The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-03


so long as il was a subject Of negotiation. ! put
Il to the eountry-I put il to every gentlemen on
the other side OF the house whether n the intellect
OF this Senate be brought TO bear the question OF
que, you might not obscure it by doubts these Ieso-
luuons 10 the contrary Notwithstanding Did me
senator's who instructed In this matter troubls
themselves to follow the lucid statement Of the
Tor rom New York on this natter Did they mark
on wnat point the clearness of his argument lost
ITSELF Did they see where he passed from logical
Deduction into loose generalitlesl II was at Nootka
put II TO the caador Of senators if the question Of
British title Is discussed, whether doubt can be
raised on AGO.
But the senator from Illinois asks, did you not
all say our title was clear and will YOU retreat ana
back ont after what you have said and donel Sir,
diplomatic agents, and the country generally sus
tnned our claims in the strongest terms 10 Gil as the
Russian boundary; they conended for Florida,
against Spaini and they asserted just as stoutly
their right 10 fix the northern point Of the high
lands in the northeastern boundary question. But
is the question never to be settled, because il has
happened that certain men have expressed eI paris
opinons' But again: it is said that "Great Britain
may go to war, but il she does, she cannot do US
any material detriment. The controversy will
never be prosecuted to war, think; but having re-
Elected upon il, think if she should she cannot do
US much injury, except taking few merchant ships,
which could be easily supplied" All, sir, might
answer the hrst argument used by the senator from
"
second argument. He takes no account Of the
oceans Of blood to be spilled of war in this
controversy; he takes no account Of the wretched-
ness in every form which is to tread in the track Of
this war he makes no account OF the taxes that
will harass the peoples he forsets the fact that war
has retrograded the position Of the world; that il
would stop at one blow all our internal improve
ments; diminish the wealth, and cripple the re-
sources OF the country he forgeis that il is peace
that makes ox railroads. peoPles our hillsides
and pows our prairies. He takes no account OF
all this The tile he claims, il war should sue
eeed which, according to the statement OF the SEN
ator from Illinois, would entail the loss ola few mer-
chant ships easily replaced.
But he gives US encouragement. He tells us TO
stand up. You have not many guns he says-not
many shiPs-but you have wonderful power with
in! He thinks upon point like this, when all are
united and so very DESTROYS for $40 40 if we only
wake up we will astonish ourselves! Why, if such
language as this were TO come from some persons
who stood backside Of the Allegheny mountains,
should think II was irony-the very bitterness Of
irony but coming from my friend from Illinois, dis
ungushed for his courtesy, know that il is MOTH
ing but-54O 4U. But, then, my friend has gone
into an examination of the British navy. He tells
us that they have good many ships, indeed, but
then they are old hulks; and besides she has not
men to man them! Docs my friend forget that this
very war Of which he was talking will give them
men TO man their ships' Does he forget that the
the ocean, her sailors seek the gun.deck' Does he
forget the practical illustration of that which was
afforded US IN the last war; When our own sailors
were driven from the hshing-banks and from dis
tant seas, they voluntarily sought the gun-deck-a
class OF sailors, permit me to say, the like of whom
the world has never seen. On board the Constitu-
ton, when she met the Guerrero, on the gun-deck
there were about three hundred saors-Yankee
freeholders. When the John Adams was de-
stroyed IN the PcDobscot and the crew were
discharged of about three or four hundred
men, Captain Morris, now Commodore Nor
ris asked-"Wlll you meet me at Portsmouth ~
nearly two hundred miles distant-that crew
OF three or four hundred men struggled afoot
across the country, and reported themselves there to
man! Sir there is no country in the world that can
show such men as sailors, and God forbid that
should depreciate them But my friend was depre-
clatng the effective force and power of Great Brit
ain, and her want Of men, forgetting the fact that
war itself will supply her wants. The military
rlne OF Great Britain amounts TO 40 900 member
citizens afoat in all departments number 700 OO0-
aud yet my friend thinks that Great Britain will
want sailors in the event of a war! He saws, that
OF all countries in the world, we the very best
prepared for war. We have not got the ships il is
true, but we have got any quantity Of timber | am
afraid that my friend has not examined the case
with sufficient care. He talks of converting our
packet-shps into vessels-of-war. Even the steam.
boats Of the Mississippi to be pressed into the
service. Why the recoil of single broadside would
shake them TO pieces. The gentleman saws, that a
packe-ship can carry many guns as a British
frigate; but when, and how! In stormi-in battle
NO man can seriously dream of that. In the late
war we had an abundance of merchant vessels rot
ting in our harbors. We cut down trees-we saw
ed up green timber-we put every thing aaoat that
could hoat but believe we did not put merchant
vessels there for the purpose of making them
men-ot-war. Idle, sir-all idle this. Something
has been said in reference to heavy steamers. The
British, 1t Is said, have recently built some heavy
steamers OF class unknown before, capable of car
rying an armament. This, if So is a new experi- |
ment, the result Of which is to be tested. At all
events, we have no vessels of that character. saw
therefore, in the language of the senator from New
York, Mr.. DIX, and let bear it in mind
GREAT Britain never was in better condition than
she Is now to strike heavy blow upon an enemy |
Let us not underrate her power. All this, however
Mr. President Is matter aside from the question; and
IL does not IN my estimate, enter very much into the
merits OF the controversy. And | cannot but feel
'hat oil this argument in reference to the relative
Power VI our adversary, rating or bsrating her, is
IN very questionable taste in existing circumstances |
If we are forced 20 touch her shield w tn the non,
Of the lance, let US Do it with the chvsrous feeling
and dignity of high-tonod nation. Th.n let each
wheel into position, and God defend the rsh,, /
have done with this examination of nv fr;end
gument, and resume my remarks where left then |
was speaking of the mode in which this settle
rent might be etfected--what were its terms-what
the equivalent. 1t does not become me to express
any definite opinion upon this question { make
one or two remarks, however, which seem to me
applicable to both parties. The navigation of the
Columbia has, think, been claimed by one party
and deni by the other with perlinacity wholly
to its value. Undoubtedly, the
mouth Of that river is Of some value as harbor;
but the long line of the Columbia, with its shall
lows, rapids, and canoe, navigation, seems to
me of little practical Importance value to
anybody. If it he an object to Great Britain in
time of peace to possess the navigation of it, in Or
der that the Hudson Bay Company may float down
their peltries, for my own part cannot see any
good reason why she should not have it. Still to
that do not commit myself Why not yield to her
doom navigation of the Columbia, precisely as she
has yielded to us the down navigation Of the ST
John'sS But l merely throw out the suggestion,
committing myself to nothing else. II the down
navigation be not satisfactory, what objection can
there be to granting the navigation for limited
time But do not express any opinion about thar
One thing tssl ~ certain If We get more than past
offers, it will be on some equivalent rendered This
trust may be connected with the subject
matter. Upon the shape Of things, Mr.. President,