The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-09-15


could sec nothing in tbs national honor that would
justify, much less demand, departure from u.
Possessing before, in an equal degree as after the
treaty with Spain Ia 1919 all the title which On the
ground OF discovery We could assert 20 the country
drained by the waters of the Columbia, and which,
II good for hing, was valid beyond the SD
parallel of latitude, our government at no ume
proposed more northern boundary than the par
allel al 81, and never demanded more than that
Of A. Having some knowledge, from my Oh
ticial position OF that time, Of the policy and
objects Of the convention of 1928, | Quite
persuaded that its main design was to lead ~ IN.
ture partition Of the territory TO the recognition OF
our claim TO the country, not north, but south Of
toe forty-nnth parallel, Ind between that and the
Columbia river, A division Of the country upon
that principle with reasonable regard u rights
growing up under the JOINT possessions, always APP
prsred to me TO afford just and practicable basis
Tor an amlcable and honorable adjustment of the
subject Such, also, | was satisfied, were he
views of my own government a. the Time engaged
IN my recent mission and in earnestly and steadily
laboring 10 effect a settlement upon that basis,
was bat repres. ntlng the policy Of my own govern,
inent and faithfully promoting the Intentions and
wishes Of the President"
The object ~ the integencer Is very obvious
that journal laboTs TO create an impression thht the
President, in his public messages, held one language
Of extreme aud impracticable demands, while he
had a secret understanding with his minister in
London that he was 10 negotiate for what has ac-
tually been obtained. Now nothing is more
lalss than this view Of the question: the whole
commentary Of the lnelligencer proceeds up
IN peTversion Of Mr.. McLane's language,
'Ogether with a suppression Of official documents,
ready published under the authority Of the Senate,
which, Of course, appeared ia the columns the In
ttlligenceT. We have reason 20 know that no one
an feel more indignant at such an attempt 10 make
A dishonest partisan use Of his language than "ouI
minister" to whom the lntelilgeneer refrrs. What
Mr. .ueLans says and m'dH, Is that oar goreIn m'ni
ntrrr dmrndtd more nOrihs boundary thIa the Ash
pa, Ilisi, aud h4I he thought a settlement ought 10 be
made The basis Of lhs 49h pdraitL-ihh such l0as h'
ianiion offht eoRUsnlo Of 1928, and that n labor
ig 10 1T CT such a Ssiiism' he bHi erseuiing III
n,bueitOHs and uishss " lis President. Now the
President asserted Ia his messages thar he thought
ute 10 the whole to be good, and that # were
new case he would not accept less, but that IN
view of the previous attempts Ia compromise.
made by our government, he thought II hts duty
o propose a settlement the same basis of com
iromlse which government had always rest
I'd; he accordingly made, in July last propo-
sltIon TO divide the territory upon the basis OF the
18th parallel. In conformity with this view, Mr.
u Lane was despatched To London to advocate the
,ame view there, and in his instructions now pub.
shed, and well known to the lntelligencer he Is
Expressly directed to devote his best abilities to this
end. We quote from Executive Document N"
l6, 9th Congress, LIST session." published August
), 1876, the last three paragraphs Of Mr. Buchan.
ms Instructions to Mr. McLane, which must dis.
pae the arful and Lnsldious misrepresentation Of
ne lntelhgencer:
"Had this been a new question, you are fully
aware that the President never would have pre-
aented such proposition; but II must not he for.
GOTTEN that the American government never dies, al
hough the agents who administer II are perpetually
hanging. It's course Of policy towards foreign
nous should not change with every en- tnging nd
ninistratOn, but ought to be uniform and consist
ent, unless for reasons of imperative necessity.
"From what has been said, you will perceive how
wholly Impossible It is for the President TO acrepI
Wy terms of compromise which would bring the
BRUSH south of the parallel Of ~ degrees; and this
you may intimate the British ministers ln
versatIon, should you deem II wise under oil the
circumstances The only exception to this rule
ghich could possibly be made might be the conces.
'Ion, for adequate equivalent of the small cap Of
VancOuyer's island south of this latitude, which
you'd be of no importance to the United States
whilst it is of considerable value to Great Britain.
"You will enforce proposition upon the
British ministry with all the enlightened ability OF
which you are so eminently the master. Should
Il be rejected, the President will he relieved from
he embarrassment ia which he has been involved
ny the acts offers, and declarations OF his predeces
sors. Afterwards, If the difficulty only be
solved by the sword, we may then appeal, with
confidence, TO the world for the equity and justice Of
nur cause, and may anticipate the smiles of Heaven
upon the right"
1t is true that the proposition as made, is
not precisely similar TO that made by the Pres
dent, to the modification contemplated in
The instructions, extract from which is
quoted above; for that reason Mr.. McLane
| stated in his despatch, accompanying the PROPOSE.
zion made by Great Britain, that he could give
encouragement that it could be accepted by the
President, or If submitted to the Senate, that il
would be approved by that body, unless modIfed
md it is also that after the rejection of the
Presidents offer, and until the British government
consented to make substantially the same as
tina. rejected the President stood necessarily upon
the abstract question of title to 81 40. His offer Of
compromise being rejected, he was not only thrown
back upon title, but having reached the line Of
~, which even MIR. Webster called our fighting
line, what else was left but to stand in such posi-
zion that when driven 10 the remedy of the sword
ne might hold the right to fight for the whoLe, unem
barrassed by his previous offer to compromise; and
by reference to this same extract above quoted, IT
will be that the President, when he instructed
his minister urge 40, also informed him that if this
offer was rejected, he would then feel himself unem
barrassed, and would go for title and right the
whole.
| This plain review of the question shows how en-
lirely consistent the course Of the President,
| and how faithfully his Official instructions were
| adopted by his mnster--no perversion of that
minister's language, or arfu reference to the tby-
ways" Of the negotiation, on this the other side
Of the Atlantic can answer the purpose of produce
| ing dissension or making issue between the ad
ministration and Mr.. McLane, or rob the President
Of the honor and fame he has so richly merted, in
promptly adopting just, reasonable, and equitable
grounds Of negotiation, when he opened this ques-
ton, to which he faithfully adhered, until the British
government rejected his Offer and threw him back
upon extreme title, where he rested until Great
| Britain, yielding her pretensons of thirty years
standing, came back upon the President with the
| American basis Of compromise.
We have said enough TO reiuie the misrepresent
atoms Of The IntelIisencer and viudicae the frank
ness and patriotism Of the President, and we hav,
neither time or space to pursue the subject through
all the by-ways of the negotiation.
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