The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-06-15
CONG REss SION AL.
sPEECH OF MIR. BENTON,
or MISSOURI,

CONTINUED
Mr. PREspESr: In the progress Of my speech |
End another little Bit of rubbish in my path, Just
thrown into il from the other side Of the sea--from
Tondon-yhich must clear way before proceed
t,,,hsr n is in the form Of an article IN the Lon
dop Times newspaper. A friend has just sent me
,ome numbers of that paper, IN which furious war
!, vaged upon the Utrecht line Of 400, motlVed by
IN, conversational debate which took place IN this
chamber some two months ago, and in which the
.snalor from Michigan, Mr.. CAss,l and myself
we're speakers and in which the existence, or nom
,,,tence Of that line the point of contestaton.
The Times takes part with the senator from Mich
,sn. and CARRIE into his subject the usual quantity
N his fiery zeal. IL so happens, Mr.. President,
hsi possess a very delicate scent, and smell
hings especially Of the rat Species at an immense
distance SO, when | read these articles in the
Times, smet them-smelt the beaver that was in
bsm and, the scent coming upon me very strong,
was struck with an idea. IL was the same which
truck the worthy DR.. Primrose the second time that
he met the accomplished Ephralm Jenknson, and
heard from him second rehearsal Of his Greek learn
ng on the cosmogony, or creation Of the world "Par
jon me sir said the DOCTOR for inteIrupung much
Earning, but think | have heard all this before"
The apparton Of tho fair, with all the catastrophe
Of the colt and blackberry, Immediately rose upon
he mental vision of the learned commentator on
Sanconiathon, Manetho, Lucellus Ocanus, and Be-
rous Seeing he was caught, he confessed; for
J,nkinson had some redeeming points about him,
and never lied when there was no use IN II. lie
confessed the whoe and the DOCTORS "dea" received
The seal of its confirmation from his candor In
ike manner, must beg the pardon of the editor of
the Tunes with the suggestion that have seen all
this Utrecht learning before; that it is an old ac-
auantance of mine; all familiar to me from the time
hat President Jeferson's governor Of louisiana
drove the British traders the line of Utrecht
across 49-and kept them there, regardless OF all
their cries and lamentations. recognised this old ac
oaaintance in these new articles in the Times
nothing changed in spirit, only IN form.
The Earl Of Selkirk, and his associate sufferers
in forensic language confessed and avoIded that IL
10 say they admitted the line of Utrecht but plead
Is .brogation by war, and its supersedeas by the
consent and conniyance Of the SpanIards; bat the
new articles improved by the nrepidlty, It not by
the profIndity Of Greenhow's book, accredited IL
i, on this floor by the senator from Michigan bold
" take the short cut to the object, and now deny
out and out what was confessed and avoided be
fore. In other respects the Times articles now are
the memorials Of the British furtraders at the epoch
ofthe acquisition of Louisiana, and the expulsion OF
these traders from by virtue of the Utrecht line of
! 49, And now want TO ask the senator from Mich
ivan [Mr CAssl IT, at seeing himself thus applaud
ID by the London Times be does not feel tempted
ike the Athenian of old seeing himself applauded
by rsbble that he despised, to round to his
| this applause upon huR tMr CAss nodded assent ]
can tell him what he has done amiss: he has taken
the British fur-traders side of the line of Utrecht
/ And as for the editor of the Times, if he wishes
light on the subject, refer him to authentic
sources of information just at his hand, namely the
kings map with the utrecht line upon it, as well a.
III. Maine boundary line upon it, (all written in the
| old kings own hand,) which so marvellously dis
sppeared from the foreign office at the time of the
Ashburton treaty; and also to the thin quarto, with
4 red edges printed at the corner of st. Martins
Il Lane Charine Cross, London, ammo Domini
Il MDCCLIlI prepared by Thomas Jetfreys, esq
II Geographer to the Prince Of Wales, and Intended
for the instruction of the her-apparent to the domln-
II inns whose boundaries he was defining to him.
II Upon Jenkinss principle, the Times editor should
II confess, after seeing this map of George the Third
and this geography, in which that king studied the
i boundaries of his domlnlons.
This bit of rubbish being removed from my path
/ now go on with my subject.
The value of the country mean the Columbia
river and its vallcy-(I must repeat the limitation
1 every time, lest | be carried up to $40 4V)-has
been questioned on this floor and elsewhere. II
i has been supposed to be Of little vaue-harfly
worth the possession, much less the acquisition; and
treated rather as burden to be got rid OF, than as
benefit to be preserved. This is great error, and
one that only prevails on this side of the water: the
British know better; and if they held the 1.-THE o
our title, they would fight the world for what we
Il depreciate II is not worthless country, but one
Ofimmense value, and that under many aspects
and will be occupied by others, to our injury ant
| annoyance if not by ourselves for our own beneh
4 and protection. Forty years ago It was written by
i Humboldt that the banks of the Columbia present
i ed the only situation on the northwest coast o
America fit for the residence OF a civilized people
Experience has confirmed the truth OF this wls'
| remark All the rest of the coast, from the Straits
of Fucs out to New Archangcl, (and nothing but {
i fur trading post there,) remains a vacant waste
i abandoned since the quarrel Of Nootka sound, ant
l become the derect of nations The Columbia only
! invites possessor and for that possession, saga
cious British diplomacy has been long weaving 1T
web 1t is not worthless possession; but yaua
bic under many and large aspects; TO the consdera
/ ton Of some of which now proceed.
1t is valuable, both as a country to be Inhabited
and as a position to be held and defended. spea
Of it, first as position, commanding the north ia
cIfc ocean, and overlooking the eastern coast q
Asia. The North Pacific is n rich sea, and Is al
ready the seat of great commerce: British French
American Russian, and ships Of other nations, ire
quent it, Our whaling ships cover it; our ships q
war go there to protect our Interest," and, great a
that interest now is, il is only the beginning. Flu
/ turty will develop an immense, and various, com
| merce on that sea- of which the far greater par
| will be American That commerce, neither in tn
merchant ships which carry 1t on, nor in the mill
ary marine which protects H. can ma port, 10 ca
It's own, within twenty thousand miles Of the field q
It's operations. The double length of the two Amer
, lcas has to be run--a stormy and tempestuous cap
to be doubled-to find itself in a port of its ow
country; while here lies one in the very edge OF 1t
field, ours by right, ready for use, and ample fo
every purpose OF refuge and repair, protection an
domination. Can we turn our back upon it, and !
turning the back, deliver it up to the British II
! | sane and suicidal would be the fatal act
To say nothing Of the daily want Of such po
| in time Of peace, its want in time Of war becomt
| runous. Commodore Porter has often told m
that, with protection from batteries in the mout
| Of the Columbia, he never would have put himse
| ma condition TO be attacked under the weak
colusve guns OF a neutral port He has told n
| that, with such a port for the reception of h
| prizes. he would not have sunk in the ocean or b
| in islands where il often found the three million
Of Brush property captured in his three years. da
| ing and dauntless cruise. Often has he told m
, that with such port at his hand, he would new
have been driven to spill upon the waters that o
: for want Of which, rs a member Of the British Pa
lament said London had burnt darkly-had be-
in the dsrk-for whole year. What happened
Commodore Porter and his prizos-what happen
oall our merchant ships, driven from the MOI
Pacific during the war--all this to happen aga
IN =