The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1848-08-17
iNTELLiGENCE ~ THE MAILS.



IRE Lost Night IA the Senate the Oregon BIZ
Solus PopWii ssIrema est ign We believe this Is
the motto OF Senator Allen; and upon this idea in
our apple ation that the welfare Of the people Ia the
supreme law We propose TO speak in brief explica-
ton Of the lve-long Saturday night on the Oregon
bill It was not one Of the Noctes Ambrosianan nor
one Of the nights OF the Arabian Tales; but the day
and the night, and the next morning we're Ike that
day which every theatrical super numerary honestly
believes to have been big a. encf.nie with the fate
of Cnsar and of Rome.
Saturday, the 12.h of August-Saturday night and
Sunday morning as an unit comprehended the long
est, and perhaps tn most important sitting OF the
Senate since the orga niza.on of Congress True
the ut Of that exciting night, when the Texas
nexaton was passed by two wing votest had nothing
TO 90 with the wing tariff OF AZ passed by Two demo-
cratic votes, with the democratic tariff Of 40,
passed by one whig vote but the last night on the
oregon bill night in and night out, the result Of
that last night on the Texas anuexation and Of that
night of the 81 OF March, 1886 Sunday night too,
when, adopting the absolute plan, John Tyler, under
cover of darkness sent his messenger down to Texas
bearing in his train all the horrors of death the
pal. horse. The with Mexico the treaty Of 3au-
dalupe Hdalgo, the acquisition of fertile slip on the
Pacific and a vast interior hunting wilder uess have
had, the legitimate incidents of the Texan Gnuexa-
ton a direct influence upon this last night on the
Oregon bill.
gon for the North to be Offset to Texas for thu
South, bill from tn. House into the Senate and
u.
tional question OF the jurisdiction OF Congress over
slavery in Oregon MIR Berrien, Of the judiciary com.
mittee held fast to the bill for some weeks, and thus
IL was lost. At about the time. Mr. Calhoun in
troduced his resolutions, declaring the equal rights of
the South to q participation in the settlement and
benefits of occupation of the territories of the United
States. On the day, Mr.. Benton declared those
resolutions, "a string of abstractions-a drebrand
thrown into our councils to set the world on fre.n
Then the issue made betwec Mr.. Calhoun and
Col Centon, the Oregon question: and two sessions
after on Monday morning. ut II clock, 14th August,
1SS at the last hour Of the long session. the eagle Of
victory perched upon the banners of Old Bullion.
We have nothing now to say of the debate of Satur-
coming gratefully from Texas SENATOR nor of the
fiery pronunciamentos of Mr.. Calhoun, Mr. Iiercshel
v Johnson, Mr. Reverdy johnson, Mr. Foote, and
others during the day nor of the night speech Of
that lustrious pleader of the constitution Daniel
Webster, that capacious and mighty intellect of
America.
1t is the scene of the night and the causes and re
suits of the conflict, with which have to deal.
The issue limited to two men, was al issue betwe
Benton and Calhoun. The direct question In dispute
was the question of the exclusion of slavery from
Oregon.
Now we take it for granted that COL Benton, Judge
Douglass and Others knew the temper of the House in
the outset, upon this question at this session. Col.
the territories wanted nts and that
something was better than nothing. Even in their
concessions upon that bill the South admitted the
tensbeness of their position for they prescribed the
legislation of the territories question, upon
which they asserted they had power to legslate
at all.
1t is still impression that had the Senate acted
promptly in adopting the Missouri compromise that
might have passed the House After the announce
of the Buffalo hunt and after the meeting Of the
Buffalo Convention the hope utterly extnguished.
And the declaration Of the select committee that the
South were not satisfied with the Missouri compromise
line because it the lions share to the North, of
itself extineushed rapidly the remaining sparks of
Northern generosity and concentrated the elements
of the Wilmot proviso The very declaration Of oar
unequal share betrayed the expectations of the South
in the bill of the select committee and reused the OPP
position with which the plan was overwhelmed In the
House.
When the Oregon BILL from the House, was reported
by Mr. Douglass, of the Committee Territories, he
qualified the provso with the sAvo that because
the territory lay north Of the Missouri COMPROMISE line
That something. Mr.. Downs that 1t was
1t admission of the prin-
ciple, If not an application OF It, MT Mason
was was not thus to be app.ased He asked, now now,
be carried through to the Pacific with the guarau-
tee Of slavery south of the line Mr. Douglass moved
that amendment. Mr.. Mason delighted
the South were overjoyed at this concession Of the
very terms which they had refused But Mr.. Douglass
of the House, and that the return Of the BILL with the
compromise expunged, would limit the question to
Oregon and the proviso; and that after the
nate, with Benton to head the ntire column would
join upon the ordinance for Oregon; and that 60
vernment consistent with the expressed wish of the
people of Oregon, would thus be secured to them,
without an apology for conceding their wishes. Now
the compromise. A line run 400 miles below Oregon,
had nothing to do with Oregon. SO said Col Benton
But he voted to submit that line to the House. Why?
that the return of the BILL the question to recede
would bring every man Of the North. Mr. Dickinson
and all, to the exact question: and the exact boun
daries of Oregon
The House disagreed to the compromise they so
ported the bill back upon the Senate; and bright AMI
early on Saturday morning, Col Benton moved to re-
cede Now, sir this brought him directly to the long
suspended issue with Mr.. Calhoun and they both
it at q flash, and each took his positon-the the
oe nsye and the other defensive Napoleon tells us
that the secret Of victory is to attack and keep
antagonist constantly on the defensive, The forces
SKI ned n
lighting of the chandelier, 1t was evident that the
ptdien Of postponng the vote was the plan resolved
upon for defeating the bill. Col Benton promptly
seized the first indication of the play and the motion
to adjourn at twelve at night by Mr.. Turney proved
that the from Missouri in for the session
or for vote the bill. Mr. Butler then moved
executive session, on question. as the motion i'm
piled, involving the honor Of the senator from Mis-
die mt Of legislation, to saye OF the Oregon bill to the
last moment Let US see the sum OF the provocation
of this motion. 1t has been pretty clearly demon
strated that Mr.. Butler has sought every favor
able opportunity to drive Old Bullion to the uiti-
ma ratio 1t is understood that he came here with
the avowed object of avenging the Of Mr. Cal
houn who is bold a lion alegisator, yet per-
sonally as harmless as a lamb. lie is a non-com-
bat n mt, and MIR Butler, as understand imagining
that Col Benton had heretofore ia en- advantsso Of
this fact, ia his discussions with Mr. Calhoun deter
mined to be avenged in behalf of his colleague the
first opportunity We have remarked that he has fire.
quenty sought TO give the Missouri Senator occasion
for dsputaton but that the latter, as IL aware of
the object, has disregarded the bait thrown out to
catch him
Butyhere the bill for Oregon. Col. Benton,
in his well-known letter, had pledged the peo-
pie of Oregon that they should have govern
ment The bill balanced in the scales.
The loss of hour might lose the BILL and
give the triumph to MIR. Calhoun. Mr.. Mason, as well
as Mr. Berrien, seconded the motion for
tive session Mr. Mason has relative (Col. Mason)
in California, who had difficulty with Fremont,
extending to the verge of duel. MIR. Mason opposed
the Californian claims, reported from the Military
and even after the bill passed the Senate,
we have reason to suppose that Colonel Benton be-
lieved it was South Carolina and Virginia influence
that defeated 1t in the House We have to be-
lieye that all these things flashed at upon the
mind of Colonel Benton, with the motion for an ex-
ecutiye session, to sit in judgment his conduct
foot as the readiest means Of defeating the bill 4,
Hence, the lie so emphatcay given 1t transferred e.
the matter of eexecutve session to another arena
and kept the Oregon bill In the field.
MIR Butler believed that the publication OF the reso-
lutions was no doubt violation of the orders OF the