Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 23.djvu/265



THE OREGON QUESTION 1818-1828 217

From now on the House had indulged itself in a species of believe play, emasculating the bill a little bit at a time, but now its final intentions could hardly be in doubt.

After Mr. Weems' lachrymose plea that some "last dernier [sic] refuge" be saved to the "poor illiterate in- habitants of the wilderness," the amendment which would have provided for the Louisiana company was negatived. On the heels of this an amendment was pro- posed to leave to the President's discretion, instead of requiring him, to establish posts, and to provide for ex- ploration.

At this final mangling of the bill, Floyd rose to make a last speech in its support. It is long and tinged with bitterness. He said himself to be "really at a loss to account for the peculiar objections made. The principal one was an incessant reiteration of the cry, 'What will England think ?' . . . What was it to them what Eng- land thought, or whether she condescended to think at all about the matter?" He charged that the opposition from Bates had its origin in a jealous fear that St. Louis would be injured in its commercial interests. 44 He closed with the warning that they should be cautious in receiv- ing the testimony of individuals engaged in the pursuits connected with the Oregon country for many of them were employed by the Hudson's Bay Company or agents of private associations who might fear disturbance of their establishments."

Bates retorts in a manner as bitter, but his words are worth giving, an interesting example of dramatic irony:

"The gentleman from Virginia has so long and so zealously dwelt upon this subject that he seems to have arrived at the conclusion that nothing is wanting but a little aid from the government to make this river of his adoption a great channel of North American commerce and the establishment at its mouth the great entrepot of Eastern and Western intercourse. . . . Let the gov- ernment put forth all its strength and pour out all its

44 P. 150.