Wilmington journal. [volume] (Wilmington, N.C.) 1844-1895, 1846-04-10
GOD. OUR COUNTRY, AND LIBERTY.
WILMINGTON. n. c.. FRIDAY. April. 10, 1916.

the end of it, about ,egotiat;on, is nothing
more than Narrative of the Presidents AC-
TON up TO that time; and the whole cores
pondence is attached to lie: Congress see and
know for themselves what he mad DONE
with perhaps an occasional introduction Gas
if by way of parenthesis) Of the motives and
opinions by which be had been influenced to
deviate in that ACTION from an assertion Of
our extreme claim to all of Oregon. Now it
is chiefly from the unfortunate sticking-in Of
these parenthetical excuses to satisfy the ul-
traism of the Presidents "true friends of Ore
gon'' that the misconstruction of his message
has arisen-stimulateG, know, BY external
causes; but to which will alludesfo further
at present speak of the message as read
1t, and according TO my own mind and judg-
ment upon it; not BY AUTHORITY. In
concluding this narrative, and precisely where
it conc uded, (page ll,) the President did
proceed to express his opinion, upon "evi-
dence" referred to as satisfactory" that
''no compromise which zoe ought to accept can
be effected"
| Ii he alluded to the future, he might or
might not be mistaken in his conclusion: but
II to that ume-the time present-lt is harm
less fact, as if he had said, none has been eff
tected. l commend 10 your consideration
either one Of these alternatives.
His reasons for 1t are iven, and they con-
sist altogether of these facts:
LIST. That the British Minister had made a
proposition that was inadmssible."
! Cd. That he had rejected one which our
Government had made, 'without submitting
any other proposition, and had suffered the
negotiation. ON HIS PART, to stop" The
Senate can Judge of their efficiency.
At all events, it was "wITH THIS CoNvIC-
TIoN,' continues the message, that the Amer
lean offer, (Which had been made and rejected,
tDas 'Oithdraaon, (p. 1I-THAT is ALL
Whether fact or an opinion, for the future
or the present, it was made the basis of his
WITHDRAWING THE REJECTED OFFER, AND NO.
THING MORE. And now what becomes of all
the differences made from this single sentence!
! Again: it is to be observed that he did moi
express any determination of his own mind in
respect to his future course; but the fair in.
terences to be made from the words of the mes.
sage are. that, without "Mis c0nvicti0n,' the
American proposition would not have heen
withdrawn at all; and upon the superstition
} or contingency of change of - this convic-
I tion," by the British Minister ceasing s. or
J his part to stop he did not declare nor init
; mate that his own offer had become also mad
ought TO be precisely the other way and tina
the constructions given to these oft-quotpC
: words are illogical and untrue. There tn,
0 narrative endtd d, concluding, l again repeat
5 by assigning "ths conviction" upon his mine
I as his reason for withdrawing his proposition
J, after 1t had been rejected! But nothing NOR
y nothing more.
It He does not expressly ask for the notice a
= an instrument of neotiatiOn at all. That
h left for Congress to see and decide upon.-
l. He asks Congress for LAW that will sho'
e the concurrence of the two departments of tn
e Government in one conclusion; and that is
h that the old convention of 1927 is to be n
e more, after years notice. We see for GU
J selves. we know for ourselves, that such
l. concurrence will strengthen his hands, an
e therefore we will give him authority at once
J. and whilst negotiation is pending. In tn;
= form and to that extent he asked it, and in 1
= other.
- 1t is true, Mr.. President, that the messae
r recommending certain measure of legisIatlc
IT all Of them. however, entirely consste
t. with further egoliation-conained this ge
raj declaration: "All attempts at compromi'
e, having failed, it becomes the duty Of Co
is gress to CONSIDER what measures it MA
r. be proper to adopt" &c. (page ll.) An
it after remarking that a years notice must
t. given before either party can rightfully asse
tie or exercise IS exclusive" jurisdiction over ''a'
he portion" of the territory, the President saic
This notice it would, in my Judgment,
is proper to give; and recommend that pr
O. vision be made by law for giving it accor
O. ingly, and terminating in this manner d
o. convention of the 9th August. 1927" "a
in attempts are very general words l adm
at that; and | am not complaining against Sen
81 tors for their first impressions; hnt surely
ne is not illogical nor unreasonable for me to i
n, sst that, with the light OF his past condu
ye now before ns-his acts of omission and CO,
Sic mission-with the words "consider" a
er s'may" in the same sentence-pot "enac
to and ''is," or the Ike-with the already &
at c. r!ained fact that negotiation was and is st
on pendine-with the knowledge that James
at Polk is not an imperious MILITARY CHE
'is TAIN, but a CHRISTIAN STATESMAl
n TO whom politically there is no expectation
ed future at the close of his Presidential tel
"a with the very strong fact that, unless
.of President desired 10 have this Legislative {
ISL ton as merely moral instrument to aid h
lie in his executive duties, and to pursue the I
rd gotiation to conclusion, Gf such should
CHI the will of Congress.) he could have no
to for it that is honorable to him or to his Adm
lid istration-with al, these things as key
i'd their true meaning, it will not be said lat LEI
he not by his L" friends'') that "oA efforts
for compromised meant any thing more than {"
Tor the forts made anterior to the date IF the m
nal sage'-. all the efforts made up to that perioG
ZEN So interpreted. how harmless the senter
nd was! How unjust, how false the deductic
ne made from it!
ant But the message said: sit the end Of
RT, A. TEARS notice we shall have reached a peri
use 81 when the national rights in Oregon mi
ms, - either be abandoned or firmly maintain
THAT they cannot be abandoned without
ar- sacrifice of both national honor and int
e IS est, is too clear to admit of doubt" (Pa