American Republican and Baltimore daily clipper. [volume] (Baltimore, Md.) 1844-1846, 1846-01-26

OF contenton-the Oregon. Polk and Peel
| agree as to the necessity of the irst-why not
of the last alternative?
The London Times, of December cath, has
a lengthy but temperate notice OF the Presi-
dents Message, of which the following is the
conclusion:
"All attempts at compromise having failed -
Mr.. Polk recommends that notice should be
given to terminate the JOINT occupation of the
country; that the laws and institutions Of the
! Union should be extended to the American
settler in Oregon; and that military posts
should be established for their protection. All
formidable enough, could we believe it possible
that any civilized nation would really plunge
into SO fatal and suicidal error as to defend by
war the mere right of occupation, and the still
more imaginary clais to which Mr.. Polk also
reiers-thc antecedent right of the Union to
all the unsettled and undecided territory on
the North American continent. The declara-
ton is too premature, however, to be really
alarming. 1t proposes to bring things to an
! immediate issue, and that immediate issue must
be one of negotiation, not arms. A slower
cause might have been more insdous and
more certain. AIR. Calhoun's policy Of giving
no notice, but pushing the undoubted right Of
Joint occupancy 10 the utmost, could hardly
fail, in the course Of ten years, to result in
repetition of tie game of Texas or rather of
the original Declaration of Independence
Oregon, should the American population ever
attain Il substantial prepondeance, would not
long remain British colony; but occupancy,
though an irresistible pooer, is not right, and
depends on numbers, not arms.
The terms of the Message imply, then, the
alternative Of war, or conclusive negotiation.
War is too nlunstrous to be thought of for
moment except after every effort at a conpro-
mise has been exhausted. Britain and Ameri-
Ca must be too sensible Of their mutual bene-
fits, mutual dependence, and mutual respect,
to peril the substantial blessings they now en-
i joy, and are daily multiplying in the relations
OF peace, for the bloody and precarlous glories
of war. 1t is all but impossible that two great
and kindred nations, after healing SO wide
breach, and helping one another TO so great
common prosperity, should become again mu-
tual and unnatural destroyerstor mere point
of honor, for a remote wilderness, separated
) from both by a journey OF many months, by
stormy seas, and almost impossible rocks and
deserts. Unless Mr.. Polk is merely trihing
with words, and secretly soothing at the uni
versalbsonuments of humanity, he is hims elf
incapable OF SO great an outrage and injury on
birth, --and the whole race Of man What
means he by saying that he has adopted the
maxim, ''to ask nothing that is not right, and
submit to nothln that is wrong;" and his iurth-
+, er boast that it is his "anXious dGsi e to pre-
serve peace with all nations" That the Onion
should be anxious to heal this sore, and should
think it humanity and impolitic to bequeath u
quarrel to posterity, is natural enough. That
they should think to strengthen their claim
4 with strong language, Is also III conformity with
many examples. But if the decision is to be
speedy, it can only be by negotiation, either by
reference, or by recurrence to the method
which, in the case Of the disputed boundary OH
our Canadian frontier, proved SO entirely sue
cessful
From the London Spectatofl
CLAIM or TUE UNITED STATES TO ExCLU-
, sIvE COLONIZATION IN NoRTH AMERICA. In
his message to Congress, Mr.. Polk assumes as
ncontrovertble doctrine unknown to inter
national law, aud utterly untenabe, though
not entirely new in the mouths of American
statesmen. Mr.. Monroe asserted during his
Presidency when he declared that 'the Ameri-
can continents, by the free and independent
condition which they have assumed and main
fanfare hencetorth not to be considered as sub
jects for future colonization by any European
| power"
| 1t is not in words alone that he re-alfirms
the position of Mr.. Monroe. The immediate
application of the abstract principle is made to
Oregon; and he advises the legislature TO give
England notice of the termination of the Joint
occupancy--to establish an Indian agency in
Oregon-to extend the laws and jurisdiction
of the United States over its citizens resident
thereto make liberal grants to ''the patriotic
| pinuapYsf1 Iubn mn " phonca In Eltba
vast wilderness intervening between our from
tier settlements and Oregon"--to connect the
northwest territory with those frontier settle
ments by chain of stockades and block houses
and movable columns of mounted rifemen-
and to establish monthly overland mail be-
tween the States and the American squatteries
! on the Columbia.
| In the same message which recommends this
system of operations, the annexation of Texas
is dwelt on with triumph: threats Of an aggres-
! sive war are held in suspense over the Mexican
Republic; and, with side g ance TO the North,
it is affirmed that "the people of this continent
alone have the right to decide their own desti-
ny''-''shoud any portion of them, constitut-
ing an independent state, propose to unite
themselves with our confederacy, this will be
question for them and US to determine, with
on any foreign .nterpCsition''-"th American
| system Of government is entirely different trom
that of Europe" In short, the President of
the United States advises Congress to arm and
organize citizens in order that they may be
prepared to avail themselves ofany emergency,
10 receive all communities already settled on
the North American continent into tie bosom
of the Union, and prevent the colon EATON OF
any part OF the continent by European ma
tions.
If Congress adopt the principle cnuncisted
by Mcssrs. Monroe and Polk, they will AFRO
gate TO the Government Of the i. States the
sole and exclusive right to coonize the yet IN
occupied portions of the North American con-
tinent. The mere ex-parte declaration of one