IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 I.I IL25 HI 1.4 tttlU |U 1.6 Photographic .Sciences Corporation 23 ViWi m-Ui STKilT WHSTIR.N.Y. )4SS0 (716) S73-4503 WS-«T CIHM/ICMH Microfiche Series. CIHM/ICIVIH Collection de microfiches. Canadian Institute for Historical Microreproductions / Institut Canadian da microreproductions historiquat Tvchnieal and Bibliographic Notaa/Nottt tachniqua* at bibliographiquat Tha Inttituta haa attamptad to obtain tha baat original copy availabia for filming. 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Original copla* in printad papar covar* ara filmad baginning with the front covar and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or iiluatratad impra*- *ion. or tha back covar whan appropriata. All othar original copla* ara filmad baginning on tha firat paga with a printad or iiluatratad impraa- aion, and anding on tha laat paga with a printad or iiluatratad impraaaion. Tha laat racordad frama on aach i.' AV A S K I xN GT O N : rnLNTKlJ AT Til;; l.NION OPFirfs 1 S 1 0. m^ t^ -H^ SPEECH. f)n the resolution giving the tuvelve months* notice for the termination of the joint occupancy of the Oregon territory. ^ \ * Mr MORSE rose and said- Mr. Chairman: I had ho|Md that the committee would have risen, first for the few hours of prepa- ratian it would have afforded me; and secondly, not to have been compelled immediately to follow the eloquent gentleman from Virginia; but as the House deeire to hear another speech, I will goon. Mr. Chairman, a I may possibly separate from aome of those frieni. s with whom I have been in the habit of acting in tliis House, and as 1 shall give a different vote from the one I gave on a similar proposition last year, I desire to state briefly the teaiions which have influenced me in the determina- t.on to vote for this notice, and 1 state in all frank- ness that it is with reLctance that I follow the gen- tleman from Virginia, for it is not an affectation of modeflty, when I assure you that it is not in my power to entertain the House with any of those el- oquent and patriotic appeals, those meteoric flashes of wit, or that strong rein of humor, with which this discussion has been from time to time enlivened by so many gentlemen, who have preceded me in the argument on the resolutions upon your table. N'or is it my intention to make a speech to pre- pare the minds and hearts of the American people for war; I yield to no man in my admiration of the policy of peace, which has, in the short period of thirty years, advanced our country almost to the front rank in agriculture, commerce, and manufactures, a:id which, if persevered in for thirty years more, n'.u3t place her first in all those great elements of na- tional wealth. And while I believe, in n just quarrel, these United Stetee "are confident against the world in arms," I carnot agree with some of our western friends, that the American eagle will sweep the cross of St. Greorge from this continent, and throw the British lior into the Pacific, without the ruffle of a single feather. Sir. this notice will never be the cause of war. 0-pgon will never be the ciuisc of war. It may be t(ie pretence; and if so, it will be a war of principle — monarchy against refiublicanism, the aristocratic f>w of God's anointed against the (H nolloi of the de- mocracy — and it cannot but be a bloody war; but with u firm reliance on the continuance of that di- vine protection, and the trusty blades of millions of freemen, who own no rulers but of their choice, 1 have no fears for the ultimate result. It seems, then, to be conceded with perfect una- nimity, that we have a clear title to the territory of Oregon up to the 49°, and by a very large majority of this House, to the whole country up to 54° W. Every member, I believe, who has thus far addreoiK ed the committee, has satisfied himself that Oregon is ours. Whether deducing our right from the dis- covery of Captain Gray in 1790; from the explorar tion of Lewis and Clark; from the treaty with Spain in 1819; from contiguity of territory; or from mani- fest necessity, that fact may be assumed in this dis- cussion. I shall, therefore, leave the title out of view, and proceed to offer a few remarks on the course which, in my judgment, it becomes the ^v- ernment to pursue in the maintenance of its just rights, and the ateps necessary to be taken to put our citizens in possession of that territory which alt admit belongs to us, but which, by some diplomatic, legerdemain, seems now more to belong to Great Britain, or rather the Hudson Bay Company. What is the present condition of this quei>tion' After a fruitless negotiation for a number of years, the President informs us that he ofl'ercd a compro- mise on the parallel of 49°, which was instantly ro- fused, and that he ha.«i withdrawn the proposition, and negotiation, if it has not come to a close, has at least made a very sudden halt. Shall we reopen this vexed question — reargue the same old prepo- sitions — go through the same diplomatic twistingB and turnings, without the least hope of ever reaching the end proposed? If the success of our negotiations on the northern frontier aflford us any standard to judge of the ad- vantages of prolonging this — if the right to trade and establish trading positions, without a claim to a sin- gle foot of the soil in fee-simple, has grown so strong by the national laws of prescription, that Eng- land now indignantly refuses nearly one-half of the whole territory, with the navigation of the Colum- bia river twice superadded, I concur heartily with the President, that the sooner the notice for lh« ces- sation of the joint occupancy is given the better; and ( •«;%;'? • * ihiu tirings rtic to the ilificuflfciori oi" tlie racasurc im- .nnrdiately before ihcHoui**;. 1h it proper to give this notice at this lim»; ? The PreNideni thinkn ho, and has so recommended in his incflsu^e. f las one «inf;le arijviment been ndducc altle In effect anything mor*! liifiii it has dow;' L5ut, way gentlemen on the other side, This will brin;,' on the war. 1 draw no such infcren-e. The only effect will be 10 gt: the ultimatum oi Kngland. And here I an- swer 5ie c|uetttion of the gentleman from Virginia — If I'^ngland were now to reconsider her refusal, and propose to accept the 49th degrw; and it is this: if ihiK- joint occupHucy still continues, we are hound i:i frv cnnscitntitt to accept it. But tincn give this noticr, and this govr nment may take 4'/', or rcfuHe It, without the violation of any international good fiuth express or implied. The principal — indeed, I may say the only — ob- jection which I have heard urged by any member on this Hoor, is (assuming this tu be a war measure, which f utterly deny) that we are not sufficiently prepared to maintain our rights at this moment. When will we be stronger: Will it be to-day, to- morrow, or in five years: The American people ■will never, in lime of peace, consent to tax them- ■elves to support large standing armies or powerful fleets for an emergency that may never happen — for a war iixj'uturo It must be a war in tssr, and then their purses and swords will always be freely placed at the disposal of your President. Sir, we all have read the story of a people— scarce- ly three millions of souls — who, in resisting tt simple parliamentary enactment touching some tea or paper, which they might use or not; when « large minority of that people were, if not op- posed, disposed to be neutral, without money or credit, branded with a traitor's name, and thn.atened with H felon's grave, defied that power, who had studded the earth with fortifications, and whitened the ocean with her sails, and, for a principle, en- gaged in an ei»ht yeara' war with that "nation, up- on whose dominion.s the sun never set," and "forced the English lion to acknowledge the independence of the American eagle." Sir, it was then pro- posed to delay this Question of principle. What "Virginian — nay, sir, whet American— has not felt his heart bound in his school-boy days, at the indig- nant rebuke of the forest-born Demosthenes. Sir, there is a more recent event, quorum minima parsfui, when it was proposed to admit a revolted province of a sister republic into this Union; and great and wise politicians discoursed most learnedly about the advantages of delay; that it must ulti- mately certainly be yours; and although the accredi- ted minister of that sister republic demanded his passports, and threatened war, we did what we thought our duty, regardleijs of all consequences. What constitutes the difference between the cases now and then.' Was it because oar right to annex Tejcas was considered a violation of the treaty with Mexico.' I will not pursue this inquiry farther. But for my single self, I have a little of that feelin{f "that would ratlur rouse a lion than start a hare." But I will pursue the argument for this notice. I would not vote for the notice last year, beaiuse wc were hourly expecting nn amicable compromise, although 1 could not well understand what there was to compromiise, if, as gentleman say, the title 10 the whole of Oregou isoure; and because I would not v/illingly ;;ive either the Ptrongeat or Uc weakest nation any reasonable grounds of of- fence. Because I would not lightly hazard the hope of a satisfactory settlement of thia question; because, not having the same means of ascertaining tlie .situation of the negotiation which belong?* to the President, I would not interfere with his policy on that subject. Hut now, tempora mulantem, tt f\-r. When negotiation is virtually at an ind; when the Knglish government has for the fourth (ami last time 1 hope^ rciiiued the parallel of 49^, and lui'' concluded to wait for a more equitab!') offer on the part of our ^v;"'*r.iinent; when the President has signified his wikIi to give thia notice, am' ha« called upon this IfnuMc to show by their vote that they think with him, sliall we grow circumspect at last.' Shall we ilnow dutriist upon our title, not only up to ^4, but even to 49 — or shall wo Iwid t^e English govt-rnmon' and the world at large to be- lieve that wo will ever offer a better compromifiC than wt) have before ofioredr — 49 twice, with 'lie navi- gation of the Culuiiibia river superadded. '^Periik the thought; nicer, nn'er, never; logo-like, to the PorUi« sea, xthose inj currenl and compulsive course fctiowt «o returning eft/i," we will never recede one inch from our just pretensions to Oregon. sir, this notice does not involve a war. Is it not provided for in the convention? la it not carry infj out the treaty? Did the contracting powers soaecni it when the treaty was made? On the c/yntr&ty, would not the arming of your additional regiments, building your stockades, and all and each of the acta for which those gentlemen, who call themselves peculiarly the peace party on thia question, be a vi- olation, if not of the letter, at least of the spint of the treaty? This, I apprehend, was the intention oi' both the high contracting powers — that whenever each government should have offered its ultimatum, "•d whenever it was ascertained that thia vexed question could not be settled by negotiation, that at Icasta year's notice should be given, that a 8ufli«icr)t time should be given to both conntriea to prepare to withdraw their cjjmmerce from each others ports as much as possible; in short, to give time for reflec- tion to botn countries to determine whether their title.'! were sufficieuily strong to justify the arbitn*- mcnt of the sword. This, it strikes me, is the cojmi- mon sense view of it, else why was the wear's no- tice inserted ? It certainly meana something. Do gentlemen suppose that, upon the receipt of thii» r'it>- tice, England intends to declare war ? I can not bring my mind to any such conclusion. This joint, occupancy is a unilateral contract; England, without any title, has all the advantages to be derived from the use of the whole territory, and we, with the clear title to the whole of the territory, divide ilie oc^ cupancy. I am no prophet, nor the son of a prophet, but 1 venture the assertion, that this question never will be settled, either by negotiation or even by Jirbi- tration, if this country were weak enough to submit to il; and the title to Oregon will be in abeyance un- til the people of that country, finding that the tenure by which they hold their property so unstable, de- clare themselves independent, which, I presume, England desires, and which time will moat assured- ly bring about. You must recollect, pjr, that there are other pc\r- tics m re deeply interested in this matter than your- selves; the people of Oregon themselves feel the want of a "local habitation and n name;" their feel- ings, interests, sympathies, and everything, lew's them to attach tiicmpt've;, to you, and unless yo.j throw o' '.ar.rot » haijon o put an ei to <;4)iuiri , factory i Eri^lai colonists C*.-cgon V et undei made of Will. N taktn it I Texas ar merit oft Texas re: in onrgld the argun af;»;r be in ndmi.s.sioi Mexico— conspired would ha cy, if per will nevei • governn tlie world Jf you do have a go perfect kr knows tht 49°; but si Mtanding ii ■eives fdv< ahe is pel thid i, an(5 Jias voic that imsp«ci at r title, not u Ic^id the ge to be- impromitiC hMienuvt- . '^Ptriik I the PotU't* ' know% *o I inch fi o)n Is It not t carry ir^t} ;rs so decr.i e contrary, regiments, jch of the themselves on, be a vt- le spint of intentioB ol' whenever ultimatum, this vexed ion, that at a 8ufii«icnt ) prepare to ers ports as e for reflec- ether their the arbitr.i- is the aoiu- wear's no- stKing. Do ;of thif no- I can rsot This joint nd, without crived from e, with the vide tlic oo )f a prophet, estion never yen by «.rb»- ;h to submit ibeyancc un- it the tenure instable, de- I pres)ime, joat Rssured- e oilier pi-J- r than your- vea feel the ;" their feel- thing, lew's 1 unlf 8S yo.j t^irow over them the irgis of Amerirfji liberty, you i these rrsoluiions. Tlif'i'" was «i tiDJC when i( br^anic • Anrot < Xpert that they will wait t'orever the temii- our duty to pnuseaml reHect upon the consequences uauon of (I negotiation, which Eiiglund never will ^ of any psn ular mer.«ure, ( where prinriplc was not put an end t«, and whi<-h yuti teem e()iuilly diKposed involved,) and the sternest :t.v.(;8inan might well ask what would Kngland or 1- ran>'e say upon this sub- to <;4)iiiinite, without ih^. least expectation of a satis- . factory udjustin'.nt. ject? Happily, that time has lung since pnsNcd, and England don't desire Oregon; she may desire Bucli , our aft'nirii arc ndministerbd without the leawtref- colonistB as she has in the east; the population of j erence to the opinions of any nation on the globe — C>regon would require Loo much trouble to keep qui- ' peaceably, but jirmly pursuing such a cturso, jw in et under her monarrhicAl institutions. They arc ^ our best judgment is calculated to nerure 'ibcrty and made of .sterner stuti'than to bo moulded to lierirou { the pursuit of hap|)ines8; and whatever others may wUI. Nordidshe want Texas; she vyouidnot liavc I tinnk, I liave yrt to learn one Miij,'le act conniv'tco lukan it for a gnvious gift. Hut she desired to see j with r»ur foreign noliiy that I would wish undone; Texas an independent government, and an adjourn- and a.5 a jiroof oi the Integrity of our course, while ment of the last Congress, without the passage of the we exacted and ro'-eived compensation lor injustiee Texas resolution»,\vould have lost that beautiful star from the hands of marly every foreign government, in o'lr glorious confederacy. ! need not recapitulate I believe the first claim has yet to be made against the arguments. Had I beenaTexan, 1 would never, this government for r.ijy injunii'e done to the weak- afu:r being twice rejected, have applied jigain I'nr i est or the .strougosi power. A''ts of individual wrong ntlmission. The recognition of her independence liy ! there may have been; bu'. I raniiot recollect one sin- Mexico — national pride — everything would havelglo act ot' our governmen'.. tor which we have been coiixpired, and the glorious policy of inactivity I called upon to make repara'iori. ^oM have lost us Texas then, and the same poli- a.s an American, as e cur.en of the world, it is ft cy, If persevered in now, will lo.se us Oregon. She ' source of the most sincere satisfaction, and more will never Ijelong to England; but they must have :,hnn all things else makes me admire the wi.-idom ■ government firmly established— re.-ognized by all of our forefathers, who transmitted this rich herit- tlie world. Her langunge is, Where shall we go r ! age, and, wl;en rightly and universally understood, Jf you do not settle the matter, of necessity we must will do more in favor of republican institutions than have a government of our own. England, with a , all the disquisitions of essayists than have ever been pertfct knowledge of the strength of botli titles, ' written on the science of government. This fact is knows that our government will never recede from ■ worth more than all i he theory upon the subject for 49°; but she turther knows that there are men of high ; two thousand years. Mtandini; ii both parties, who have expressed them- ' «ru». it . i .i i —.' ,« .• .»i 1^ .i. .u« • 1- 1 i-ix 1 What reiusons have been given to induce the bc- ■Cives tdvorabe to the independence ot O.'eirop. and r^r.i . .i .• i i .• n .L» .. -«.,.i., ...:ii:»» .„ uu:j« u .' %i i •^ hef that the passage ot these re.soutions Will precipi- J! c^i^/tUpt^^'. H »"'V'T' ""^ 'f tateawar.' 'it re.s;jlveMt8c!f simply into an Lxpres- t' anop-nqueyn, some lucky moment ,ion of opinion. It was one of hJ happie-st of Sir S3LJ TffXrJ^ "^ "' "* '"""'"' '*" '*"' ' Boyle R.'ach".s bulls, when he said -tU best ,r«y to inoependenccot Oregon. •;, , . . ■, , • .l .•• n i.» . auoia aatigtr, icas to meet tt plumu in the fare. hvery As regards the inhabitants of that territory, man on this floor hu.s, or will hod it so, in private independence is certainly more desirable than any life, ami U is equally true in relation to nations, connexion with England; but in relation to us, for Having no ari.=!tocracy Li support, or favorite fanii- all prHcticft! purposes, I liad almost a-s soon see Ore- i lies to keep in ihe ascendant, liu world has become eon belonging to England as to see her independent, j satisfied that indivi lually and collectively the Amer- All the advantages «f the China trade would be lost : ican people, upon the slightest encroachment on their Ml us for r.fTe:: tiie r. we are strictly within the stipalation.s of the trea'y; l'ecau:.. 4 any policy which might be inter))reted into a fuller- ing heailancy, I must be entirtly uliafied that there ia not lubstantial danger of losing Oregon, and involving my country in a war; I muat have "confirmation strong as proofs of Holy Writ." "Make me to see it, or ho prove it, that the proba- tion bears no hinge-loop to hung a doubt upon," or I will none of it. There ia one thing that cannot fail to gratify every true American heart, which this discussion has elicited, and which even more than the Texan ques- tion shows '.his to be purely a national one. The advocates of this measure are not confined to the supporters of the administration ; nor are they in- fluenced by sectional feelings in the views which they take of this great ccntintntal question. Whigs and democrats from the North, the South, the East, jind the West have buried their pitiful party ani- mosities and local Jealousies, and only vie with other as to the mo^t eflfcient manner in which the will support an American President in his man ' and patriotic atten\pt to settle this American que tion; and if, in the manner of acquiring Oregon, m differ, it only proves the freedom and independent that characterize an American statesman and a ri publican Congre&s. Let us not degrade the digni of the subject, by harboring for an in.stant the id that President-making, or political capital, influcnr the action or the vote of a solitary member on tl' floor; and whatever plnn shall be finally determir- upon, and should a collision with any foreign coo try unfortunotely ensue, let this sentiment meet unanimous response from every member of t! Congress, and the people from the St. Lawrence the Rio Grande will re-echo it back: "Our country our whole country — right or wrong." mly vie with ten. ler in which thf ent in his man ii American que lirin^ Oref^on, v and independen iteimaii and a r grade thedij^ni in instant the id capital, influcn( f member on t} finally determin any foreign coo sentiment meet ' member of t! : St. Lawrence c: "Our country