay Of month before acting cannot but be
favorable to calm consideration and wise decision.
We embrace the opportunity to say that in our
yesterdays reference to this subject, our only pur
pose was to guard our readers from relying too
much upon our own speculations on the probabi-
ties of peaceful hostile termination Of the de-
baed question, and our expressed confidence in the
former result, which they might suppose to have
been based upon facts known to us and not to them
We still think that there will be peace between us
and old England, but we do not feel the same con-
idence Of il since the disclosures made in the de-
bate still going in the House Of Representatives
That is all we meant to say.
movement something like looking War in the
face, and preparing for 1t, made in the Senate
yesterday. This was the introduction of a Bill
from the Committee Naval Affairs founded
doubtless on estimates from the proper Department.
for the construction of ten steam vessels of war,
and appropriating between five and six millions of
dollars for the purpose. This will do for begin
ming; but il is not more than one-fourth of the
amount which ought to be forthwith appropriated
for the same purpose lin addition to the ordinary
Naval expenditures IL we seriously expect to have
occasion for any addition whatever to the Naval
IT,