TOPICS OF THE DAY.
PRESIDENT TYLER'S MESSAGE.
THE message of President TYLER is more highly spiced with the commonplaces of devotional phraseology than any previous mes- sage of any previous President. It begins with an exhortation to prayer and praise, a sermon is introduced about the middle of it, apropos of the war between Mexico and Texas; and it concludes by declaring that Mr. TYLER succeeded to the Presidential office "under a visitation of Divine Providence." . It is indeed alleged by a good many American citizens, that his Presidency has some- what resembled what in Coroner's Inquest language is called a "visitation of Providence."
A spontaneous and natural allusion to the Divine protection is
graceful and dignified on the part of a ruler communicating with citizens placed for the time under his guidance ; but the unction of the conventicle is too prominent in Mr. TYLER'S effusions—they are too laboured to be spontaneous. And it happens unfortunately— as tending to countenance prejudices long entertained respecting men of more than average religious profession—that this, the most pious of Presidential messages, is also the most charac- terized by a low tone of morality. - The tone in which the Oregon territory is spoken of, is such as the most hardened of European diplomatists could scarcely venture to use to each other in confidential privacy. According to Mr. Trrle, the United States would be restrained " by principles of honour" from setting up a demand for territory which does not belong to them. And in the same paragraph, after mentioning that " our Minister at London has, under instructions, again brought to the consideration of the British Government" the subject of the Oregon territory, with a view "to adjust the matter upon terms mutually satisfactory to both countries," Mr. TYLER
adds—" It is proper to remark, that many of our citizens are either already established in the territory, or are on their way thither for the purpose of forming permanent settlements, while others are preparing to follow ; and, in view of these facts, I must repeat the recommendation contained in previous messages for the establish- ment of military posts, at such places on the line of travel as will furnish security and protection to our hardy adventurers against hostile Indians inhabiting those extensive regions." In the same breath, the President tells the Legislature that the rival claims of England and the United States are a subject of negotiation at Lon- don, and that, hearing some Americans are preparing to take pos- session of the disputed territory, he advises them as a matter of prudence to go in military array. It is not against the Indians, but against the British subjects settled on the Columbia river, and as far North as the Russian frontier, that these " military posts" are meant to operate. The Chief Magistrate of the United States unblushingly tells his countrymen, in the hearing of the whole world, to seize the opportunity, while he is amusing the British Government with mock negotiations, and occupy the disputed territory with an armed force.
The folly of imagining that the British Government will nego- tiate while hostile operations are thus threatened, is even greater than the dishonesty of the advice. The bad faith implied by such a recommendation is scarcely greater than that of the simple claim to the West coast of America as far North as 540 40'. When Great Britain acknowledged the independence of the North Ame- rican Union, Congress accepted the Mississippi as its Western boundary. The purchase of Louisiana was the first transaction that gave to the Union an inch of land West of the Mississippi. The purchase of Louisiana from France could not entitle the Union to more than France claimed, and France never claimed any terri- tory West of the Rocky Mountains. Spain, when it gave up its territorial claims North of 42°, could only give up its own claims, not those of Great Britain : that treaty is only good against Spain. The same holds true of the alleged treaty with Russia—if any such treaty exist. Russia claims no land on the West coast of America to the South of 54° 40'; and Spain none to the North of 40°: but treaties between these Powers and the United States, to which Great Britain is not a party, cannot affect British claims. The claim founded on the alleged discovery of the Columbia river by Captain GREY, a citizen of the United States, is untenable. GREY did not discover it ; the river had been discovered and laid down on Spanish maps long before. Besides, it does not appear that GREY took possession ; nor is a mere merchant-adventurer capable of taking possession in the name of a government. Possession was taken by COOK, who com- manded a King's ship, before GREY'S visit; and again by Vericou- yea, while surveying, at the time GREY was off the coast. The only shadow of claim which the United States can urge rests upon the expedition of Lams and CLARKE, and the attempted settlement of Armor!. Even that claim is neither strong nor indisputable, though it might be admitted for the sake of a speedy and amicable arrangement ; and, at all events, it gives to the Americans nothing to the North of the route pursued by Lewis and CLARKE. On the other hand, Great Britain has always claimed from the Atlantic to the Pacific and has strengthened this claim by the discovery-ex- peditions of COOK and MACKENZIE ; by the formal taking possession of Coox and VANCOUVER; by the survey of VANCOUVER; and by the settlements of the Hudson's Bay and North-western Com- panies, from the time of MACKENZIE'S expedition down to the time of ASTOR'S baffled (and by the Government of the United States uncountenanced, unprotected) attempt to form a settlement on the South bank of the estuary of the Columbia. The dishonest effrontery of this territorial assumption is in kW' lag with the shabby cunning that conceals allusion to the " repu- diation " of certain States, and its unpleasant consequence—lost credit—in reassurances that the credit of "the General Govern- talent" revives, with the boast that the said Government has been able to borrow seven millions of dollars. But even seven millions of dollars will go but a short way to defray the expense of taking and retaining military possession of Oregon. American credit is not yet so fully restored as to allow the Union to laugh at the prediction of the Reverend SYDNEY SMITH, that it could not draw the sword because it could not borrow a guinea ; and the manner in which Mr. TYLER speaks about Texas and Oregon is not likely to mend matters.
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