Herald of the times. [volume] (Newport, R.I.) 1830-1846, 1846-03-05
Letters of Albert Gallatin,
On ruE
OREGON QUESTION;
New YoRK, Jan. 18Th, 1916.


cusslon OF the subject, Tint II cannot b,
doubted that the question has now become
: on both SIDES, one OF feeling rather than o
right. THIS, IN America, grows Out of the
fact that, IN this contest with a European
nation, The contested territory is IN America
and not IN Europe II Is Identical wth the
premature official annunclatIon that the l.
nited States could not acquesce in the es-
Enlistment Of any acw colony in North A.
merlca by any European nation. This senti-
meut was already general al the time when
1t was first publicly declared; and now that
II has been almost universally avOwed, there
can BE- no impropricty in any private citizen
to say, as now ia, that share in that feel.
ing to It's fu!! extent. For the Americans.
Oregon Is or " III be home for England It Is
but an outpost, which may afford means OF
annoyance, rather than a source of real pow
er. In America al! haze the same ultimate
object IN view; we differ only with respect
to the means by which 1t may be attained
Two circumstances have had n tendency
to nourlsh aud excite these feelings. The
British Fur Companies, from their position,
from their monopolzing character, from their
natural influence upon the Indians, aud from
that, much greater than might have been ex-
the British Government in its negotiations
with the United States, have for sixty years
been perpetual source Of annoyance and
collisions. The vested interests of the ilud
son Bay Company are at this momcn, the
greatest obstacle to an alnlcable arrange.
ment. It is at the same time due to jusllce
to cay that as far as is known, that company
has acted in Oregon in conformity with the
tor, Of hn tinn un1t thaf, ,In,
have uniformly treated the A Americans, wheth.
er visitors or emlgrants, not only cOurteously.
but with great kindness.
II the British colonies on the continent OF
America were an independent country, or
, were they placed in their commercial rela-
lions, OF least wth the United States, on the
same footing as the BRUSH possessions IN
Europe, these relations would be regulated
by the reciprocal Interests aud wants Of the
parties immediately concerned Great Br-
tain has an undoubed right to persist in her
colonial policy, but the result has been cx.
Temely vexauous, and to the United States
injurious. Al this Is true. But feelings do
not confer right and the indulgence of ex
cited feelings is neither virtue nor wisdom.
The Western States have no greater ap-
parent immediate interest in the acquisition
Vi Oregon than the States bordering on the
Atlantic. These stand IN greater need Of an
outlet for their surplus emigratlng popula-
ton, and to them exclusively will for ihe
present the benefit accrue of ports on the
Pacific for the protection of the numerous
American ships employed in the fisheries ard
commerce OF that ocean. Ii Is true that in
case of war the Inhabitants of the Western
States will not, If n naval superiority shalI be
obtained on the Upper Lakes, feel those i'm
mediate calamties of war 10 Which the coun-
try along the sea. shore is necessarily expos
cd but no section of the United States will
be more deeply affected by the mposslbiIlty
OF finding during the war market for the
immense surplus o! lis agricultural products.
1t must also be remembered that direct tax
has heretofore been found more productive
than the aggregate OF all the other internal
taxes levied by the General Government :.
that, IN case OF war, II mGst necessarily be,
imposed !. and that, as 1t must IN conformity
with the Constitution, he LEVIED IN proportion.
to the respective population of the several
States, /, will be much more oppressive on
those which have not yet accumulated a.
large amount of circulating or personal CAPT
tai. The greater degree OF c%cItement
which prevails in the West is due to other
and more powerful causes than regard for
self.interest.
Bordering through the whole Of their
northern frontier on the British possess ions,
the Western people have always been per
sonaIly exposed To those annoyances and col
lisions already alluded to: and 1t may be
that the hope Of getting rid oi those by the
conquest of Canada has solpe influence upon.
their conduct Independent OF tins, the IN
donltable energy OF this nation has been aud
is nowhere displayed so lorclbly as ia the
new States and settlements. 1t was ncccs
sarily directed towards the acquisition of
land and the cultivation In that respect II
has performed prodIgles. Three millions of
cullvators OF the soil are now found bctweenI
the Lakes and the ONO, where. lltlle more
.haD fiity years before, save only three or four
half Indian French settlements, there was
not n single white lnhabliaDt. Nothing now
seems impossible to those men they have
not even been sobcred by fresh experience.
Attempting To do at once, and wlthont an ad
equate capital, that which should have been
delayed tve.und.twenty years, aud might
have then been successfully nccomp Ished, i
some OF those States have had the mortltica
ton to find themselves unable to pay the in
tercst on the debt they had contracted, and
obliged to try to compound with their cred
tors. Nevertheless, uudunshcd activity
and locomotlon are still the ruling prlncl.
pies the Western people leap over time
aud distance; ahead they must 90; III their
mission. May God speed them, und may
they thus quietly take possession of the en-
tire contested territory
All this was "a well known to The British
Government as To ourselves. \ public aud
official declaration by the President of the
United States was unnecessary aud at least
premature. Mr.. Rush's correspondence ol.
1921 bears witness OF us uniouunato effect
on the negotiations OF that year These
feelings had graduplly subsli"d. But, wha,
ever may be- the cause, ihr fact that al cx-
iraordnary excitement on ihs subject has
manifested itself, aud does now exist on both
SIDES, cannot be- dcnlcd. lmc Is absolutely
necessary ~ order that Tins should subsldr.-
Any prccipitatG step now taken by vubrr
Government would be attended with the
most fatal consequences That which, II
done some years ago, might have been harm
less. would now be- highly dangerous, sud
should at least bc postponed Tor The present.
The FIRST lnciplcpt step rccommcndcd by
the Executive ls, Nv give the notice that the
convention OF lo25 shall expire At the end nl