Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1846-07-02


The question being taken, the decision ofthe
Chair was not sustained, only thirty members
voting IN its favor.
SO MIR. SAWYER was decided to be in order
and suffered to proceed. lie disclaimed any
intention to violate the rules. He had not
been aware that ii was out Of order TO make
any reference to the past conduct Of great lights
I in the other body. He was, he presumed, al
liberty to suppose that there might be great
men at the other end Of the Capitol, and that
they had made certain speeches and gwen
serian votes He had before him the names
! Of some of these Senators, who were al least
SAID to have made speeches on the Oregon
question. There was MIR. DIX, of New York,
| who had delivered an admirable speech, pro
wing in the most conclusive manner our tile 10
( the whole territory up to 5ao 4W. There was
another gentleman from Arkansas, who had
also made good speech on the same side OF
the question, and one that exceedingly pleased
I Mr. s. A Senator from North Carolina had
declared that 400 was his fighting line But
/ Mr. S. had kept the best Of alt his authorities
/ to the last, and that was Old Hickory He
presumed that ON this question President JAcK-
son would be admitted an authority both by
| Wing and Democrat; and what had been the
/ diving words of that indomitabe patriot p
J
I Oregon but at the lannon's mouth" We
/ (said Nj. s. got our cue from this old man.
IA laugh His language was reiterated 10 the
House by his friends. But what sort Of a
cannon's mouth was it at which we had now
made a COMPROMISED A laugh 4 Soma
tor of the United States had truly observed that
we were giving away 10 England part Of cur
own soil. which England had never claimed,
but which she had admitted to be clearly and
unquestonaby ours. Under all these circum-
stances he would leave it to every man in that
House 10 say whether he was not justified be
! fore higher tribunal for voting for our rights
| in Oregon up to $40 4U.
And now he understood that there was a
proposition for arbitration. Ii was publicly ru-
mored that mediator had stepped in between
us and our Mexican neighbors. And who
was this arbitrator! None other than old Eng
| land herself; that very same Power who we
| had already said we would not receive as arbi-
traitor. Mr. S. believed that the proposition
would be acceded TO. and if il should be, what
would be the probable result? Should we re-
ceive California as fee for lighting the battles
| of the South No. If the matter was left TO
England, no doubt she would say that we
might go as far as the river Nueces, and that
the rest of the country belonged 10 Mexico
| This was the sort OF compromise we might
expect her to recommend. 1.-THE question was
put TO the West or North. not an inch of terri
tory would be given up lying north oil line
running due west from the mouth of the Rio
Grande- But England had a strong interest in
this question. 1t was said that she held mort
gage on California; and she was therefore par
ty interested, and most unfit TO be an arbitrator
The moment the news went TO England of
! .hn ftuf Al
sent French fleet into the Gulf Of Mexico
She made France her eatspaw, and sent the
French fleet TO make us believe that France
was about to take hand in the affair. In the
Jmean while England herself ordered an i'm
mence fleet into the Pacific, with the evident
view of preventing any attack by us on Mon
terer. She presented her naval power in that
ocean 10 deter US from taking any step that
should secure to us the possession Of California.
If England did but know the true character of
.his Government, and how dTeadlully it stood
in awe Of her power, she might ask what she
pleased, and it would be given. But not so
in regard to poor, imbecile, distracted Mexico.
When dealing with her we could not SO much
as think of yielding up an inch. We must
! take every thing by force of arms. But when
question of territory was made with Great
! Britain, we fetreated Ike whipped spanels.--
| Ii she only understood the terror that her guns
! inspired, She need only send a few armed YES
sells TO make a demonstration, ;" and we dare
do nothing. We were the degenerate sons Of
noble sires. A laugh Gentlemen might
/ laugh, but ii was true. Why, in the very IN
! fancy olthe Republic, when we had but three
millions Of people, were our fathers afraid Of
her ? Far from it. They hurled defiance in
her face, appealed to the God of battles; and
stood for their rights. Again, when the Re
public had reached its boy hood and its strength
was yet but in the grisile. we attacked her
again. Did we yield tamely to her uSurpa-
tons and insults No. No sooner was a SIN
Gle American seized and imprisoned, than men
and money were instantly placed at the dispo-
| sal of the Government and we began the war.
! Where was that spirit now ? What did he
speak but the truth when he said we Were de-
generate sons of brave and noble sires. Did
! they claim 10 be Democrats who could thus
succumb to power2 When n bully Of great
/ physical force cameinto crowd towards yield
/ ed before him, because Of his great strength ;
but men of true courage Were the less willing
to yield on thar very account Was this the
spirit we manifested between England on the
one hand, and Mexico ON the other} Let con-
science answer. Mr. 5. said it would be FAR
more nagnanimous in us 10 yield 10 Mexico
! in her weak and distracted condition, than if
she was a strong nation like England. We
ought to Weld more to her than to Great Bri-
tain; and the contrary course was the course Of
a coward. Mexico was not our ancient enc
my. Great Britain ever had been. She had
endeavored 10 check our growth to the utmost
Of her power. She was our enemy still, and
watched with jealous eye the increase Of our
power, and the spread Of our republican prln-
cples. 1t was her interest aud her policy 10
destroy and cripple our advance; and yet we
had surrendered to her territory in which to
found an empire. We had made her our
neighbor on the Pacific, as she was ON the At
lantic ocean. and received her. as ii We're, as
one in our own family. Had she been driven
out from the possession Of this continent, as
she ought to have been, she would notnow be
in possession Of the means 10 cripple U.S.
This Government paid vast amount Of mon
ey every year to keep the Indians quiet. But
we had now given up half territory 10 Eng
land, as if on purpose TO furnish her with the
means of fostering the luminosity ofthe sayages
towards US. The poison which British agents
Were continually pouring INTO the Indian mind,
cost the u. States two million of dollars annu-
ally to counteract its effects. Yet now we had
fixed her forever in their immediate vicinity.
Mr.. S. presumed he was understood in what
10 bad said He had his fears that the praci.