The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-01-17


was rather an unwilling ally. The Holly ALI
anee, so called. then took it into their heads,
having conquered Il lnaParte, and established |
the doctrines OF despo.ism in the Old World, to |
turn their eyes to this hemisphere and put down
public sentiment IN South America When the
Holy Alliance took that view, England hesitated,
aud inhmated to Mr.. Rush, who was then Min
lister of this country to Great Britain that If the
United States would take position, and defy |
the Allies if they should undertake such meas |
nres Great Britain would sustain our Govern |
ment M 1t. ] wall read the very words of Mr.. |
Calhoun. He said:
Canning was then Prime Minister He in |
formed Mr.. Rush of the projects, and gave to
him at the same time the assurance that If sus-
tanned by the United States. Great Britain would
resist. Mr. Rush immediately communicated
this TO our Government. 1t was received here
with Joy-for so great was the power of the AL
lance, that even we did not feel ourselves safe
IRON Its interpretations. Indeed, it was antici-
pated almost as certain result. that if the in
reference took place with the Governments of
South America, the Alliance would ultimately
extend It's interference to ourselves I remem-
Der the reception of the dispatch from Mr.. Rush
as distinctly as if all the circumstances had oc-
CURED yesterday"
lie SAID, further, that the subject was submit
ted to every member of Mr.. Monroe's Cabinet,
aud the result was the famous declaration of
Mr.. Monroe. Afterwards, England withdrew
from the Alliance, but the attempt which was
feared was never made. / will give you the con-
clusion of the matter in Mr.. Calhouns words
That very movement, on the part of England.
sustained by this declaration, gave blow to
the celebrated Alliance from which il never re.
covered. From that time forward, it gradually
decayed, till it utterly persisted. The late revo-
lutions in Europe have put an end to all its
work, and nothing remains of all that it ever
did,"
But, sir, in the extent to which it has been
undertaken to be pushed, it was never intended
by Mr.. Monroe and never has been sustained
by this country, and, | venture to say, never
will be. Sir, am not afraid of war with Great
Britain. | have not the slightest fear Of any
such thing. My fears are the other way. Ny
fears are that she cannot do anything that will
wake up the national spirit beyond little talk
and recrmination against those who are sup
posed not to favor certain views. Why do |
think so? Because | know the history of the
past. know, when you made 1t one of the is
sues OF this country that We shonld insist Oh the
boundary line OF $40 40>, or fl ght 4: ! know that
when Mr.. James X. Polk took the oath of
Office on the eastern portico of this Capitol, he
delivered an inaugural Address, in which he
declared that our title to the whole of Oregon
WAS Ci-hT anu lHuiSputsiDit lust AS clear as
our title TO the District Of Columbia-for that
is only clear aud Indispensable There cannot
be anything clearer than that:) and ! know,
after that-after il had been made an issue
upon which Mr.. Polk came into the Presiden-
tial chair, and after the Democracy pledged
themselves to sustain rights in Oregon, or
fght-and after it was proclaimed, under those
circumstances, from the eastern portco of this
Capitol, our indisputable territory, what was
our next chapter? Why. sir, we gave it all
away to Great Britain-we gave her more than
she asked. We gave away Vancouver's Island,
sustaining the same relative position to the
harbors on the Pacific coast and the Columbia
river, that Cuba does to the harbors on the Gulf
coast and to the Mississippi. We gave that
away TO Great Britain, without asking for a con-
sideration. The next chapter in the history of
the same Administration was, that they offered
S200, 900 for Cuba. That is the difference
between territory North and South! Van
couver's Island could be given away, but
Cubs was TO be bought, even at the cost of
$500, Zoo, 200.
Sir, have had occasion to allude to these
transactions before, and | have stated on other
occasions, and | repeat now, that there is one
curious fact in regard to our territorial treaties
and it is very curious one. / do not know
but that If is what Mr.. Weller--I do not mean
the member OF the Senate, but Sam Weller, of
Pickwickian memory-woud call an .'aston-
ishing coincidence" At any rate. the fact is, |
that every treaty that has been made in re-
gard TO territory on our Northern border, has
been to cut off aud give away. We cut OFF
Maine, aud sold to Great Britain all she want
ed, which was a good military road from Nova
Scotia to Canada; and then We gave away an
Empire to her on the Oregon question. On
the South, however, have always taken.
We have constantly been cutting off at one end,
and buying at the other; and when we could
not sell Northern territory, we gave it away.
Then, sir, think can say 10 the President.
that the people would have been quite as much
pleased TO hear a little more about Kansas. az
30 much about Central America. The Presi-
dent, however, does have very little TO say
about Kansas very little, indeed lie says
-" In the Territory OF Kansas, there have been
acts p.eIudicial to good order, but vet none
have occurred to justify the interposition of the
Federal Executive"
| wish that were true; but take issue with
him. | say the interposition of the Federal Tx
ecutive has been there and it has been there
on the side OF those very acts OF violence. Sir,
the people of Kansas have had to protect them
selves against mob law, instgated by the Pres
ident, and sustained by his officials there
when he saws there has been nothing TO " JUS
hfy official lnterposition, | admit it is true
lnere was nothing 10 Justify 1t; but the lnterpo
sition WAS there, whether justified or not. Then
he goes on TO say that the people of Kansas
must be protected. Well, sir. they will be pro
tected; bot they have not had protection from
the President of the United States DO Won
not know, sir--does not the Senate know, and
does not the country know-that Governor Reed
er came home and proclaimed in the ears of
the President that Kansas was conquered
country And what did he do? The Govern
or told him that Kansas was conquered. What
do you suppose General Jackson would have
done, If one of his Governors had come to
Washington and said, General, that Territory
which you sent me to govern has been conquer
ed" "Why, in the name of the Eternal he
would have said, d" who has conquered it?" He
wonld have called upon the country for all its
military force and all its volunteer force to re-
take il. But, sir, 1t not to General Jack
sou that the story was told, but to another and
different sort of man. What was the answer
The President turned him out. lie said +:
"Governoi, we have no further need of your
services; we wish you all prosperity, but you
are not the man 10 carry out squatter sover-
eighty in Kansas Then he took Mr. Wilson
Shannon; and Mr.. Wilson Shannon went,
shouting over the plains he went, that he
was for Slavery in Kansas. lie went too fast ;
and, | think, between the North and the South.
Mr.. Wilson Shannon will not find a very wide
place to stand upon. | do not think he will
find friend here to say, "God save him y
when his time comes up.
So much for Kansas. After this allusion TO
II in his message, the President undertakes to
read long lecture upon Slavery. 1t is not the
first time the President has delivered lectures