The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-01-16
"NoTICEn OR INAcTIoN,

Boh quesuoh sceihs 10 DC aunhttcu t1aTuly any
man in Congress is willing now TO say, that our
citizens in Oregon should remain longer ungoyerned,
unprotected, unreeognised by our laws Almost
every man admits, too, that new aids and facilities
should he given to emigration into that country.
And the position ofoPponents To the notice n0p is,
that all this auxiliary and protective legislation Oh
our part may take place, and should take place, IN
der The convention as stands. This is a great step
OoGd in the discussion Of the question, and in the
public sentiment upon il. Before the present ses-
aion, Congresshas never been Of this opinion I'm
al the last session, neither the Senate nor the House
was ever OF this opinion. And even during the last
session, the whole opposition TO the extension Of our
laws over our people in Oregon, rallied on the ground
that such legislation on our part soud violate the
shp,aaiiOnS Of the Convention and this ground, I'M
enable as 1t is, was maintained by that opposition
firmly TO the last. The unanimous sentiment Of
the opponents to an Oregon territory bill, has al
ways been, that such bill, though confined 10 our
own citizens, would be on our part breach Of
treaty sdpulations. Half dozen such bills have
failed on that ground.
But that doctrine Is now abandoned. In view Of
the fact that the courts Of Canada have, at this mo-
ment, by British statute, and have had since 1921,
jurisdiction over the whole country, aud "al persons
whatsoever residing or being in i'm view Of this
fact, 1t is difficult to see how such doctrine could
ever have been held. But so it was.
Now, on the contrary, it ia urged against the no
tiee; pass your Oregon BILL build your block
houses mount your Dragons, or form your rife
regiments, under the conventions do all this
pending the JOINT occupancy, but do give the no.
ce to terminate it." And, be it observed, this poll
cy looks 10 a state things ind. 6nisly permanent 1t
urges US to send our laws into Oregon under the
convention, and keep them there in "jont occupO-
ton" until our people there shall grow up into num-
bers and strength.
II is in contrast with this policy that the import
ance Of the notice, as peace measure, seems most
clear. IL we let the convention stand, and pass an
Oregon territory bill, how far shall we carry our ter
ritorial jurisdiction? Must we not, very clear
ly, 60 at least up to 1907 Will any puan agree
to stop short Of hat Will not, rather the public
voice demand that we shall follow the demonstra-
ton OF our title, and 60 up to $40 i02 But British
jurisdiction over "all persons whatsoever in that
region" $50 it is writen) will encounter our jurisdic-
ton at every stepit takes in Oregon, from 400 to
$40, 40. The flag of England at this moment
waves over Fort Umqus two hundred miles south OF
the Columbia river, in the very heart Of the region
which our people are now fast filling up Pass
this Oregon territory bi-make the site Of that fort
by law, and on the statute-book, a part Of this
Union--just as New York or Virginia is part of the
Union and what shall we do with that establish
ment and that flag After the passage of such a
BILL shall the British flag continue to wave there,
or shall it come DOWN The very question "stirs
the blood" little. But we do not ask it in war
spirit, We ask calmly and deliberately, what would
be our just and proper course in such case' We
ask those Who to keep the peace, oppose the notice,
Shall we pass law over large valley fast filling
with American citizens, when one of the hills of
that valley stands British stronghold Is This,
in any 'sudgment, the way to keep the peace' Is
this policy of permanently governing country with
British forts in it, and British laws in it, and British
hunting and trading company in it, two thousand
strong with civil organization, and military or
ganzation, and a naval organization and six arm
ed vessels Of their own, Of them steamer, off
the coast,-is this policy, we say, Of governing a
country with such inmate, apoliey SO very
10 be PEACEFUL that we think il worth while to make
it permanent and 80 to pass bill to govern Oregon,
in state of Joint occupany," because Jorsooth such
bill ,oiu keep The peace?
And, be it observed, this state of things is the
best that occur under an Oregon bill passed and
continuing in force duringa permanent 'joint oc-
cupation." This is the state of things which will
present itself if England remains inactive in her joint
occupancy, while we carry our law into effect, with
out the notice. But is there any, the slightest, hope
that she will remain thus Inactive when she sees
purpose of filling up the territory as fast as pos
slble to crowd her out Of III Consider the language
QUOTED in our last artice) used by the governor
and superintendent Of the Hudson Bay Company.
Remember, that they asked for rechurter in 1897,
on the ground that it would secure British dominion
thereon the farther ground that, under color of
joint occupation they making British title ev-
cry year, and had already the "nucleus Of a colo
n.y." Remember that, these grounds, they got
their charter from the governmcnt-with re-
served right of colonization. With these proofs Of
the English policy before us, how we imaginer
for a moment that England, while joint occupant
with us, will be inactive while we put an Oregon
bill in force and go on to fill up the land with
people Our government cannot keep its move
ments in the dark, as the company has done for
twenty-five years, until upon waking up to the val
ue of our Oregon land, we find it under British
law and dotted all over with British forts. No,
policy under an Oregon bill will be in broad day
light, written on the face Of the bill; and England
will not fold her hands before it. She must 60 on
to strengthen her present strongholds and build
more. She will plant colonies and defend them
And so long as by letting the convention stand, we
give her the right of joint occupation, we can never
move her from the north bank Of the Columbia
river except by war. So long as we leave her thai
plea for action and persistence, what right have
we to believe that she will yield an inch Of ground
to bill On the contrary, every indication she
has ever given of her policy, shows that she wiz
confront our law, and counteract our active meas
ures by similar measures Of her own. She will see
the ostrich body, though the head may be concealed.
She will see that our course is secretly active, al