The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-04-15

owing ale gance 10 their respective governments
without any common sTbiteT, with no mode Of de-
Gliding controversies that may arise between inc
citizens of one, and the subjsctsof The other 81
double-headed government Is wholly impractical
Bile: and il is preposterously absurd 10 expect they
could thus live without disturbance and violence, and
eventually blOodshed five fail then, TO give the no
ice, deem a quarrel inevitable. No one who has
spark of American feeling in his bosom, would de-
sire that etizens should be thus placed, and liza
bic be involved in such difficulties if not dangers
But, sir, look htue further. Can il be imagined
that our people already organized into government
Of their own, will long permit the Hudson Bay Com
pany 10 exercise authority among them Most as
suredly they will not then claim, we must give
this notice, and have exclusive jurisdiction, peace
ably il we can, forcby If we must" and at the ex-
piralion Of twelve months, Great Britain will possess
ready TOO long tacitly acqulesced in by the Ameri-
can people.
Allow mo cir, to refer to the Sd article Of the con.
yention of20th October 1875 and tho convention OF
1897, which ! beg the indulgence Of the Senate to
read:
,"A,I. > Iii. .gresd that any county that may be
n%arc. S..,w.ra q ne stony oaStsins taO~ called
Rocky msunisissJ shah. together shh us hsIb9n
.Ss .n al A cp.a Ss term 81 ten
from the date Of the signature Of the present convention
,asa 10 hr pTsudles Of any claim which either OF hswO
T nop .s g. ssn % meet III. ei%. q any other
power susie sny Of the said country hs only Oh
s:a ~ nj s.efS e'Hs
agssd AZ L0ndsn .fay4a 8, 1871.
"Ast All III. yi.ons afths third srels Of the con
and the King Of ths United Kingdom Of Great
Britain and Irssnd On the a9th e os9oeI sls shall be-
iSass ore s Is &. .s%s n.%nsr Il he provision,
Of the ssid article were herein specifically rseitsd
Asra !. .hs be eomPsra sorsst, S 70 either e. o. the
,i%s ssr ~ sots oetoSs isas on giving due nces q
.G Ss
eordngy snreiy snnuled and sbrogsted after the eAPi
ton THE said term OF notice, u. =. .-,....
third article Of the convention Of the Goth October 1918
hsreby eontiausd force shah be construed to impair
In aay affect the claims which either Of the con
tracing parties may have any pan Of the country west
ward Of the Stony or Rocky mountains"
In my legal construction Of this language, | can
not see where we get the authority to settle this
territory at all, and keep good faith with England, If
we consider the convention in force. In 1878 Ore
gon was wilderness, and all we then wanted was
to have the country as well as the harbors, bays,
and creeks, "rss and open" to the subjects Of one
and the citizens OF the other; and no one had right
to appropriate" any portion OF the country exclu
svely TO his own use, but If the country remains
free and open to the citizens Of both nations, how
wives and children, to occupy and settle IL | do
not think that we have such right, unless we dis
regard the convention on the ground that il has
been already violated by Great Britain, then may
90 on and settle it, and build forts, and extend our
laws H. for the convention is abrogated, in fact
at this very hour. But il hold that it is still in
force how the "masterly inactivity" scheme of the
gentleman from South Carolina Mr.. CALHOUNl can
be carried out in good faith, cannot imagine. If
the country is by the terms and spirit Of the
ZION, TO be kept "free and OPEN" we have 10 right
to locate there, and close it up with settlements; and
ask, whether, in two years from this time, the
Willamette valley will be "free and open" to the
citizens Of one, and the subjects Of the other No,
cir; il will all be occupied and settled by the enter
prising citizens Of the West, TO the exclusion OF
British subjects. I do not make this suggestion
with view 70 prevent emigration. insist that
our people have full right to 30 and settle there,
because, in fact the convention has been already
nullifed by England herself; If not let give the
notice at once, before they do settle We owe it
to them, and we owe il to the world, and TO our
own good faith, openlyto declare the SEGREGATION Of
the conventioa in order that we may settle the
country rightfully. ,a'
But, MI. President | will not enlarge wish
for the notice to be given; butt cannot vote for the
resolution introduced by the gentleman from Ken
lucky fMf. CRirrEspksl for two reasons--frst
because Il dcvoves the President the discretion
Of giving the notice. am quite willing to take my
share ofthe responsibility, and not cast it on the
President. Congress alone should determine such
an important matter, although have entire conf
dence in our Chief Magistrate, and have no doubt
if this resolution should pass, he would exercise
'his discretion" by giving immediate notice; and
the second reason because this resolution contem-
plates that the President shall not give the notice ill
after the expiration of the present session Of Con-
gress. have heard no one suggest the difficulty
which presents itself to my mind.
If the President gives the notice, as proposed by
this amendment, can see no reason why the Brit
ish minister may not, on the very next day, say to
the President. "We do not want the twelve months
notice before the expiration Of the convention, the
allowance of that interval is intended for the advan
tage, and privilege TO as the party to whom
the notice is given and we can waive the privilege
if we choose; we do waive it, and insist that the
matter shall stand il would stand at the end
of twelve months" Suppose the British minister
should insist on this. | want to know how you
could avoid ii How you could claim that the con-
vention should not be abrogated at once and not
be deferred for twelve months ! confess do not
see how it would be possible to guard against such
a contingency; and therefore I wish notice to be
given while Congress is in session. II war should
come, | should not like to be "Copenhagened" a,
any rate but If such attempt is to be made, should
choose that Congress should be in session at the
time. .sE
And sir cannot vote for the amendment pro.
posed by the senator from Georgia, not only for the
reasons have urged against the resolutions of the
gentleman from Kentucky, [Mr, CRrrrENpEs but
also on account of the second resolution, which |
beg the indulgence of the Senate to read;
"stc And be further enacted That II is earnestly de
sired that the long standing controversy respecting limits in
the Oregon territory speedily settled by negotiation
compromise in order to ranquilze the public mind to
preserve the friendly relations Of the two countries"
Now, sir, every senator knows that the recon-
mendaton Of notice by the President not made
war measure, but to preserve the peace of the
country; and the senator, believe, honestly sup.
posed that his amendment would be means Of car
rying out the wishes Of the President Yet accord
ing to my conception II will certainly defeat the OBJ
ject the gentleman had in view. If it is SENT in its
present FORM to the House Of Representatives, it
will most certainly be rejected there; and then there
| will be no notice given, and the ultimate conse-
qoerces Of that will endunger the peace Of the two
countries. For this notice is the only measure, in
my judgment, that can preserve peace. go for il
as peace measure, though am ready to use it Q
war measure, TOO, il that shall be needed If that
amendment is carried in this chamber it will be car
RED bya small fraction Of the democratic party, with
the help Of all the wings and then 1t is sure to be
re;enfAd in thh M her House