Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1857-03-21

ments OF members not disposed go as far as himself
AS to the danger Of erecting distant States Oregon be
said was not further from the seat of government un
der the Improvements of navigation &c., than Louisiana
was when she was erected into State and not much
further than Maine is and he knew no reason why
Oregon should be less attached to the Republic than
these
" As to the danger Of spreading our territory and of
the future State OF Oregon separating the Confede
raey suppose 1t should be What then? Was it not
better that this tract of country should be settled nv s
than by foreigners And did the gentleman snnose that
all the nations of the earth would by and see that
vast region to the of lie for centuries unocou
pied II did take possession thew wouId n
BESIDES of great Importance to give this vast country
the blessings Of free government Let the people of the
West be free from the outset"
Mr. TR1MBLE, of Kentucky enforced the views of Mr..
FLOYD.
The gentleman from Virginia Mr.. sMrrH) is afraid
Of spreading too far and dividing on the Allegheny
ridge To this win only reply that gentlemen who OBJ
serve nations from their closets and look from
out OF the midst off may make very wise obserya-
tons, and occasionally throw out valuable hints but
what we want upQp.aaueson of this sort is the nfor-
nation of practical What may be the fate and
what the dangers of State upon the Pacific two centu
rles hence does not much concern Just now. Doubt
less they will find way of providing for their own dam
gers at that remote period In the mean time let our
people go and make settlement; let them form nu-
eleus round which future population may gather and
time will gradually consolidate them into an extensive
and powerful community
These views have been strikingly verified The bin
was passed the 23d December 1924 by vote of liz
to 81, amended only provide for purely mill
ary occupation The Inteligencer of the next day. in
referring to the subject, said:
The aboriginal of the river, Oregon viii be
restored to it if this bill should pass the Senate in its
present shape, and glad Of it. It sonorous
word and significant, the meaning of it beingse rsDer
that runs to the Vest"
The measure did not meet the concurrence Of the Sen
ate at that session After Mr. FLoYD's retirement but
as late 1912, the inquiry renewed By Senator
LINN, of Missouri sustained by his colleague Mr. BEN
TOM and other eminent men, and bill for the occupa
ton of Oregon passed by the Senate but failed to
receive the sanction of the House The subsequent dis
cussions and the negotiations with the Government of
Great Britain, by which the forty degree of at
tude was agreed upon our northern boundary, are
fresh in the memory of the reader only in lS48
however that Territorial government was authorized
for Oregon and in less than years she is preparing
to become State.
We have been somewhat minute in tracing these remi-
niscences of Oregon because they of interest in
themselves matters of history and because they
exhibit great degree of foresight the part of the
then distinguished representative from Virginia who
pressed the subject with much zeal and energy 1t is
not the least Of the strange condolences that occur
our history that after the lapse of third of century,
the direction of military affairs in Oregon should de-
vove upon Secretary FLOYD of the original mover
of measures for the occupation and settlement of that
now attractive and growing region which at time
seemed to be too distant fer American enterprise