The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-27

cordial support OF the democracy OF the uaion"
J, This resolution met the hasty response Of the
D people in all quarters Of the Union | could cite
J The committee to hundreds of public meetings re-
spending 10 the nominations made at Baltimore, and
the resolutions passed in relation 10 Oregon. will,
however, refer only 10 the great ratification meeting
7 IN The city Of New York, Immediately after Mr..
Folks nomination.:
Rssolrd That the Inc United States to the terri
tory o. Oregon being unquesioBsls We hold 10 bs the
oennden duty Of our government believe be the
should be preserved entire and that no psrt Of 4
should be surrendered to foreign power early
pfe occupation and Tor the protection security OF our
! citizens now settled in and snigraiing TO H."
These resolutions embodied the views and opin-
Ions Of the great OF the demsecatic party and
contend should have influence upon the
democratic portion OF this House venture TO say
there Is not man on this floor who has not received
numerous letters approving the ground taken
by the Pfesdent In his message, on the ore
gon question. From those who sTo on the whig
side In politics, this appreciation could not have
been excited by tho Presidents doctrine respect
ing The sub.tTeosury or the reduction Of the tariff
TO what 10 this ownngi IL cannot be denied lhai
Is owing to The bold, manly, and independent
ground taken in relation TO the Oregon question.
Never, sir, has a message of any chet magistrate
i OF this nation snse the formation OF the govern
ment, beea more enthusiastically appauded and ap-
proved, than has the annual message OF Mr.. Polk.
have received the most decided testimony from my
Surely, them 1t ought to have some binding influence
/ on the democrats in this House
! In regard to this measure Of notice now before
the committee, presume II will pass in some form
bya large majority. Gentlemen doubtless are ae-
tuated by different motives; some, probably, will
vote for II with view 10 expedite negotiations; 9th
ers, because the abrogaton Of the convention will
remove an obstacle that now prevents the adoption
Of important for the occupation Of Oregon
For one should prefer that those who are for com
] Farp Fut. inn I.Ha To-. 81.
notice at all should consider il one Of the great
est casmities should the boundary I've finally fixed
at that line. Before | close my remarks | shall
touch on this subject again.
! Much hns been said nbout our sleeping on our
rights for thirty years. Because, in 1878 1924 and
| 1926, propositions had been made on our part to
settle the controversy by adopting the 49th degree,
| gentlemen suppose that we bound % abide by
those offers now. But the circumstances are very
different now from what they thirty years ago
| The value of the country was not then fully known.
| Let me ask gentlemen from New England what they
used to think about Illinois, and Other western
States, twenty years since' Did they not then con-
slider II fsr-of country Of little value, and inhab-
tied by semi. bartarisns' Not half the nets Of bar
barity and cruelty have been perpetra ted in Texas
and Oregon which Nsere charged as having been
committed in the valley Of the Mississippi. The
people of the East then knew nothing Of the West;
and they believed the thousand fabulous tales re.
lated Of western barberity. There is u vast differ
]
now properly appreciated. The change on tbs east
side OF the mountains is not greater than that which
! has taken place TO the Of them. AT that time
the value Of Oregon was not known, its advantages
were not appreciated. IL not then known that
IL was possible to open a communication by land
from the Atlantic to the shores Of the Pacific The
nceotia,ors on our side willing to part with
that on easy terms with the value of which they
we not acquainted. These considerations, which
were then aOpowerfu do not operate now Great
1 Rrira in ed hose ofIe and
bound by what we offered then.
! This question Of title should be settled. We owe
| il to our settlers in Oregon, and to those who are
preparing to go there. Thousands are making prep
aratiops 10 GO to that country with the full belief
that II is far north $40 40, and that our
government will assert and maintain that right
| Does any one believe that many Of those who have
gone, and who are preparing to go, would do so If
! they supposed that the country was be divided
between government and Great Britnnl-the
one government on the north side Of the Columbia
river and the other on the south side' Such state
Of things would, sooner or later, inevitably lead to
difficulties and disturbances, which would end in
war between the two countries. Then, sir, if war
must come in the settlement Of this question, it is
better that il come now than later.
! Mr.. Chairman, am opposed to war; / deprecate
it, consider it as a relic Of the dark ages Would
to God there were some other way Of settling the
disputes Of nations; but this is the manner in which
we are sometimes forced to defend our rights
While deprecate war, as enormous and terrible
evil do not consider it the greatest Of evils. To
what do we owe our present system of government
How has republic attained to its present magni
| tudei Is il not the result of war; Had our fathers
| tamey submitted to the exactions Of Great Britain,
what would now have been our condition. They
made greater sacrifices for freedom than we
called on to make for Oregon. For liberty, they
pledged their lives, their fortunes, and their sacred
| honor. All was jeoparded freely for liberty and
for the possession of comparatively seril strip Of
! land, not near so fertile or valuable as Oregon.
| How long could peace be maintained, il our citi-
| zens were settle on one side of the Columbia, and
I British subjects the other side9 ! ask gentle
men reflect on the probable consequences Of such
state of things. But in reply, hear it asked how
have we maintained peace for so many years the
Canada frontier There is no parallel between the
two cases. The one country is hardly worth pos
sessing, much less fighting for; and yet how often
have the most threatening difficulties arisen' And
how will it be in Oregon twenty years hence,
when its population will consist Of millions, in
stead of the handful Of people who sparse
ly scattered through it nows Can gentlemen sup
pose that two nations, such England
: and the United States can occupy so important an
extent of coast, and country that will some day
show the largest cities in the world without danger
of colisoni Collision is as inevitable as that night
follows day II will comes the spirit Of our people
will lead them rather to court it. Canada will one
day come into this Union; and California, in time,
will belong to this government. This Is destined to
he an "ocean- bound republic" Yet ] would not
sanction the taking ofany step which is not perfect
ly consistent with the observance Of good faith.
But this country must come to us in the very nature
| of things. All | ask now is that Congress shall
extend our own laws over our own territory--a ter
ritory which seven-eghths Of the people believe to
I be ours.
We have heard stated, with much humor, what
constitutes a "maserly inactivity" l will not say
that all who are opposed to this notice are in favor
of such "rnasteriy inactivity" that described
with SO much force and effect by the honorable gen
tleman from Ohio, MIR. SrARKwEATHERl but will
say, that il gentlemen would use the same mastery
ociiry in defending right to Oregon as is mani
i tested in obtaining the floor to talk about it, the bat
lie would be nobly fought, and the victory speedily
won A corporai's guard Of British subjects would
not be found in Oregon after the expiration Of the
twelve months notice.
will here read ain extract from the speech Of the
gentleman from Virginia, Mr.. BArLY.l He says:
be British attach no Importance to Oregon except for
the purpose OF carry ing the fur trade, That IL in rapid