OREGON TERRITORY: CONVENTIONS OF 1818 AND 1828: JOINT OCCUPATION:
ATTEMPTED NOTICE TO TERMINATE IT.
These conventions provided for the joint occupation of the countries
respectively claimed by Great Britain and the United States on
the north-west coast of America--that of 1818 limiting the joint
occupancy to ten years--that of 1828 extending it indefinitely
until either of the two powers should give notice to the other of
a desire to terminate it. Such agreements are often made when it
is found difficult to agree upon the duration of any particular
privilege, or duty. They are seductive to the negotiators because
they postpone an inconvenient question: they are consolatory to
each party, because each says to itself it can get rid of the
obligation when it pleases--a consolation always delusive to one of
the parties: for the one that has the advantage always resists the
notice, and long baffles it, and often through menaces to consider
it as an unfriendly proceeding. On the other hand, the party to
whom it is disadvantageous often sees danger in change; and if the
notice is to be given in a legislative body, there will always be a
large per centum of easy temperaments who are desirous of avoiding
questions, putting off difficulties, and suffering the evils they
have in preference of flying to those they know not: and in this
way these temporary agreements, to be terminated on the notice of
either party, generally continue longer than either party dreamed of
when they were made. So it was with this Oregon joint occupancy.
The first was for ten years: not being able to agree upon ten years
more, the usual delusive resource was fallen upon: and, under the
second joint occupation had already continued in operation fourteen
years. Western members of Congress now took up the subject, and
moved the Senate to advise the government to give the notice. Mr.
Semple, senator from Illinois, proposed the motion: it was debated
many days--resisted by many speakers: and finally defeated. It was
first resisted as discourteous to Great Britain--then as offensive
to her--then as cause of war on her side--finally, as actual war
on our side--and even as a conspiracy to make war. This latter
accusation was so seriously urged as to call out a serious answer
from one of the senators friendly to the notice, not so much in
exculpation of himself, as that of a friend at whom the imputation
was levelled. In this sense, Mr. Breese, of Illinois, stood up, and
said:
"His friend on the left (Mr. Benton) was accused of being at the
head of a conspiracy, having no other object than the involving
us in a war with Great Britain; and it was said with equal
truth that his lever for moving the different elements was the
northern boundary question. What foundation was there for so
grave an accusation? None other than that he had fearlessly,
from the beginning, resisted every encroachment, come from what
quarter it might. He had stemmed the tide of British influence,
if any such there was--he had rendered great and imperishable
services to the West, and the West was grateful to him--he had
watched her interests from the cradle; and now, when arrived
at maturity, and able to take care of herself, he boldly stood
forth her advocate. If devotion to his country, then, made him a
conspirator, he was indeed guilty."
Upon all this talk of war the commercial interest became seriously
alarmed, and looked upon the delivery of the notice as the signal
for a disastrous depression in our foreign trade. In a word, the
general uneasiness became so great that there was no chance for
doing what we had a right to do, what the safety of our territory
required us to do, and without the right to do which the convention
of 1828 could not have been concluded. The motion for the notice was
defeated by a vote of 28 against 18. The yeas were:
"YEAS--Messrs. Allen, Atchison, Atherton, Bagby, Benton,
Breese, Buchanan, Colquitt, Fairfield, Fulton, Hannegan, King,
Semple, Sevier, Sturgeon, Walker, Woodbury, and Wright--18."
"NAYS--Messrs. Archer, Barrow, Bates, Bayard, Berrien, Choate,
Clayton, Crittenden, Dayton, Evans, Foster, Haywood, Huger,
Huntington, Jarnagin, Johnson, McDuffie, Mangum, Merrick,
Miller, Morehead, Phelps, Rives, Simmons, Tallmadge, Upham,
White, and Woodbridge--28."