State journal & flag., 1846-03-20
OregOn--.ArbitrafiOn


 OregOn---Arbitraf
 Those who have been inclined 10 thlnk unfavorable of the action of the Executive in rejecting arbitration us proposed by Mir. Pakenham, are earnestly desired to read the subjoined remarks of the New York Eve. ming Post. II the statements made by the Post are correct-and of their accuracy there can, we think, be no doub-who will say that the adjustment of this question ought to be withdrawn from the control of the powers most interested in the territory in dispute i-N. Y News.
 We have repeatedly proposed 10 divide the country by the 49Ih Paralel-this of- fer, England, for thirty years has steadily refused. Anything short of this line de- Prives us of every port on the Pacific -gives us territory without single harbor, porl |, or roadsiead, and yet it is this absolute re- fusai of ports that England calls an oGer when she suggests to US the Columbia rlv. CT as the dividing line. Equally unfair Is her last proposed division by ihe Columbia, with the addition of a headland completely cut off from the rest of our possessions and of certain free ports. What avails head. land separated from our own territory by a hundred miles of British Oregon! Ofwhat uscyare ports ..free" only Ut the pleasure oI Great Britain.
 ln word, we lave proposed to divide he country by line, giving to each powe, moielies of its surface nearly equal, and giv. ing to Great Britain almost all the ports. Great Britain has never made any propo i.si!Ion which would give us a single available port
 Is this reasonable Is it just Is il ? friendly? The Oregon question today i, of little moment-half century hence, the enterprising population employed in inc commerce of the Pacific will look back witt amazement at the men who in I845, pro nounced the controversy one of no conse quence, and in its discussion utterly over looked the question of the harbors of th' country.
 What now is the question to arbitrate < Whar is to be left to arbitration? The matter and the only matter, to be left lt the proposed board is, whether the Uniter States shall have any ports on the Paclf OceaD-not how many, but whether any ,eDraw the line where you will, Great Britai t-nust be Jeff with beautiful and abundan parbors. Draw if half degree below for y-nine. and the United States are left with Ut one.
 
 Is this question to be left to arbiira ,-ion ! An arbitration which, go as il may will goin favor of England, and winch ma, result most adversely to the United States To offer such an arbitration. after who'll generation spent in steady refusal ot on reasonable offers, IS surely little in accor dance with what Mr. Pakenham calls "friendly inteniion" or "a holy purpose"
 The result of this negotiation makes II look with greatly increased anxiety 10 tn passage of the notice bill through the Sen ate, and the adoption of proper measure of national defence.
 Itis evident that delay only tends 10 in crease the difficulty, and though we hay no apprehension that England will ventur on war, the real object of which would b to exclude us from the Pacific Ocean, stil the nature and position of the controvers call loudly for energetic and decisive ac fion.
 MT. Elijah White. ''settler" in Oregon has been writing series of interesting lei ters in the "Union," descriptive of tha great country The following picture c the American colony there will show. tha there is full justification for the deep inte rest taken in the question. He says:
 "We now grow all the fruits and grain peculiar to the northern and western State --have the choicest gardens, with vegetable of every description /; and the cheerful prai ries are enlivened by thousands of domestic berds, roaming at pleasure, and luxurialin, epon natures own bountiful provision, botl summer and winter. We now number. il ,ll, somewhere in the vicinity of sevel shousand-have seven grist mills and tel saw mills in operation; five neat church ed ahces, some eight or ten common school. one large academical institution, well con ducted; four American and two Engl.s stores colonial library worth several thou sand dollars a valuable printing press town at the falls of the Willamette of fiy hundred inhnbitans; and peaceable, han py, orderly people in lawn and country liy ing without brandy or alcohol. under law of their own making; and in ob,a;n;no in good things of this life, they ave getting for ward most commercially. ,s
 @Our foreign commercial rel.f;on.
 well established, and circulating medium is much needed, as gold and silver ar scarce but the absence of both, for rea sons to be assigned hereafter, our colony i Oregon has more rapidly advanced thej state than any heretofore planted"