Mississippi Democrat. (Carrollton, Miss.) 1844-18??, 1846-03-04
D uIftteal.


Mr.. OwEN said.
Edmund Burke. when member of Ia
British Parliament. was once asked, win
ministers, when, in any case, they had
well ascer,ained majority, did no press tb,
question al once, without he trouble O
discussing It's merits. That has beef
lred," was bis reply; "butii would not do
The minister who would porseyerc in il
would soon have % 20 out.n
"And vet, there is no direct responsi,
biliiy of the British Premier 10 the PEG,
pie whom be governs. Powerful he is,
absolute, almost, while be retains con.
trolling majority at his beck; bu, sill, he
must defer 10 public opinion; or ii he
neglect suuh Difference, loss CT power and
degradation from place, is the speedy pc.
nalty
And thus, we Of these United States,
while we are responsible for OUR acts 81 Il
nation to no human power, must yet defer
TO the public opinion Of mankind. Il we
would retain our station and influence
among the nations Of the earth, not only
must our public acts be unsuitable, bu,, be-
fore we eonsummaie, we must take the
trouble to justify them.
My motive in rising now is to furnish
such small contribution as | may TO The
mass OF evidence and argument Sd ably
supplied from our Department Of Stale, in
yindcalion, to the world, of the course
pursued by cur government on the great
question of the day.
Accusations of grave character are
brought, IN respectable quarters, impuen.
ing The justice Of the measures recon.
mendsd by the President, aud now under
consideration by the House, IN regard TO
The territory Of Oregon | d. 10, speak
Of charges coming from foreign and int.
rested sources; but Ct language used by
the press here ii home, and by members
on this very floor. We OF the majority
may feel exceedingly we'll satisfied, that
our course is just, and lheaa charges IN
loundedj but il Is moi the less an mpera-
i've duty to defend the one and repel the
other.
| Select, as a specimen of the ground
assumed by portion Of The press, a para.
graph from New York paper Of good
standing. Speaking Of our title 10 Ofegon,
the Journal Of Commerce, in an editorial
Of December %, says:
"Tho evidence, even as far south as
Columbia river, is not all on one side, BY
"a great deal. And when we conc 10
latitude 40, he English claim is better
than our own"
If this be true, then the President lost
sight Of right and justice, when he adher-
ed TO the offer Of 40 as an uiinalum; and
Mr.. Packenbam was justified in expecting
from our government "some proposal more
with fairness and equity"
And, when come London journalist til.
lnphantly quotes against Us such para |
graph as that, drawn from the pages of
one among the leading periodicals of The
Union, he will find, in further aid Of an ar.
yunent about the reckless and grasping
lmbiIon of these States, certain reso.,l-
ions touching war and Oregon offered al
pour table, not by some young, rash, hot
headed partisan, but BY member from
Massachusetts. Mr. Winthrop both able
md experienced, gentleman whose ia
ent aud standing NJ one disputes. The
econd Of these resolutions declares
THAT il would BE- a dishonor 10 the age
in which we live, aud in The highest de.
gree discreditaBle to both the nations
concerned, If they should suffer them
selves 10 be drawn into war upon
question Of no immediate or practical in
ierest to either Of them"
An eminent British staiesman once said,
nat "as we ought never to % to war for
roftahle wrong, 50 neither ought we to
. 10 war for an Improbable right. -
here is much good sense in the maxim,
nd tho gentleman from Massachusetts
considers it applicable in the
resent case.
The direct inference from his resolution
!, in the first place, that the rightin dispute,
It Indeed be a right al all, is az unpro-
table right; that il is Of no PRACTICAL i'm
or.ance whether we cede 10 England
ari or even the whole, Of the territory ly
" south Of 40 and north of the Colum.
ia. He esteems i our imperative duty,
lIher than resort 10 war, TO make some
division Of this disputed
-act.
viii ask the gentleman to take map in
and, and answer me a question Or Two.
asails nothing to Talk vaguely of some
Let him tell Us what com.
romise beyond that already offered, he
uggests. If he recede but half a degree
oalh Of 40, he touches already the straits
Fuca, the entrance, and the only en-
'ance, 10 Puget sound. II he abandons
, England bni one degreeout 81 the three I
~ A. u A A. y III |.l