^>. IMAGE EVALUATION TEST TARGET (MT-3) 1.0 1.1 Ik ■ 50 2.0 1.8 1.25 u i/s ^ 6" ► .. a,. I ": : SPEECH OF I HON. JOSEPH P. HOGE, OF ILLINOIS, OM THE OREGON QUESTION. DELIVERED IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, FRIDAY, JANUARY 30, 1846. WASHINGTON : BLAIR & RIVES, PRINTERS. 1846. the House 1 resolution tiign Affairi tice to Gre terminate t ernments { the Oregon months — Mr. HOG and said: Mr. CnAiF this debate hi me to depart filr pursued, s Mat upon thii t|ie hope tha light upon a ; ed the best s tion upon the is necessarily urfiich honor;: fhen,sir, this tlon,upon \vl however hun full and free the support w tion, I shall a in my course, of those west( former occasi Carolina [Mr self-gratulatio httnself now ] ofCongress, chusetts []\lr THE OREGON QUESTION. ^lic House having under consideration the joint resolution reported by the Committee on For- eign Affairs, directing the President to give no- tice to Great Britain that the United States will terminate the convention between the two Gov- ernments providing for the joint occupation of the Oregon territory, at the expiration of twelve months — Mr. HOGE, being entitled to the floor, rose and said: Mr. Chairman: The peculiar character which this debate has been made to assume, has induced me to depart from the course wliich I have thus far j)ursued, since I have had the honor to hold a !»Cat upon this floor. I certair.ly do not entertain t|ie hope that I shall be able to throw any new light upon a subject, which has already exhaust- ed the best ability of the country; but if our ac- tion upon the resolution now under consideration is necessarily to have the important consequences vdiich honorable gentlemen so confidently predict, then, sir, this is not the occasion, nor this the ques- tion, upon which any representative of the people, however humble he may be, should withhold the full and free expression of his opinions. Sir, in the support which I propose to give to this resolu- tion, I shall at least have the merit of consistency in my course. I do not Hill within the category of those western gentlemen, to whose vote upon a former occasion the honorable member from South Carolina [Mr. Rhett] has referred with so much self-gratulation, in defence of the course he was hunself now pursuing. When, at the lost session ofCongress, the honorable member from Massa- chusetts [Mr, Adams] moved the insertion of a clause in the Oregon bill, then pending before this House, similar, in its character nnd oDjects, with the resolution reported from the Committee on Foreign Afl'airs, now under discussion, I gave the honorable member my most hearty support. I voted for his proposition in committee; I voted for it in the House; I voted for it as incorpo- rated in the bill itself, on its final passage. I believed myself right then: I have had no cause to change that belief, or to regret the course which I then pursued. But, sir, in then giving this measure my support, hi every stage of its progress through this House, I did so silently. 1 should gladly have pursued the same course now, but that I am not disposed to be forced to assume the position, which it seems to be resolved all the advocates of this measure shall occupy before the House and the country, that of one determined, at all hazards, to plunge this country into the horrors of war — a war, too, according to the predictions of honorable gentlemen, necessarily to result in defeat and disgrace to the arms of our country — with- out at least attempting to give the reasons which govern me in the course I feel myself impelled to pursue. Least of all, sir, am 1 disposed silently to be placed in such a position, wlien, in the de- liberate conviction of my judgment, in supporting the passage of the resolution on your table, I am advocating the 6£s<, ifnot the only means of pre- serving the peace of the country, and bvinging this long vexed and dangerous question to a favorable and final issue. Although, Mr. Chairman, I am free to confess that I entertain no love for Great Britain, yet I am by no means so full of that warlike furor, which an honorable member from Indiana, [Mr. C. B. yj/ ? nome days fiiin'i;, Noenu'd to lliiiik lUM-rssarily l>(l(iii;i;til to tin: Reprrsentdtivr.' of llm Stiilf. tVoiii wliicli I have tlir honor to coiiKi. ('aiulor, liowevrr, ronipcls nii! to admit, tliiit tlic .spcnclics of two of my colUni^iicH, who liitve precodcd me in litis dehiitc, wcro, to say the least, not piirlirularly well ralcuhUcd to di.spd the notions Avni(!h the iioiiorahic nit'ml)i'r nccmed to entertain; lor one of tlicin, in his zeul for the ivholr of Orej^oii williont delay, waa resolved to fight anyhow, herause it was our "manifest desti- ny" to riu;ht; and the otiier was not only satisfied of our title up to 54^ 4U', luit. seemed disposed to claim to the north pol'', if not a IHtle further. Sir, it was not my fortune to parlieipate either in the dauirers or the honm's of tlie glorious campaiifii to which the lionorahle mem!)er from Indiana [Mr. Smith] has so faeetiously alluded; but, sir, with- out in'- ndiiiir, in the slightest degree, to be invidi- ous, or with any disjiosition to pluek a single leaf from those gre-en laurels which the honorable mem- ber seemed to think so gracefully became the mod- est brows of my two (Colleagues, I must be pei-mit- ted to say, that I have never known so brilliant a military reputation achieved in a campaign so bloodless in its results. Duf, sir, one \;'ord more to my honorable colleague, [Mr. Baker,] who ha.s just taken his seat. It was certainly very naturnl that my colleague should desire to place himself right before the House and the country upon the subject of his political position, although, where my colleague is known, it would have been a work of supererogation. Surely my colleague could not have supposed that there was any danger of liis being mistaken for a Democrat, or suspected of any leaning towards the cause of the people, at home. But I regret, sir, that in his zeal and anxiety to clear liis skirts of even the suspicion of Democracy, my colleague should have cut himself oft' from all hope, nnd repudiated in his own case the benefit of that most consolitary doctrine, where the psalmist announces to the unfortunate, that "While tin; liuni) holds out to burn, Tlie ttilcst sinnerniay return." I regret much, sir, that attempts sliould have been made in some parts of this House, during the course of the debate, to give to this cjuestion a sectional — a party — nay, even a personal character ! Sir, if the remarks of the honorable member from New York, [Mr. Prkston Kivg,] mingling with this discussion the name and position of a distinguish- ed southern statesman, for whose high and com- manding intellect I have always entertained the most pixjfound respect — a res]iect yielding not to that of his best friend — were, in my judgment, most unfortunate; the retort they provoked from the honorable member from South Carolina [Mr. Rhett] was no less unfortunate. Sir, I tell the honorable member from South Carolina, he never was more mistaken in his life, if he supjxjses for a moment that any considerations of personal eleva- tion, or personal downfall, lie at the bottom of this great Oregon movement. No, sir; it emanates from a far different source. It comes from the great American heart. It is no western — no sectional — no party question. It is a great national — a great American question. Sir, it may be, and I believe it xcill be, that this great question , in its resistless progress, will crush brnenth its sv« ight hu/irti/iiH. uspiraliom, indivitlual hnpis. No great f|nestion oi nalioiial policy has ever yet, sir, in our history, ut l.iined the final con.summation of ."luccess by aiu other path than that leading through whole grnrr yards of dead politicians! I know not if si.ic.h po litical fatality is dcslined to attend the issue of thi; On gon »iuestion; but sure I am, the jiolitician't fate can neither accplcrate nor impede its onwan: proirress. Sir, whatever may be our action on tin present resolution — vote as we may^we ciiniid long delay or avoid the issue. With or withoii the notice — with or without the action of tin House — there is a sjiirit abroad in the countri which vlll It'll hf laid; which ici// bring thisquestio. loan issue, even though it dots involve the "ajbt/ni iitent of the cannon's mouth!" I look ujion this discu.erhaii8 unexampled, pit vails U})on all sides of the House, with refer encc to the rif!;hts of the country as involved i the question. We are all for Oregon, the h'/joI of Oregon, and for Oregon now! The great pc litical, commercial, and military advantages cor nected with the ownership and possession of tli Oregon country, none question. Our title, all pn nouncc valid, clear, and indisputable. Even tl; honorable and learned gentleman from Mas.*;!' chusetts, [Mr. Wintiirop,] who seemed to thin that title dmwn from musty and obscure source.- did not take his seat until he had avowed his coi viction, not alone that it was superior to that i England, but that it would stand tlic test and qucr of a court of justice. But no, sir; I am a little to fast. A late stage of this debate has given bin to some doubt upon these points, on which oi unanimity seemed to be so f^encraL It was reser' ed for an honorable representative from the anciei Commonwealth of Virginia [Mr. Pendleton] ; discover, in the face of notorious fact, in the ver teeth of every historiair, diplomatist, or orato who lias ever yet written or spoken upon this que tion, that the Oregon territory, to use the languas of the honorable member himself, "was not wor; a farthing." But, srir, this is not all. Anotlv distinguished member [Mr. Batl-y] from the saii Commonwealth, has made the still more olarmii discovery, that the American title to the Oreg( north of the forty-ninth parallel is not worth ^''jot." That line, according to the honorable gc tleman, forms the impassable wdl, which bourn and limits the advance of the American settler the north- Sir, the honorable member had co sumed liis hour in a labored argument in defeii of this position. An ai^ument, sir, at war wi the dij)lomatic position of this Government for t last thirty years, in utter defiance and contempt irrefragable facts, sustained by the unansweral arguments of the most acute, able, and distingui> ed diplomatists this or any other country has ev })roduced. But, sir, to my still greater surpri? the member from Virginia had been followed by; honorable gentleman from Indiana, [Mr, Owkx who had undertaken to show, by an argume which I must be permitted to say, with all duedt erence for the acknowledged ability of that hoiio able gentlenuin, was move speciotis than sound- more niren only to fort [Mr.Ow Sir. I dn position. nicmber st( hiinsf lff(n-i of the Anil The infcrei in the opini ^ood above has placed n"'-''y t''^ rec.rd of our diploinacy-by exf:culr\-e declaration — by lci,'i.siativeaciion. lint, sir, I reirn:tto find the position of liie Slate of Vir- I, in .'•'onie n p,i,||., „j|,,|, (hi.s(pie.siion,.sofaras we have yet heard iiilinary ;i.spe('i fj.,,1,1 j^,,^^ j,,, ehaiif^ed. Time was, sir, when an icxanipled, pri honorable and disliii;,'uislied Rei)resentalive from se, with i"'''('f the State of Viri!;inia stood up. Ill this floor, the very as involved i ^j.^^^ Xeliunon of ihis Orei^on (piestion ! I desire "'^r?,^' "^^' to ccnnniend the cmii-se of that patrio'ie old Vir- ilie great P^ giiii:,n to snmeofher jdof/^cnrepreseiitaiives. I read, (dvaiitages coi jjp^ jYom a speech of Governor l''hn-d, delivered lase.s.sion ol tli ;„ ,i,j^ Hou.qo in 18:28, upon the l.ill then lumdinir, 'ur tulc,^all pn ^^ j.jj^.p j,,^/;/^)-;; possrssinn of the Orej^on. In reply able, i'^vcn tl; ^ mucIi aru:unieuts as we now hear coining from n from Mass; ^'^^^.^^ lioiioral)le <:eiitlemen from the State of Vir- jeemed to thin ginj^^ t],;it distina-uislied man said: bscure source- "Such was the ar;j:umcnt, if arirument it avowed his coi . coul, I be called, wdiich was advanced hy tlie erior to that i « opponen's of the bill, in the very face of plain e^test and qiicr . f.^d.s, of official statements, of fi-ures, which de- 1- am a little to . p,„„^l,.,^p^j ^^\^^ bencfu.s of that trade (the fur has given bin . t,.,^,i,.) ,„ Q,.,,.jt i3,.it;iin_of that Britain winch i' ^i" ^^ '^' ' was their great commercial rival on every sea L It w-as reser . j^„ J j,, every market of tiie world— of that Hrit- ^om the anciei «ain, finally, from whom America must purchase Pendleton] ; « fm-^ foi- lier own use, at whatever ])rice might be fact, in the ver « p,,t ujion them, if she tamely consented to the atist, or oratn • surrender of a country which was justly hers by lupoii this que . virtue of the great basi.s of all va'lid ti'ilcs— dis- use the languar f covcry, occupancy, and treaty, and which was as "was not woi" • necessary for the security of her western bound- >t all. Anotli' < dries as it was desirable for the liest iiilerests of r] from the saii » jif,,. commerce. He was really at a loss to ac- 1 more alarmii < count for the peculiar objections made to the bill. ; to the Oregi « I'lj^- principal one was merely an incessant reitc- is not worth « ration of the cry, < What will England think ? I honorable gc « How will England receive the intelligence that , which bouii; ♦ we mean to occupy the territory in question!' lerican settler ' Why, what was it" to them, as the reprcsenla- ember had co « tives of a great and independent nation, what ment in defeii « England thought, or whether she condescended to sir, at war wi ' think at all alioiit the matter? Were they to sit rernment for l 'in that House and legislate for a resentatives upon this floor for peace — jieace, no matter what the sacri- fice, I am happy to [lerccive the indication that some small admixture of prxidtnce is hereafter to mingle in her councils. Sir, according to the honorable gentleman from South Carolina. [Air. RiiKTT,] it is revolting to the Clirislian spirit of the age in which we live, to contemplate; for a moment the ]iossibilify of this nation plunging into the hor- rors of war in defence of a " laprc territorial rig/i/.'' JYay, sir, we here, in the National Leirislatuit:-, must not dare to assert, by legislative action, the acknowledg'ed riirhtsofihe nation, for /lor of such a result. Sower in defence of the integrity of the national soil — but a war, sir, wiiich should arm brother against brother, father against father, countryman against countryman! Andforwhat, sir? In re- sistance of the law of the land, enacted by the su- preme Legislature, in her opinion contravening the sovereign and cc)nstituiional rights of the State! Nay, sir, it is but as yesterday, that an honorable and distiniruishcd Senator from the State of South Carolina, standing in his place in the Senate Hall, coolly anticipated the disruption of this Union as the necessary consequence of a persistance in the tariff policy of the country, and calmly and dispas- sionately speculated u]ion the formation of distinct and separate Governments from the fragments. A scheme, sir, only to bo consummated upon the ruins of the Constitution — only to be carried out amid the horrirs of a civil and a servile war! Sir, when I heard the sound of pacific notes coming from the Representatives of the State of South Ca- rolina, I felt disposed to congratulate myself — to congratulate the country — upon the certainty that 6 wo sliniild in loii'j;('r Ikuc ciiif^r t) fi .ir fnun Hint <|ii;ini|MUa':Ksii|iiiii \hr |icniiiiiiiiicc ofiliis Union, r.r.t. .sir, I nai.st ciml'i ss tlijit my I'onfiilrni'c wa.s ii link; sliakcn wlif n 1 luanl tliosc san\(' niinisti rs nf |iracc iVdiii ll,(; Sialc ul'Snutli Candina, in llu; vrry next hnalli, at'lcr |it(ai'iiini;- linniiiics npon |ifaf(', cDUii.sillin;; n.s ratini- in sacrifice ilic nalioiial riirlit.-^ Ilian lin/.anl the peace (if a " Cliihlidn iinijil," — tiinaten In |>iill llie \ ery |.i|iars of ilie ronstitiitinn ulnmi (lur ears, if. sonic iiiirtlicni fanatic, with nae- rile;;i(Uis liaiul, ilareil lint a|i|)roacli the pei-ii!iar suciiil ri;;iit.s (if ihe Hmilli 1 r>ni, sir, J return to the point fniiii whicli I have wandered. 'I'liis unusnal niianiinity i.f opinimi pri.vailiiii; (111 nil sides (if this Ilmisi-, Id wliiidi I have alhul d, seems to exliansl itself in thr tlis- cus.sion of the pn liniinary qneslions cdiinorted with this Oirfjdii Cdiitroversy. When it is pro- posed td j^'ive f(irin and hndy to onr (ipinidiis; when actidii is the nliject; when it is sdnL;ht to taki; the fir.st step in the maintenance, in the as- .sertidii, of thdse ■.••reat natinnal ri-hts, which all iidniit wo p(issess,aii(l wliii h iKine coiitr(n ert, sir, we are no loii^fr unaniinons! Tin; President of the United Stales, in performance of the duty wiiicli th(! Constiinlidii devolves upon him, lias unnoinKU'd to this House and the country that all iie;,'oiiation betwtjcn this Governmont and Cireat IJritain, on the Oreijon (inestidii, is at an end; thai, the last projidsition of ilie Ain(M'i('an neirotiator has been v.iihdrawn; and tli:!t the time has at loii'^lh arrived when our rii;lits nuist he main- tained or uhaiidoneii: and the whole .subject is sub- luilttd to ihe iinal uetiiai of C'on;.'-re.ss. IlespoiiNive to, and in compliance with, the Exe(;utive recom- mendation, the Commiitee on Foreign Alliiirs lia.s rej)orted to the IIousi; tin; joint resolution now under consideration, directing the President of the United Slates to '.^i\e the neci'ssary notice to the Govennneiit of (inai Britain for the termination of the convention of ]>18, in conformity with the provisions and stipulations of the convention it- self as extended and conthiued in forc(> by the treaty of 1627. No sooner does this pro])ositi(m iiiuke its appearance — a proposition, in my hum- ble jnd;L;iueni, with reference to the present ]io.-i- tion of the n latioiis df the two countries, and the peculiar condition oi" the ierrit(n'y in controversy, self-evident ill its policy and propriety — than it is met by a .stoi'm of op])ositiun: its advocates are denounced us the war |)arty, resolved at all haz- ards, and re^-ardless of consequences, to precijii- tate the country into an unequal and disastrous conflict with the i;reat master Power of modern Europe. iNay, sir, the passa^je of this resolution is })ronouncctl a dedaration of war! To use the laiii^aai^e of an hoiidraljlc member from Viri:;inia, [Mr. Pk\ulkton-,] it is war not only " inevitable, but immediate." True, sir. the cdlleac;ue of the honorable gentleman [Mr. Uavly] did not accord with this position; that honorable member pro- nouncing: it absurd to say or think that mere no- tice, of itselt", would be war or any caus(> of war; but contending;- that the measures with which it was proposed to follow up the notice would neces- sarily bring iibout hostilities between the two coun- tries. But ill that position, the correctness of which I ain not now cxaiuiiiinir, the honorable ((JBblc i:eni jclaratidii srrnileman diffi red friiin all who preceded or I fdllnwcd hiiii in this d( bate in op[<(i..iiion to mciisurc under consideration. Till' honnrahle -cntleman fvom Alfdianm [MS"^-'' '" "' that the ireamve nt si t the time of lO" "» "" :u!d|ition, avowedly a substitute tor war; and t!i'*'"*""'[' ''' its re|ieal now, in the manner proposed, winild jBlf a'"' "'i war itself I Sir, the honorable member is wlidr'^'"' ^>^""" mistaken in the objects and nature of llu; ne.:'**' "* Y" tiations which preceded and resulted in tlie tremf^l'"^'^" ," of ]."^1H. Those ncKotiatioiis were nndertaki i*''""y "' ' not for the purpdso of settlini,' the Oreiron (nicstiniO'i^*''!'"'."' but for the final di terminatinn of the adidiii ii'doi't'on' if houndar ■ III ll< 'll< ' I Lt> ri< ^t IlllVlllllli |l<'lll Y.wrr.vJ itssunn d tin; iidsitidii, proposet! to be abrogated was, tit tniadjusleil tU thi; treaty (|nestidns i< It open aiii (iheiit. Aiiidii:;' tlidse (iitestidns, the due mniinils ol'tli nil t;;entleman, to a successful termination. An"'" ""^ P'' K r, sir, w;is the final set'lemenl of tin; boundav'^'.^'y.; '" (iillicult of satisfactory adjushnent, the most ci ne^* "P"" barrassiiiir to the two Gov( rnnienis, was the she"''' "| ''' question, alluded to by the Imndrable i;(-ntlem;'P'^" ''''' from Massachnst Its, [:\Ir. Apams,] and whii'PO" ' "' w.'is alt( rwards conducted, under the auspices /OBsels, cit that th lielween Great IJritain and the TTnited Stat(;.s, of the llo'ky mountains. DuriiiL,' thosi! nei; lions, Great Pritain, for the firat lime, uncoven-'*^'^ '^^'"** " her pretensions of title on the northwest coas*^ '"/' *'^l basing them uiion fabulous voyai^es, and up'>^ tfdveii pretended juirchasi ^' from Indian chiefs south ,Bni^"" •'" the Cdlumbia river, tuitecedent to the Am( rici'^^'y *;'j'' Uevolution; which pretensions, absurd ,and u ho!!?'* '']' ''^' unfomuh'd as thcv were, she afierwards, in t!"" Govcri iBimilar l itjiries upon (I as iiicy were, she anerwards, m .. ne2;oliaii(nis of ]8:Jf! and H:27, abandoned, ar'*'^'''''' *' . placed the record of her title in tlui provisions i'"'' , , '"*^' the iVootka Sound convention, so often alluded i™'!!^'' ''•^,*^_ in this debate. The honorable member fnnu Al; ''"'.' ^"' bama [Mr. Yaxckv] can therefore find no found; tfe"^""^''" lion for his position in the character of the ne^^i jj*'"''. ^"\-'^' tiatidus (if 181S. I am, however, sir, aumcient!^rei2:n G< charitable to believe that the American nei^-otiator "*'"'-' ""' ? when tin y consented to admit the article in que.-®"'" '^'^'*^'' tion into the convention of 1818 in relation to tli "*'' to us Orei;on territory, were but illy infm-med of tli ■''= '" '"; extent and character of the rii^hts they were r^ """J"? "' j' dani^eriiii;' — of the empire they were perilling-, pttiliate tli iMt treating away ! That unfortunate article, sir sa^iT'"'^' lercd to creep into the provisions of that con\f;i. ™'''''^',^ ^* is the fruitful source of all the diflicultii » s"|.ler n ), for the last thirty years, have beset tl: «^^ V'''?" lion, whic ^)ath of the Oregon, and seem now, in the ojnnie "W"'^^' ^'} of gentlemen, about to endanger the peace of tl. ^""^i"*^'! world! But, sir, by what sjiecies of logic the pas ~^'' "'^^*1 sage of this resolution, Mhich will at once rcliev J^*^,\ |f^','^'^ us from this treaty incubus, can be made to ii> snme an oilensivc character, nay, to amount lu declaration of war itself, I am at a loss to coi, ]ireiiend. In antici|iation of that period which : was presumed would sooner or later arrive, wlu. the provisions of the treaty might no longer prov consistent with the rights and interests of the par ties, the (Convention itself was made to provide tl: means of its own df'termination. How then, sir can the mere exercise of an acknowledged riuL in coiiformity with an express treaty stipul.-itii'. in the very conventioii we jiropose to abrogale- tlie compact itself — the very thing and for the ver; purpose we have contracted, — how, sir, can su': a plahi, ordinary, inevitable, and aulicijKitcd cveu; falter t 1^0, sir. eeutivp di second to man who never sto olate upo dangers. of a ques But no \ liquidate How (lii Ami'ricai her from Vhat toi i)|il'<). Mioii ti) [VI III MICH il » I'M* 1' lllMl. JVO.Jlllniii-, m^^ I'-'.'i 1 ns an atliuittcd r.u't, every Kmiuiiciil dl" tlif isme lias straii^lilwiiy iinictrdtil KxinuiHchim- I) i>rf»(.i!o,| or li.ii' lort\irf'^ .straii^lilway I'oposcd, would isif aial llic Jloiist! witli cloiiiiciil, iiisinu'tivc, mid Oil iiilicr i.s w liojt tl'"- '^"'I't- 'i'"'' palliilic, lioiuilics iipuii llu; lior- 'iinrc of lilt; )ir-,(»rs of war and tin; licaiilics of iPtaci'I Sir, is tiic lilted ill tl;c trcaiWipii^fd step ho imn.siial niid tiiilicard-of in tlic were iiiidcrtiild .tttory of iiitcriiatioiial rt latioii.s, tliat tlitwi; iiiii^lily )( On ;ri,ii,|,|,.sti(i;Onsp('|uein'c.s ^lioidd necessarily resiill (Voiii its of the adjoin ihdfpfioii' Why, sir, in lh;24,weenlertdiiitontrealy ted at the in aty 'f lj"H'i*ic '^^''^^ inserted. Well, sir, what was the nisult? • northwest coaitAit the expiration of the ten years Ilussin notified • yaires, and uin.'''*' Governments ol" the United States and Great ehiels south .Britain tliat the treaty stipulation hud exiiired.and Ami rir;y«ry cavalierly ordered the vessels of hotli Pow- an to the ahsi'.rd anil whollCTSfdl" her coast. Neitiier our own nor the Crit irterwanls, in tl''^ Government undertook to complain, nor pre- uliandoiied ar:'*'^*!'''' '" ''^"l^ upon tliis summary proeecdin;^ of I tli(! jinn-isions i^'' Uussian Government as even uncourteous, [JO often alludeil imwch less to found upon it trrave cause of oll'ence ! iiiember from AL ■f''"' ^'''> '' ^''•-'"is, when Great Uritain is our an- ire find no found: **6""''^'' "" ^''f' ordinary rules whitdi have liereto- arter of the nei:i ^^^^ e:overned our international intercourse with ?r, sir, sufKeietuI ^"■'''Sn Governments, lose their application. We erican nei^mtiatoi- 'J*"' 't^' f"^''" move in the pe;u!eful prosecution of lie articlerin (lue.-OUr admitted riiihts — by a mode too, sir, j^niaran- in re];ition to tL *5*'l I" ">'' ''7 solemn treaty stijndalions; but we informed of tl. ^^ ^" '"' frii^htened from our jiropriety with ru- its they were c: niors of horrid war! Sir, arc we jirepared to re- were perillin", pl'diate that sjolden rule of the Republic — the only tunatearticle.'si ""'' ' ' "" ' ' IS of that C()nvi:i. ill the diffieiiltii ', have beset tl; iw,in the o]iini'i • the peace of tl. ^ of lo^-ic the pa.- ill at once reliev 1 bo made to ;\> , to amount to It a loss to coi, t peri(.d wiiich : Iter arrive, win, I no lon^'-er jirov erests of the par de to provide tl: How then, sir lowledtred rii;lii rcaty stipulalic se to abrogate- and for tlie v( r. w, sir, ran sii •: nticij)atcd cve.i: safe truide in the mana<;ementof our nlations with fbreij;n Powers — " To do nothiiii; lint what is right, t6 suH'er nothini; that is wron<^ r" Wli:it man, .sir, has forijotten that voice which, rini^nn;;!; triunpet- tened, thrilled every licart throuu:liout the land, atiiiouncin2: that I-Vance liad failed to com]>ly with Ker treaty stipulation, and refused to satisfy the j«Kt demands of the nation .' Sir, d. ' we hesitate S falter then in the assertion of the nation 's rights ? 0, sir. We voted ten millions to sustain the Ex- ecutive declaration, and that, too, a!_'ainsl a Power aecond to none in Europe. The iron-hearted old man who then ijuided the hdm of this l{e])ublic, never stopped to infjuirc into expediency — to sjicc- ulatc upon consequences — to tremble at imaijinary dampers. With him, sir, to be resolved of the n^-/j« of n question, was to lie vesolved of its exjiediencv. But no war followed. Well, sir, iS'aples failed to Kquidate the indemnities she liad as^n ed to pay. How did we netjouatc with her.- We sent an American tiigr.t I, imi. iter bay, and we talked to her from itsirun-de'^k. But no war followed. Sir, irhat tone did we assuaie towards Spain — Old Spain, iraiid even iii her decay, luncnificrnt even in her ruins.- I)id vse <'roiich :uid tremble then - Sir, we lesoUed to take milii.iry pMs.-.issii>n of t!ii Kloridiis; we voted millions of "the public, mom ys; we placed the military and naval power of the country at the dispo.sal of the Executive, to fidlow up and susiain the nation's rii^hts. But no war followed. Surely, sir, I need not pause to remind the House of onr (losiiion in tiie .Mexican ditlicul- ties. Jso black spectre of war could then allri^dit lis, or for a moment deter or ini|)ede our action in what we deemed the k%'iliiiKile prnseciitidii of our soveri'i^n rii^his. Sir, we lau;;lied to scorn the very idea of a Alexican war. But, sir, the question is not now with Mexico; we are called upon to act with reference to that same Power, which, from the commencement of our national career, has jiroved herself (jur most inveter.Ue foe! Ah, sir, how ( liaiii,'! d our atiiiude ! How fidleii our spirit ! We are admonished to pause, to count the conse- quences, to look ahe.ul, before we dare assert the iit;htsofour])eople — admitted, I'onventional ri:i;hts. We are reminded of the vast jiower of Eie,dand. and admonished of the dani^er we incur. Pu'iins are sum; to British pniwissand British nlory. Her immense stren^tli, her numenuis lleets and armies, are liaraded before the House and the country, ex- a^'uerated, painted in the mo.st terrilde color.:); whilst our own weakness, our want of preparatio;i, our unarmed and defenceless state, i.s dwelt upon and enforced with all the elo([uence nfpatriuticfiur! Sir, the lioiiorable member fnmi Alabama [Mr. Yakckv] exhausted himself in this crusade of the alariiii.sts. The honorable gentleman's iniagin;i- tion, confessedly brilliant, seemed U) task itself in predictions of inevitable defeat to the Americaii arms, in a cause admitted to be just. 1 know not if that honorable member has upon this occa- sion niiule his first essay in the art of vaticination: but, sir, I must be permitted to 3uy it was, at least, an ill exercise of his iiroidietic power.-s, to employ them in auguries of defeat and dishonor to the cause of his native Imid. But, sir, like most pro- jiliets, the honorable gentleman had no faith in his own predictions; for, before he dosed his speech, .so alarming in its commencement, the honorable member had forgotten his evil auguries, and d(- lighted the House with the pi ctic glories hereafter to crown American jirowess, in a contest to ensue from the juosecution of the very measures of which he avowed liims{:lf an advocate. I do not intend, sir, to be understood tis im- peaching the jtatriotism of the South. I deny — although the speeches of some of her Ile])rescnt- atives would seem to indicate it — that there is any dilFereiice of o)>inioii or of feeling between the South and the West, (u* the North, on this great American question. Sir, 1 believe that in the whole South — nay, even in South Camlina her- self — the masses of the people arc with us and with the country on tliis Oregon question. Politicians, sir, may doubt; but when the integrity of the national soil is the jioint at issue, tiiere can be no diiierence of opinion with the people. 1 distinguish between great southern poUlir'nins and the South. The jx'oiile are always right u|,'On great American questions. But, JMr. Chuirnuui, 1 admire the consistency 8 (if thrs(> honornJiIf cmtlrmrn, \vhr> insist th,\t tlif" [insHMirc (iflhiH ri'HdlidioM is ;i wiir iik Msnrc. neces- sarily Irndinfi; to involve tlio two cDimtrii s in loi- liHion; ami yet, stranLrc as if may aiipcar, aviw ilicinsclvcH llu; atlvdiatcs of the nniy ini:isinf sorrnii^ii'tij. We irranted Great I'rilaii the iiisiiiiint of Iradinir over, ot'usintr our territory ill I' nion with ourselves. Wv had the right i)r' for«! the li'eaty to build forts, to take measures li secure the posHcssion of our own territory, and wi I have that right still; subject only to the right ni trade, to the riiilit of naviiration, to tin; coininerciii ■ privile^res which we have by the treaty granted ii I Great Mriiain in comnKni wiih our own citizinis I and which she betVnv enjoyed by our silent aciiui- t esceui'c. 'J'he most stringent, the most luifavor I able c.i'istru.ii ni of the treaty wiaild merely limi! our right of seltli'inent to those |MPitioMs of the ter I ritory not nlrrailij (irtuiilty nccuiiied. This, sir, I conceive to be the true constniction of the conven- tion of if<\H. It was its admitted consiriictioii dii ling the nci^^otiations of 1H2(!. Mr. Gallatin states in one of iiis despatclw'S to this Government of tha; year, that the IJritish Mini.ster did not deny tin light of the American Ge of ofl'ence? Does any man jiretend to intimate that if this notice should be given from the other side, we should have any right to complain? No, sir. Gentlemen admit tha: the measure is right in itself; that we are liable in no just cnniiili'.int if we should do the very thiii); Great Britain has agreed we might do, and whicli she can at any time do herself, without the slight- est offence to us. And yet, sir, notwithstandin;; all this, we are called upon to abandon the nationai rights and leave our people unprotected, lest Grea; Britain should make a confessedly unjust aii(i causeless and outrageous war upon us! When, and where, and in what, is tliis tempor- izing and cowardly policy to end? Sir, I look upon the passage of this resolution not oidy n.^ having no tendency whatever to embroil the twi' countries, or disturb the peace of the world, bu! as the measure most eminently calculated to briii! this Oregon dispute to a final and a successfiii termination. How much longer do gentlemen propofc WI ■oni' of ii years has judgineiitH ■■ lliat so loll:: ncgotiaiioii be ^'tltled. ilig parlio UrniiiDUe k<'e|) the ( Veiitioll fa! sidiously ol wlldlf of Ol the operali- she has di lized the wl jX)ssession upon pap( 1 up and mat very privili you have Oliinion of cliusetts, |.'^ d\ic<>d ilsel what ho|ie sotiatiiui w It weakens the continu more of til irresistibly our very of] nruints of ti exclusive d tic an unoi demanding comiirdmisv. interests an ^rown u|) 1 re<'civc the Sir, if we minatioii, w or light abi arrive? W eminent ov- are violatin: treaty ! AV treaty by a' and we are war ! Gen unprepared propitious t When shall not to the s Sir, arinii Republic ! this republi of the lieart at stake, wl soil is in (^ii prepared, other prepa But, Mr. which has four weeks driven fron mere titnal !'tci\l is.«!uc ate of this iH i.s hound u every |insiti(ii n iliis (|iieMti(iri 'I to lie ihe lni< 1H|H. 1 Iddl, qilisitina, liut (i| (I \vn lost notii (ilie |iiiniel(', niiP |)nrtiele, el (I Greiil I'rilfiii iiir oi/r territory ml the rii^'lil Uv ike iiieaNiiri'S ti rritory, niid wi to tlie rii^lit (II llie commereiii eaty j^ianted ii r own citizmi.-i iiir silent a('(iiii- luiist ndf'ivor lid merely liinii lionsJ of the ter l. This, sir, I 1 of the convcu- iiii.siriietioii dii Gidiatiii stales, enunent rtftlia; d iiiit deny tin : to Imild turtfi, I try, and to di kiiiij; the exclu- mil of the Co- the date of tlu hvz the sound- jndi^rnicnt, will; iiidouhted rii:;li: (.'d hy the Pres- the notiee, Ik;- 5 luive the rii;lii sdie.tion of our forts, and semi I jirotection and !au.se the treaty heeau.se ourad- infj,and therehy ) our folh)wiii!.' us. Does any ;e of this reso- nce? Does any i notice should hould have any men admit tha; we arc liable tn I the very thinf do, and which hout the slij^ht- lotwithstandini- ion the nationni 'cted, lest Grea: lly unjust and 1 us! is this tempor- L' Sir, I look m not only ns ivibroil tlie twc the world, bu; ndated to briii; d a suceessfu; propose wo shall uit still, lioteninij to the sirni «inion of tiie honorable member from Massa- ciiusells, [Mr. WiMiiKiii',] the (|ucslion has re- diiecd itself to OIK! of mere line of hinindarti — what hopf: is there that siic will ever end a ne- gotiation which but strenu;thens her claim while It weakens ours I She asks nothing bctf r tiian the comimianee of this convention. In it u years more of this pnti'mled joint ocruiKincy, she will irresistibly plant you south of the Columbia! Sir, our very oilers of comiiromise have b(!come numi- meiits of title ! She commenced by claiming no exclusive dominion: a mere right to trade and set- tic an unoccupied territory; — she has ended by demanding near two-thirds the whole by way of coinjinnnisr ! — declaring that the valualile I'ritish int(!rests anil British ef^fab'i. 'inients, which have grown up by our ^jt'r»ii.v.si»/i, demand and shall receive the protection of the British Government! Sir, if we bring not this dispiite to a speedy ter- mination, we shall have nothing left to negotiate or light aliout. When will the time for action arrive? We attempt to organize a territorial gov- eriunent over tlie Oregon, and we are told that we eire violating the national faith, pledged in solemn treaty ! Well, sir, we attempt to terminate that treaty by availing ourselves of its own provisions, and we are told that our notiee is a declaration of Twur ! Gentlemen say that we arc weak ! we are j 1 unprepared to assert our ri<:hts ! Wait a innro propitious time! Sir, when shall we be str'^r.ger? When shall we be better prejiared ? The " battle is not to the strong alone, nor the race to the swift!" Sir, armies and flect.s are not the pniparalion of a Republic ! I want no other preparation for war in this republican Government than the preparation of the /iprtrt .' When great national interests are at stake, when the national honor and the national soil is in ([iiestion, the American people are itlivays prepared. A free Government can safely liave no other lu-eparation. But, Air. Chairman, I look upon this war cry which has been ringing in our ears for the last four weeks as pure humbug. We are not to 1," driven from the niaiutenauce of our rights by the mere tlircat of wiu-. I do not believe that the ereut is.«;ues of peace and of war hang upon the mte of this resolution. Sir, at length we fire free from the phnrkles of nrgofiation: and the Amrricnn (Jovenuiieiif has nnnounccd that the time hud at last arrived when our rit;hts must be niiiiiiaiiifd or iilianihiued. That issue had been presented to the Ann riean people; it had triivi lied across ihc Atlantic, and sprtad itself before the British juih- lie. The first returning echo, sir, has reailied us I aeroKs Ihe great dei ji. I hold in my 1. md an ex- tract from the fiiiardinn, a euinmereial paper of lii'.;h sta'.idiuir, published m England, from \\hich I read tiie following |iasHages: "Tlie ri'comniendalion to extend .Vnurican ju- ' ristticiion over Amerienn citizens in Oregon, is ' one to whii h no reasonable jei lion can be made 'by the British Government." 1 And again, sir: " With respect to the noticr- for ' terminatini,'' the joint occupancy of Ore2:on, we arc ' not sure that President Polk may not receive it j ' from the F'liiL'lish Ciovernment bi fore he can pos- 1 ' sibly be in a conilition to <;ive it himself. But I ' whether give ii liy the one side or the other, we do I ' not conceive that it will add materially, if at all, I ' to the chani'e of ii hostile collision. !t has been 'obvious enough for some time past, that unless I ' the rpiestinn can Uv amicably setllid in a very ' short period, say in twelve months at the latest, j ' hardly anything can prevent war; and, therefore, ' *a decisive' step like that of giving notice for jiut- ' ' ting an end to the subsistiiiir atrreenient, is rather . ' favorable than otlu'rwise. When both Goverii- ' incuts know that the ai rimtive is an arrange- ' ment in a year, or war, il\. will see that tliere is ; ' no time to be lost in nselt ss discussion, and will ' iirobably hit upon some coniproniise to which I I both can accede." I And how had tins peaceful '"it'iiiation been fol- lowed up? Why, sir. we tir. I ihat the bitterest anti-American paper publisli^ d beyond tlie ocean, the London Times, the ;icknowIe(li;c(l oriran of the British Secretary for Fo;-cign AITaiis, and, at the same time, the most virulent libeller of Anuu-ican character, openly, and at once recommends the British Government, regardless of all obstacles of ; mere ( tiquette, to accept the projiositlon made by Mr. Gallatin in 182(>, and then rejected liy that ' Government; n recommendation to accept, or rath- er to ju'opose to us, our most favorable ofier — the 4t)th parallel, with the free navigation of the Co- I lumbia river, Vancouver's Island, and the harbor of St. Juan de Fuca, as a prrHminavti oiler with which to renew the negotiations ! This, sir, is the first result of the firm, determined, and dignified ' position of our Government on this question. Docs I this look like a disposition to consider the passage ' of this resolution as a declaration of war ? Surely, i sir, the mild and peaceable complexion of theBrit- ' ish press ouL'ht to afibid a grateful relief to the ' terrorists of this House ! But, sir, these honorable gentlemen, resolved to see nothing in this measure but war, still most I eloquently appeal to our fears, to our interests, ' to our Christian feelings ! Let them for a mo- ; ment look to the other side of the picture: Are ! there no inducements bearing upon our adversa- ry — strong', omnipotent, though she may be — i which speak loudly for jieaec? Has she no intcr- [ ests at stake ; no fears to deter her from plunging '' needlessly and recklessly into a war, the result 10 of which no human foresight can foretell ? Sir, is Grcnt Britain prepared for war ? The very ele- ments which i;entleinen dwell upon as sustaining the fabric of 1ier colossal power, I look upon ns the elements of her weakness ! Her hundred colo- nies — her strong points, broadcast upon every sea and upon every land — arc but points of attack to be defended, to be protected. The combined ar- mies and navies of the world would scarce guard her mighty and extended empire. This vast array of power, which seemed so to terrify the imagina- tion of the honorable member from Virginia, [Mr. Hunter,] is but the array of he.- -.veaknessl Sir, is England prepared for war.' Her whole social system lieaving with the throes of approaching moral revolution; the sister kingdom upon the eve of violent outbreak, and waiting but the signal, the pretext of rebellion; overwhelmed with an un- paid and unpayable debt; pushed to the utmost verge of taxation; her starving population strug- gling for existence; dependent for the very means to put in motion her fleets and give vitality to her armies: who can tell the fate "of England, forced into a war in her present condition? Sir, I know that we must suffer, and suffer greatly, in such a contest. But it would be the check of a day. The resistless energies of this young nation would speed- ily recover from the shock. But who, sir, shall say that with England it would not be the struggle of national existence? She will hesitate long — will yield much — rather than hazard the issues of war. Sir, I tell the honorable member from South Caroli- na [Mr. Rhett] that his own State, and her sisters of the southern portion of this confederacy, hold in their own hands the great moral lever which controls . more than all other cjiusus, the peace of the world r The British workshop, sir, mans the British fleet, and gives life to the British army. There lies the great source, the citadel of her power. Cut off one week's supply of American cotton, and you shake the very foundations of the British empire ! No, sir, I fear no war with England on this Ore- gon cjucstion. I know the attempt to compare the strength of the two countries and speculate ujion the results of such a contest is idle. I seek neither to exaggerate nor detract from the power of Great Britain. I neither fear her prowess nor doubt our own. But, sir, while all agree that our title is in- disputable; that our rights are clear and must be maintained; yet it is insisted that our measures arc not calculated to secure the ends all have in view; that wc risk our own olijects by rash and imprudent counsels. And what is tlie alternative honorable gentlemen propose, by which, in their judgments, we may easily and with certainty ob- tain our object? Wait — sit still — do nothing.' The silent imperceptible oncration of emigration will inevitably secure us tne whole of Oregon without an effort! Wc have but to withhold all Ic-^isla- tion, all action; and the irresistible course of things will drive the British hunter and trapper before the overwhelming wave of American settlement. Sir, while sustaining this position, the honorable mem- ber from Alabama [Mr. Yancey] seemed to hixn- riate in the prosjiect of obtaining the whole of Oregon without a fight, by (he pleasant and agree- able mode alluded to by the honorable chuirmiui of the Committee on Foreign Affairs, [Mr. Imger-, ^jj^ ^ ^ SOI.L.] This is certainly the most extraordinary,.' . position which has been assumed in this debate , .•,' ■ What, sir ! that Great Britain will quietly sit still,, ^/j.^^'j^/ with folded arms, and permit us gradually and im a' ^1,^, perceptibly to steal from her that very territory tn -^ ^^^^ ^^^ obtain which she has for more than forty years,i.p ^^^^^ jjj exhausted every effort of the most consummate di-^jp \nieri( plomacy — every art of force, of fraud, and of per-*^r j^g^ jj^p suasion ! Sir, the scheme is stamped with fatuityo^yp^-i ^^.^■^ on it.s very face. their anx'ii This curious position, upon which honorable jjj^, j||^j.j^|j | gentlemen dwell with so much self grutulation j^ ' ^.j^.^^ would seem to hfivc its origin in the argument ":jyo[,^ Soui an honorable and distinguislied Senator from thtj^ ^^ ^' State of Massachusetts, [Mr. Choate,] who, irtUiio' the a the other end of this Capitol, upon a former occa fj^eirent sion, so eloquently contended that Great Britairj^,p^ ^j^ j did not desire Oregon for any other purpose thaijj-pjj.g ,,f as a mere himting ground; and that as the fi'r^rnoseof bearing animals l)ecame exhausted, the huntenjjjjj,(|,j'j.j^ ] and trappers of her Hudson Bay Company woulCjjjj,] distin retire with the game towards the Nortli Pole, anil^^^,,,; ^^^^ leave us in the quiet and peaceful possession of tluQ^po.,',,) j^_.^ country. Unhappily, sir, all this was but a beauti ^^^1^ ^^^^^ ful picture of the miagination. To indulge in suci jj^^ d'e!)ate anticipations, and to act upon them, would be ^' hiivdr(d^']i shut our eyes to the force of facts, to all history^^^,,, ,j.^„. and exjicrience of the operations of the Britisl^,,,^^,^'^,. ^.j. Government. In my judgment, sir, such a \^(^^^^"ian'nuall'u! amounts to nothing more nor less than the voluii djctcd. \ tary surrender forever of all claim to the territor}(;jj„.,,]j,^.^ ^ north of the Columbia river; stripped of all ro^^j,],, ^^,,(1 ^ mance and rhetorical flourish, the proposition, iic^u cnii"-r< the end, amounts to nothing else. j^jr rcfuse( Mr. Chairman, continue this falsely called eon gritnin tel vention of joint occupancy in operation anotht ij^ve rcfc term of ten years, and we shall not get the 49t!4gpi,.it ,-,f )mrallel of the honorable member from Virginia t final adj. [Mr. Bayly,] nor yet the 49| of the honorablio tpjl us't gentleman froni Indiana [Mr. Owen.] No, sir«io|„. coi your boundary will be the line of the Columbi;« (.]aim yi river. It is the inevitable, the irresistible result ciaH impaii such a )iolicy ! Let us look for a moment at tli'« Jn (jucsti( real condiiion of things. Under the cloak aniBj.ituiii to through the medium of her instrument, a mam gfie had | moth corporation clothed with sovereign powers- fony year the East India Company of the New World-estahlislni Great Britain has taken the exclusive posscssio.'ated by l!i of the Oregon territory. True to the designs < whiili she her far-.s-eemg policy, she lias planted her stroi!;gir, :\\u\ hci holds withintwo hundred miles of the great soui al of Irt i pass of the Rocky mountain?. But she does i: Has Gr sir, with the intention of making a merit of tl. or faltt.riii: suricndcr by way of compromirjC of the counlr siir! she soiitli of the Columbia river ! Did she not tell ye of her coi in 182G, when she proposed such a compromise, th, but up to t you had not a single American settler north of th; and inwa- river ? Sir, I reail from her statement made to th ' parts of American Minister during the negotiations of 1H2I' ' Can.ulas " Great Britain, on heV part, oflcrs to make tl; « United S ' river the boundary; each country retaining t! ' bank of the river contiguous to its own territoric: ^ ' and the navigation of it remaining forever frci umoli ovei ' and upon a footing of perfect equality to but ' nations. To carry- into effect this proposal, c 'our part. Great Britain would have to give r. whiili no j ' posts and settlements south of the Columbia; " has again ; tion Amei possissioi and opcne luni'i'ia ri\ 11 urs, [Mr. Inger-.^j^p ^^^^ ,,f ^1,^ United States, there could l)c no )S ex raorainary, fff[^,y^^(ii withdrawiiif,' from actual occupation, as II '" • .1^ •? .-n ' ifttrc is not, and nercr has been, a single ^Imtrican II quie y sit still. ^.,j.^„ ^^f^i^^j „„,.^,, ^^,^^ Columbia.^' gradually and ini- g;^^ jj,_^^ ^^,,,i,.,^ ^^.^^ j,^^ ^^^^ i„ jggg q^.^.^^ g,.;^, .very territory tn^^ ^^^^ ^.^j^Pi^ ^.^.j, ^^^^ ^^^.^ gjj,^jj po,jfi„^,(, (^ ^^ tlian forty years^jjp ^.^^^ ;„ jg^^; -p^ j,,j^ ^ . ^^.^ j^^^,^ ,^^j ^^ ^j^^, f consummate di-^j^ ,^,^^gripj^j, pi,;^^.^ i,^^^,^ ^^ the Columbia river, raud, and ot per-^l,^^ ,1,^ ho,ioral)le member from Indiana [INlr. iiped with latuityo,vp J,.] gt^^tej ^]^^ f^^ct, that the British comi-any, in ,. , , ,, tJlcir anxiety to prevent American settlement on which honorabl((j^,, ^^^.j^ ,^,^,,1^ ^^^^^^ Columbia, had even resorted sell gratulatioijjjj p[^^^g f^^jjjj, jj,,jp,,j^ ^j^^ honorable number the argument o;^^^^ South Carolina [Mr. Riiett) seemed to think senator trom tntjj ^ ^. pleasant and advantatreous mod(> of set- HOATE,] who, ir^u,,^ ji,p (iiflieulty on our part. )n a former occh- »f ,,^ gentleman from Indiana might have instanced at ureal iiritair^,^^ ,jnd far different methods, resorted to by the her purpose thar^gp^.g „f i,,^ j^^-^^-^^^ Govern-uent, to cllcct their thai as tne Jur p^^rpose of deterring American emiijration from the |5tetl, the huntenn^,.„,j,,.j^ ^,j^„j. ^f ^j^g Columbia. ^ An honorable Company woukand distinguished Senator [Dr. Lin'n] from Mis- iNortU f oie, aiu^^^y,,;^ ^^^^ ,.,^ more, whose eflbrts in the cause of possession of tli»Qr(.p.,„j j,„^.p endeared his memory to the North- was but a Deauti^j.^.,^ ,(j^,(;d f,.^^,^.j jjjj, pi;ire in the "Senate, durini?; ,0 indulge in sue! tjje debate of 184.3, thai up to 1829 more than Jii-e \ lem, would be ^< hiivdrtiLlmrrican settlers Iwdbecn slain bij British In- ' ^ef\ p"^v']«*iio"S iccanng British blankets and cairyinir British ! IS ot the Liritist^^^^/,^,,,. „,„, ^;,„, ,/,^ ,j,p,.^. ^yj,,^,/, „.„, still rroin/r on \ sir, such a polic)fl„,,,,,„^/y / I'l,,^ statement has never been contra- ' is than the voluiijijetcd. Will the honorable member from South i 11 to the territor;Ch,„ii„a also look upon this as a pleasant, a-rec- | rippea ot all ro able, and advantaireous process of chcckin;;Ameri- ' e proposiUon, iica,i emigration? 'Well, sir, the United States hav- ' , „j ing refused to accede to this proposal, which. Great I falsely called con Britain tells us, in the same document to which I ■ ic , a , she proceeds | operation anotlu'iiaYc referred, was "a sacrifice tendered in tl not get the 4Jt.iupi,.it of accommodation, anu for llie .sake of "/'■"•^/"•g^";'; 'final adjustment of all differences," she procecoo of the honorabl'to tell us that her offer of compromise was " not "r^"*i'^ „ , ' ^'J'lobe con.sidered as in any desjree rccosrnisin"- a of the Columbi;. claim upon the i)art of the United Stairs^or as at esistible result vt^\\ impairing her existing rights over the territory a moment at tlM'in ,,uestion;" and that it only remained for Great :r the cloak anigfitaiii to maintain and uphold her rishts, whicli itrument, amaniahe had peaceably exercised for a period of near vemgn powers- fori y yf;ars; that valuable Ilritish interests and le New World-estii!)iishnients had grown up in the couiUry, cre- lusive posscssioiate.l by l!ritish indiistrv and Kriti^h eiueriirise, lo ^0 the designs cwhi.'li she owed and would j,nve piotectinn. Well, lanted her stroihgir, :iik1 how has she carried nut this disiinct avow- nf the great soui.al of her iiueniions? But she docs i; Has Grual Ihitriin evinced the slightest yieldina: g a merit of tl, or faltering, fur a momeiu, in her purposes? No^ e of the counlrsit! she has extended hrr laws and the jurisdiction d she not tell yo of her courts over not only the Oregon tcrritorv, a compromise, th,: but up to the very confnios ot" Arkansas, Missouri, jttler north of th: and iiiwa— over •■ all Indian territories and (itlier ;ment made to th- ' parts of N(irlh Anurica not ineliRied wiil.i.i the foliations of 18:3(: ' Can.i.ias. nor within any civil i^i veinnieiii of the fl'ers to make tl; « Unitrd States;" nut exce, •ting from their op(^ra- i itry retaining tl; lion xYnierican citizer.s. .She has taker, military i ts own territorie.- possessi(Ui of the country; her ihiii' floats in tri'- I ling forever frer umuh over her stronghokls. She lias built houses \ e-iuality to hot! and ojiened up farms. She lias est;. blished the Co- ins propo.sal, e lunibia ri\er as the line, the fartlie.sl limit, beyond J have to give v: whii'h no American settler shall jilant hlniK If. She | he Columbia; ": has again and again rtjecied and repudiated all ofllrs ' of compromise short of an unconditional accept- ance of her propositions ! In the face of all this, sir, how can gentlemen hope that time will weaken England and strengthen us ? That England, '.'-hose grand scheme of policy is to belt the world with her colonies, the great elements of her commer- cial and manufacturing power! England, whose unsatisfied and unsalisnable avarice af\er territory i3 as insatiable as death ! England, whom the hon- orable gentleman from Virginia [Mr. Ekdikger] denounces as " bloody and jiiratical !" England, ready and resolved, as these gentlemen tell us, to consider the simple exercise upon our part of a right guarantied to us by solemn convention, to which she is herself a party, as a declaration of war ! That such a Power, sir, should meekly and quietly, and with smiling acquiescence, loo.se her grasp upon a territory, and surrender to us a posi- tion which is to secure her the commerce of the Pacific and ensure the sole command of the In- dian ocean ! Sir, can any proposition be more absurd ? But, sir, the advocates of this doctrine seem re- solved that nothing shall be wanting to render the whole scheme more perfei i ly fatuitous. The insid- ious design, stripped of all concealment, has been openly proclaimed. It has passed from this Hall to the public prints, and already is on its way over the ocean, on the wings of the wind and of steam, to spread itself liefore the British Parliament, and find its way to the tables of the British Cabinet. And with this development of their policy, gentle- men fondly trust that the British Government, with that magnanimity and disinterestedness for which she is ho remarkable , relinquishing her lonjr- cherishcd policy, will kindly co-operate in our pur- poses ! But, sir, unfortunately for this plan. Great Biitain has not left us any room for doubt upon the subject of her intentions with regard to the Oregon territory. She has given us record evi- dence of her designs. In February, 1837, the Hudson's Bay Company ap]ilied to the British Government for a renewal cf the lease under which they Jiold the sovereignty of the northwest coast. In this applicatiiui are spread out the grounds upon which the company rely, as commending their pe- tition to the favorable consideration of tiie Home Governnienl. Among other statements, sir, I find the following: "With care and protectidu, the Britisli dfuninion ' may not only be preserved in this country, which ' it has been so much the wish of Russia and Amer- ' ica to occupy, to the exclusion of Briti^h subjects, ' but !h-itish interest and British influence may be ' in;i;ntaineil as paranuinnt on this interesting part ' of the ceiast of . Paiufic." Again, sir, in the same year, the agent of the company writes: "The possession of ih;>t country (Oreiron) to ' Great Brittiin may become an object of very ^'reat ' iinporlani'e: and we are slrcnstlnning their claim ' to it hij fimning the nucleus of a iotunij, through ' the establishment of firms and the settleineiit of ' some of our retiring olHecrs and servants as agri- ' culturi^l'^.'" Sir, such arguments were ii-resistiblc to ilie British Guveriniuui. The request of the com- 12 pany was at once granted, and the Secretary for the Colonies, in his reply, tells the company, " that ' it will be indispensaole to introduce into the new ' charter such conditions as may enable her Ma- ' jesty to grant, for tiie purpose of settlement and ' colonization, any of the lands comprised in it." In conformity with this announcement ftiom the Tiriiish Secretary for Colonial Affairs, the British Vjovernment have expressly reserved the right to se^de and colonize any portion of the territory within her grant to the company, and to repeal the charter as to those portions which should be so colonized. Here it is, as contained in the charter of the company : •' Provided, nevertheless, and we do hereby de- ' clare our pleasure to be. That nothing herein con- ' tained shall extend or be construed to prevent ' the establishment by us, our heirs, or successors, ' within the territories aforesaid, or any of them, ' of any colony or colonies, province or provinces, ' or for annexmg any part of the aforesaid territo- ' ries to any existing colony or colonies to us in ' right of our imperial crown belonging, or (or con- ' stituting any such form of civil government as ' to us may seem meet, within any such colony or ' colonies, or provinces. And we do hereby re- ' serve to us, our heirs and successors, full power ' and authority to revoke these presents, or any ' part thereof, in so far as the same may embrace ' or extend to any of the territories aforesaid, which , may hereafter be comprised within any colony or ' colonies, province or provinces, as aforesaid." Here, sir, we find distinctly shadowed out the policy of Great Britain in relation to the Oregon territory. It is her clear and manifest intention to secure, by permanent agricultural settlement in this territory, another of those salient points, by which, in her vast designs, she hopes to control the com- merce and business of the world ! In ftirtherance of this policy, by an express pro- vision in the contracts of the Hudson Bay Compa- ny with their employees, the company bind them- selves to give to each, upon the termination of his service, a grant of land in the territory; thereby strengthening the British claim, by establishing agricultural settlements, which are to form the ^'nucleus of a colony.'^ By the aid of the Puget Sound Company, which has been alluded to by the honorable member from Indiana, [Mr. Owen, these settlements have been extended and enlarged and are already rapidly growing in value and ini portance. A profitable trade in lumber is growinj up between these British colonists and the Sand wich islands, and they are already annually sup plying the Russian settlements with large quanti ties of wheat and all the great provision staples Sir, are we to shut our eyes to all these facts ! An we to continue to slumber and refuse to listen ti the truth — to feed the fancy with false and idli hopes ! Is not the policy and designs of En^lam painted upon her acts in characters of living light What is tliere, in this prospect, to encourage tin vain hope with which gentlemen amuse us, thii the British power is about to retire before thi American settler, and that our ears are soon tr catch the sound of the axe of thu American wood chopper north of the Columbia, whilst the distaii notes of the retiring hunter's horn fast die awa) towards the frozen north .' Tliese are but dreams and no practical mind can be deceived by suci arguments, if arguments they can be called. No sir. Our policy is plain; our course straightfor ward. It is my deliberate belief that the notio is the first essential step to bring this controvers} to a speedy and successful termination, and thii. end this interminable delay which is fast stealing away our rights. Sir, it is no longer a question of title; it is a quejs tiou of action; it is a question of possession. I we mean not to abandon our rights, we must act- speedily and efficiently. My course would be tin same, if I entertained the same opinion the honor able member from Virginia [Mr. Bayly] seemcc to entertain, that our title was limited to the forty ninth paiallel. Sir, if we own one inch upon 'in northwest coast, I desire to hold that inch free fron all partnership. In this way only can we hope ii realize that beautiful dream of our imaginations- when the American flag, planted upon the summi of the Rocky mountains, shall embrace within it broad protecting folds our common country — "ai ocean-bound Republic. " If war must come in tlh prosecution of our just and unquestionable righu< then, sir, let it come ' I ' ■ ! I I ■ ' : i-\:y. ; •v\.'i\ :'•>■. riV" ^'u. ItJJi sen alluded to bj ina, [Mr. Owen, idedand enlarged in value and ini umber is growinj sts and the Sand idy annually sup vith large quanti provision staples these facts ! An efuse to listen t( ith false and idir 3signR of Englaiii 3rs of living light , to encourage tlit a amuse us, thiv retire before thi ears are soon tc American wood whilst the distan )rn fast die awa) e are but dreams leceived by sucl n be called. No ourse straightfor f that the notici i; this controvers} ination, and thin ;h is fast stealiiii f title; it is aquee )f possession. 1 ts, we must act— urse would be th( pinion the honor •. Bayly] seemec nited to the forty one inch upon tin hat inch free froii y can we hope ti ur imaginations- upon the summi mbrace within ii. on country — "at • must come in tli' lestionuble right.'^ ■■■."it-'"'- ■' ■* -".■' ^