Weekly national intelligencer., 1848-07-29

message as iOliOWs
AT the end of the years notice, should Con
gress think it proper TO make provision for giving
that notice, we shall have reached period when
the national rights in Oregon that is, to the olole
of IL, as aforesaid must either be abandoned or
frmly maintained. That they cannot be aba,a-
doned vithouf a sacrifice Of both national honor
and interest, is TOO CLEAR TO ADMIT OF A DOUBT"
1t must be within the memory Of every one how
this language was understood and interpreted, as
certainly its literal import justified, into prospec
tive declaration of in the contingency Of Great
Britain not abandoning her own rights in Oregon,
which, until then, had been recognised by every
Administration of this Government.
To alay the public apprehension excited by the
terms of the Message TO quiet as far as lay
in its power the war spirit, which such language
encouraged in Congress and among that restless
and mischevous part Of our people who delight IN
representing Peace as at best but the canker Of
calm world''-the National Intelligencer endeavor-
ed to extract consolation for the friends of the
tional welfare, and especially for such Of them as
were also and therefore friends of Peace, from a
subsequent and entirely distinct part of the Mes
sage, in which hope was expressed by the
President, that our differences with Mexico
and Great Britain might be amicably settled. !"
These suggestions were secuted by the Executive
organ as offensive to the honor of the President.
We told, with an air of offended dignity, that
the National Inteligencer was net to be trusted
to interpret for the Executive what would be an
honorable peace
IF the National Intelligencer were the arbiter,'
said the Presidents organ, eve should have the
boundary line of Texas confined to the Nueces.
i instead Of being extended to the Rio del Norte );
and we should probably see the British line of the
2 Oregon run on the 10th parallel to the Columbia
river, and the navigation Of the river, and perhaps
the territory to the north of it. awarded to Great
: Britain. We might, indeed, hare our just title
10 Oregon concerted into PERFECT HUMBUG."*
After the door was thus shut in the face Of those
who we're disposed to give the President credit for
intentions more pacific than were naturally infer
red by the Public from his assertions of right, and
his apparent determination to die in the last ditch
rather than surrender rod Of territory below
" Fifty-our-forty," things wore a very serious
aspect. Within and without the Capitol the i'm
preston was prevalent that War with England
could only be averted by the sober counses and
sound discretion of the body which is by the Con-
stituon associated with the President in the Treaty.
making power.
To the SENATE, therefore, all eyes were now turn
ed with hope, mingled with confidence indeed, but
yet not without doubt.
What occurred in the Senate in this imminent
crisis of public affairs and especially what part
Mr. CAss took in it, is now to be briefly told.
Within very few days after the meeting of
Cou = l~oc IL NJ
sage of the President had been referred to the CON-
mitees to whose province the consideration of its
several parts respectively belonged, Mr.. CAss laid
upon the table of the Senate three resolutions of
inquiry into the state Of the land and maritime
forces and deences Of the United States understood
to refer to the tone and supposed bearing of that
part of the Message in which the President ex-
pressed his views of the Oregon question: and gen.
orally considered as looking to the contingency of
war involved in that question. On the l5th Of De-
cember these resolutions came up for consideration
and Mr.. CAss made them the occasion for speech,
carefully composed and committed to writing be-
fore delivery, in which, taking it for granted that
the notice recommended by the President would be
given to the British Government, he said that upon
the notice being given, in twelve months unless that
Government abandoned large portion Of its claim)
As being altogether too comcal be mixed up with the
grave matter Of the text Of this article comprise in note
episode in the history Of this Oregon question, which we
must not altogether withhold from our readers
In the Of efforts to calm the fears Of the
lovers Of Peace and at the keep down the rising
war spirit within few days after the appearance Of the Pre-
sidents annual message, which have Just quoted we
transferred to columns article in the Baltimore Con-
stution-a paper edited by gentleman supposed to be in
the confidence Of the President and who after received
from him diplomatic appointment abroad-from which we
inferred that though the negotiation had been broken off here
il would be renewed, in way defnitvey disposed Of
through Mr.. McLAsK. then our Minister London. To
these nfercnces Of ours the Union replied with great sspc
rity winding up by declaring, in Of indignant virtue
that ",ohdfeDr be the ethics Of the school to ,och The Edi
" tors Of the National Intelligence belong. PRESENT
ApsIsrsTRATIos USES roRKKD TONGUE"
Now let US raise the curtain and what passing
behind when the sensby of the President was so much
wounded and when his organ resented the wrong done TO
him by unkind suspicion that he was as the saying is
looking one way and rowing the other
Mr.. McLAsE, after his return to the United States, being
invited BY the Merchants Of the city Of New York Pub
Inc Dinner replied to that invitation by letter from which
take the following paragraphs,
certainly shosd have been induced to return 10 DO
tbc nf