Spirit of the age. [volume] (Woodstock, Vt.) 1845-1913, 1847-05-27
Letter Of Senator Benton,
TO THE PEOPLE OF OREGON TERRITORY.

LcllGr Oh Senator Benton.
TO THE PEOPLE OF OREGON TERRITORY.
WASHINGTON CITY, March, 1S47.
My FRIENDs-for such | may call many
OF you from personal acquaintance, and
all of you from my 80 years devotion TO
the interests of your counlry--I think it
right TO make this communication to you
at the present moment, when the adjourn
ment of congress, without passing the bill
for your government and protection, seems
to have left you in state Of abandonment
by your mother country. But such is not
the case. You are not abandoned! nor
will you be denied protection for not a.
greeting to admit slavery. l, man of the
south, and Shareholder, tell you this.
The house representatives, as early
as the middle of January, had passed Il
bill to give you territorial government,
and in that bill had sanctioned and legal
lied your provisional organic act, one Of
the clauses of which forever prohibits the
existence of slavery in Oregon, An am
endment from the Senate's committee, to
which the bill was referred, proposed to
abrogate that prohibition; and in the de-
lays and yexations to which the amend
ment gave rise, the whole bill was laid up
on the table and lost for the session.
This will be great disappointment to
you, and real calamity; already five
years without law, or legal institution for
the protection of life, liberty and property!
and now doomed to wait year longer
This is strange and anomalous condition!
almost Incredible to contemplate, and
most critical to endured! colony of free
men, 1900 miles from the metropolitan
government, and without laws or govern
ment TO preserve them! But do not be
alarmed or desperate, you will not be out
Iawed for not admitting slavery.
Your fundamental act against that insi.
tuition, copied from the ordnance of 1897
-Ohe work of the great men of the south
IN the great day of the south, prohibiting
slavery IN territory lar less north than
yours will not be abrogated! nor is tina:
the intention Of the prime mover of the
amendment. Upon the record, the judi
ciary committee of the senate is the au-
thor Of that amendment; bu; not so the
fact! That committee is only midwife to
it.
It's author is the same mnd that gene
rated the fire brand resolutions, of which
| send you copy and of whchthe amend
ment is the Legitimate derivation. Oregon
is not the object. The most rabid pro-
pagandist of slavery cannot expect to
plant it on the shores of the Pacific in the
latitude Of Wisconsin and the lake Of the
of the Woods. A home agitation for cleo
ton and disunlon purposes, is all that is
intended by thrus,ing this fire brand
question into your bill! and, at the next
session, when it is thrust in again we will
scourge it out, and pass your bill as it
ought to be. promise you this in the
name of the south as well as of the north;
and the event will not deceive me.
In the meantime the President will give
you all the protection which existing laws,
and attachments of the army and navy ;,
can enable him to extend to you; and I'M
/ til congress has time to act, your friends
must rely upon you to continue to govern
yourselves, as you have heretofore done,
under the provisions Of your own volun-
tary compact, and with the justice harmo-
ny and moderation which are due to your
own character and TO the honor of the
American name.
| send you by Mr.. shineIy copy
of the bill of the late session, both as
it passed the house Of representative, and
as proposed to be amended in the senate,
with the senate's vote upon laying upon
the table, and copy of MIR CaIhoun's
resolutions Il posterior in date to the
amendment, but, nevertheless, farther to
iD-also copy ofyour own provisional
organic act, as printed by order Of the
senate; all which will Eut you in possess
ion of proceedings of congress for territori-
al government, and for the protection and
security of your rights.
In conclusion have to assure you that
the same spirit which has made me the
friend of Oregon for thirty years-which
led me TO denounce the joint occupation
treaty the Gay it was made, and to oppose
its renewal in 1898, and to oppose its re-
rogotion until it was terminated the spirit
which led me to reveal!the grand destiny
of Oregon, in articles written in 10 10, and
to support every measure for her benefit
since-ihis same spirit still animates me,
and will continue to do so while | live;
which | hope, will be long enough to see
an emporium Of Asiatic commerce at the
mouth of your river aud stream of Ash
attic trade pouring into the valley of the
Mississippi through the channel of Ore
gon.
Your friend and fellow citizen,
THOMAS III. BENTON.
From The Ntw Orleans DeliG