The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-03-23
THE DAILY UNION


stance Of the position Of the message Is, solemn
call upon Congress to stand by the rights and the
honor Of the country, accompanied by formal an
nouneement that, in view Of the past-that is, in
view Of our course, which has been the perpetual
urging and soliciting of a comPromlse-and in view
OF tho British course, which has been the perpetuare
fusal of what the minister himself cannot now deny
TO be fair ofer--an announcement, we say, in
view of all this that no satisfactory compromise is
10 be expected. This is substantially the position
Of the message.
And now we say, no one man IN the country
whom we have heard of denies that, thus Jar-that
is in the essential part of its positon-our Execu.
tive is right, and ,0holly right. No man says that
the President was wrong in so laying the matter be-
fore Congress. No man pretends that the President
could properly have taken any other course.
But tho constitution deyolved other and further
duties upon the President in relation to the question
He was still to conduct the negotiation In the event
ofit, being reopened He was still to look to a suit
able adjustment Of the question: and he was called
upon by the constitution TO recommend such meas
ures as seemed TO him best to preserve the rights
and the honor Of the country The old platform Of
the negotiation-the alternative OF adjustment or
joint occupation, with the urgency on our part for
a compromise, has been tested thoroughly, and
nothing can be done upon il. The President pro-
poses nt0 pIayorm-a platform OF action which,
a. all admit, leaves the negotiating power entirely
free to do anything, or accede TO anything, which
will preserve the rights, and the honor, and the
peace Of the country. This proposition Of new
status for the question, hsnceforward, the President
presents, firmly and deliberately, and with the ut
most circumspection. The country halls 1t with
unwonted unanimity. The House approves II, in
large measure forgetfu Of party. Ii goes across the
Atlantic, presents the question there in a new aspect,
and in view Of this aspect, good news comes TO us
from England. 1t comes into discussion in the
Senate, and in that high hall Of legislative wisdom
and eloquenee, the line Of policy which It recon-
mends is doubted in some quarters, is feebly and
shrnkingly sustained in others, and finally, though
supported most firmly by eloquent voices and clear
judgments, it encounters proposition Of rejection
and disayowal-rejection and disayowal which, If
persevered in, will tend, as 1t seems TO US, TO carry
everything back again to confusion and failure, as
of DID, and indefinitely to postpone, If it do not pre-
vent, the peaceful and honorable settlement Of the
question.
Contrast this state Of fcts-this hesitation, diyi-
sion, distraction, with the formidable and resolved
unann,iiy upon this question Of the ministry
and Parliament OF England. Let the attitude
Of the message be faltered from, and fallen
short Of, as il will be, by the adoption OF the
clause urging compromise-thst is the Old-poliey
clsuse-snd see with wha, unequal advantages the
two nations will come up to the negotiation, If II
shall be reopened The British ministry will then
stand in position in which they fully sustain
ed by Parliament, though they virtually confess it
to lie unfair and unjust while the American Ex-
ecutve, though in the right must stand in its posi-
on Of nsc fImns,s and reserve under the ponderous
disapo,cal of the Senate Will not the Senate pause
before places the right, the honor and the peace
Of the country in this most unfortunate and omin'
Gus Dilemma Place the negotiation in this predica,
ment, and the right arm Of our diplomacy is bro
kent
And all this, be it observed, is true on the mos
favorable supposition--on the suppostion that Eng
last, after the perseverng and confessed injustice
thirty years, to come to an adjustment which
we can with honor consent to- But are we SUR
of this disposition on the part of England May
not the fact yet be otherwise Nay, may not this
very compromise movement in the Senate, by pla.
cling the question in great measure back on It's Oh
platform, tend to bring the British government bach
-.I1 a. l.. tbofsr
ment is yet wholly uncommit,ed; and it, in the even
| of reopened negotiations, the old British offer o.
| the north bank of the Columbia, with some Sigh
formal variation, shall reappear, what, we respect
fully ask, will be the position Of our negotiating
power, when virtually, if not expressly, instructed
by the Senate to compromise, after having made thu
avowal that no compromise that 1--WE ought to &C
cept is to be expected" We cannot, of course
presume to indicate what will be the course Of tn
Executive in such posture, nor indeed in any pos
ture Of the negotiation. But we can say loudly ant
fearlessly, and in view of all the past, and we cal
call with entire confidence upon the whole countr.
respond to assertion that its course, under tn
instruction or without the instruction, will be ever!
way worthy of this republic. But, at the sam
l Time, we VIII say, WIN the utmost respect ioI III
wisdom of the Senate, that in our judgment, Their
is no possible escape from the conviction that sucl
a vote for compromise by that body would, in tn
event of negotiations so reopened, place the United
States in position before England on this question
most unfortunate and disastrous, and deeply to b
deplored.
And now what is presented as the main reaso'
why such vote should be gven' The vote Ii
grounded almost solely on the desire that the cues
ton shall be settled ,oithom ,car But in that de
sire, every branch of this government participates
No assurance need be given to the far-sighted ant
clear-sighted statesmen of the Senate, that this ad
ministration wishes earnestly most earnesty-ay
and has labored and still abors most socitousy-t'
preserve a just and honorable peace. The Senate
we well know, wants no other peace. The love o
peace-the true estimate Of the value of peace, il
not the exclusive possession Of any one branch o
the government or any one party among the peo
pie. The Executive having heretofore acted in thu
spirit of honorable peace NAV surely be trusted &c