Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 16.djvu/403



ADMISSION OF OREGON 375

If, then, there is a great gain to the Confederacy, is it not also better for the people of Oregon themselves that she should be admitted into the Union ? Is it better that they should remain under the tuition of this Federal Government a non- resident government or that they should govern themselves? Why, sir, to contend against the advantages of self-govern- ment would seem to me unsuited to this place, and not to comport well with the history of this Republic ; for the origin of this nation was a protest against a non-resident govern- ment, and our history should be. For one, sir, I have no faith in that kind of government being exercised over Anglo-Saxons anywhere, and least of all have I faith in that kind of gov- ernment being exercised by Republics anywhere; and, there- fore, to relieve a portion of our people from what I consider a curse the curse of a non-resident domination I will cheer- fully vote for the admission of Oregon.

Sir, this non-resident control is a relic as it was an invention of ancient tyranny. It has come down from the history of the old Romans, who had proconsuls in Judea, in Spain, in Gaul, in Germany, and in Britain; and England has copied their example, and sent Governors and Governor Generals to India, and to this continent also. But we protested successfully against that kind of government by the war of the Revolu- tion; and I look forward to the time when every portion of our national domain shall be free from it ; when we shall have no provincial dependencies whatever; when we shall have nothing but a combination of equal and sovereign republics. Then, sir, we may bring the duties of this Government to a position where they will be, as was well said last session by the gentleman from Alabama (Mr. Curry) : "Few and simple, ' as they should be.

It is in accordance with this view that I shall oppose anything that leads to complications that shall multiply or extend our provincial dependencies.

I shall oppose all protectorates over foreign countries; all military occupations and military usurpations; all annexation