The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1846-02-19

out nrm ana STATE suanlike, like the message Of
James X Polk The recent offers Of Great Britain,
which the result Of the rmness and calmness of
the President, present strong additional reasons for
| pursuing the course recommended in the message
The effect OF that message has been seen in the re-
newal OF the negotiation by Great Britain. The
liberal offer OF the President made and rightly made
because had been previously presented for her ac-
eeptanee having been rejected by the British minis
ter, the United States stood in position Of right 80
elevated To bring out in the strongest contrast the
| unjust preleDsions Of England.
| The message Of the President rightly treated the
question Of further compromise as at AN end and
proceeded to mark out line of policy peaceful in
all its parts, effective in its results and yet so Just
and right that Great Britain could find no cause Of
quarrel unless she were determined 10 quarrel with
out cause. Hence her effort to relieve herself from
this position by renewing her old proposition of ar
bitration.
| How mistaken were thoss who looked with such
| alarm 10 the echo of the message from England. IL
was 70 come, thew said in tones of thunde1 They
were as greatly mistaken in their false manic as they
will be in the effect of the notice IL the Senate will
but do its daty and send that forthwith 10 the Brit
| ish cabinet England in the mean time inst unon
| the reception Of the message paased ihrougb
change and back to a restoration In her ministry
| and then came the new instructions 10 Mr.. Paken
ham TO make some proposition 10 the United States
in order TO relieve England from her awkward posi-
ton before the world.
proposition All
equitable division of the territory which 10 have ac
coded to would have admitted lille in England; and
secondly suggesting an arbitration of both hi. and
division Of territory. A similar proposition had
once before been rejected and the President rejected
Il now and rightly rejected H. on grounds which the
American people will stand by 10 The last
The FIRST thought may seem to be that he who
| offers arbitration offers fair adjustment This is
true in questions Of really conflicting claims; but az
there arc individual rights, SO there are national
rights that never should be submitted 10 arbitration
What man would submit TO the lottery of arbitra.
ton-for il is always more or less such-his right TO
the enjoyment Of life and liberty, and the protection
Of the LAVISH What nation would submit 10 such q
decision her rights to integral portion Of her own
territory As well might we submit TO arbitration
our night 10 have a republican form Of government,
II the holy alliance should quarrel with US
ample dangerous to their supremacy.
This proposal OF arbitration Is to throw the whole
title to all Oregon into litigation. England only
claims rights inconsistent with our exclusive pos
session OF the whole. She claims and shows no
title. We claim title to the whole; and as TO that
portion extending up TO the 49h degree Of latitude,
England in substance claims nothing, and can
claim nothing; for after the peace in 1874 she
surrendered the whole Of the valley OF the Column
bia, under the treaty Of Client and admitted
our title thereby, as much as she did TO Eastport
in Maine, which she had captured during the war.
Since then she has ACQUIRED no night but that Of
Joint occupancy under a treaty which each party
can terminate at pleasure. The United States is
about 10 terminate il by notice which restores her
sole occupancy of that portion OF the territory as
il stood under The surrender Of 1914 by force Of the
treaty OF Client. Great Britain now says, 81 adj
NIT your right terminate the joint ceubancy un.
der The treaty, but propose TO arbitrae my right TO
that whole territory after the treaty is terminated
How much different is that from the position Of
tenant at will, who had occupied house in common
with the Oft proposing at the end ofhs lease,
to submit the question of title TO the whole house
between himself and the owner, to urbration' IL
the owner had offered to give him a part il he
would leave the rest that part and that alone, would
he the subject of compromise
TIL. Ground the pr.sident takes ia therefore a M
,on.l Ground that the title n territory If the Uni
,eJ STATS cannot be submitted IN arbi,r,tion and
III. .nl;.. :. well "a Oregon ,o,b n 10 deersas y.
N .py State In The Union II does not equally an
lv 40 the conntrv north Of that naraIe solely for
n. r...on thai in ,dius,;np the oun.t;on az onr
title To that portion, and the underlined claims of
reot Bri,ain the United States heretofore and now
has n,onosed to r,linouish her claim 10 /, a. mat
Ter of comnroroise. We therefore made that sec
lion of the whole territory 40 far debatsbe ground
A TO submit il. by wav of compromise for ouietjne
our title against an intruder in the rest. That Dor.
,;Ss,-t krrefore h.x been r,sde ever since ISls
the subject of negotiation and compromise but
how compounds apply to the region south Of
~ degrees, where England not only is, as Mr. Clay
""'N ." ho~' W 's'S ny "'n~
out trsn color n iaIs, but where she has 10 claim
or pretence OF right, except under the JOINT ocon-
pancy which ceases the moment the notice. after its
termination under the treaty, expires
We say, then, that arbitration upon title to the
whole is not admissible in any form: 1t is not
question OF boundary as to where line shall run,
but question Of territory and when nation suffers
such question to pass out OF her own hands into
the control OF monarchs, states, or civilians, as um
PIres, che no longer deserves hoerty or indePend'
ence, and is Mt only TO be enslaved.
We know that the American people WIN take inns
general view OF the question OF arbitrator ana Will
sustain the President and his cabinet IN their prompt
rejection OF tuch ProPost'on.
We are willing to go before the country on TINS
issue, under this or any other administration. The
democratic party, as a body, will rally around a
doctrine so purely American, ana by which alone
we can maintain the integrity OF our soil and our IN
stitutions. There will be very many patriotic men
from other parties who will stand by the President
in thus standing by principle nseparaole from our
existence as an independent nation.
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