Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 2.djvu/214

198, February 19, 1844.

In the senate there was a smart brush between the uJtras on the extreme right and extreme left of the chamber touching the Oregon territory.

Mr. Archer, chairman of the Committee on Foreign Relations, introduced a bill to purchase fifteen hundred copies, at $2.00 each, of Greenhowe's History of the Oregon, California, etc. (a new work, yet in the press. ) Colonel Benton took the bull by the horns and rushed upon it in two-handed style, introducing the new negotiation and all sorts of things to make thunder. Archer parried off, and withdrew an obnoxious clause of the bill, which proposed distributing a copy of the book to each member of congress. This did not pacify the colonel, who declared "war to the knife" against the new negotiation (Mr. Pakenham's), and gave notice in advance that not an inch of the territory should be given up. The subject was at last superseded by the tariff debate being called for.

, February 26, 1844.

The Oregon resolution, giving notice of an intention to annul the article relating to the joint occupation by the people of this government and that of England of that territory, came up as the special order of the day. Mr. Dayton of New Jersey, made a long and eloquent speech against the resolution. He defended, with great force, the character of the citizens of New England from some insinuations against their courage, which fell from the senator from Missouri, Mr. Benton. The following is an extract from Mr. Dayton's speech:

"New England had been taunted as ready to sacrifice herself to her fears. Did the senator forget her history? Had he thought so much about Black Hawk as to forget King Philip? Could he have forgotten that the first, the freest, blood of the Revolution had flowed from the hearts of men of New England. That it was a sailor of Nantucket who had written on the walls of Tripoli these immortal words: 'Millions for defense, but not a cent for tribute.' Or that, later still, it was the same people who had manned those fleets which upheld the freedom of the seas.

"The sun never shone upon a people less likely to take counsel from their fears. They were ready, ever ready, by land or by sea; all they asked was a cause in which they might safely invoke the blessing of Heaven. Is this a people derelict to honor, surrendering their interests to their fears? Who would listen to the tale? But, more; who was it that must fight that battle for Oregon, which gentlemen were so eager to provoke? That self-same people. That battle was to be