390 Documents. the treaty itself? But, sir, the Senator from Virginia is opposed to interfering with the President in any new negotiations which may be in prospect. My opinion is just the reverse: 1 am in favor of expressing an opinion in advance. I wish to indicate now to the President that we cannot agree to any treaty which shall provide for a joint occupation, or which shall allow any other nation to have any jurisdiction or control whatever over the soil of the Oregon. Are we to sit here with our arms folded, and wait until a treaty is made, and then reject it? Have we no power, or no right, to advise the President what course, in our opinion, should be pursued? I think this is the best mode of treating on any subject. The Presi- dent himself should ask the advice of the Senate before a treaty is concluded. The Senate should advise first, and after it is signed then consent to the treaty. Advice and consent are both necessary on the part of the Senate. In this case, I am not sure that our advice is, or will be, obligatory on the President. He may or may not give the notice, even should this resolution pass: but it will be a strong indication, and will scarcely be entirely neglected by the President. We have the right, however, to act on the subject, whether our action is regarded or disregarded. We have recently, I think, entertained a similar resolution — I mean that introduced by the honorable Senator from Ohio [Mr. Allen] — and I am per- suaded that if that resolution had been in Executive session, it would have passed the Senate. I have another reason for passing this resolution. I have not the most unlimited confidence in negoti- ations, as the best mode of securing our rights; we have frequently been outrageously cheated in negotiations. We have surrendered our territory by negotiations in the Southwest and in the West, with regard to our line with Mexico. All the country watered by the Rio del Norte was ours before we surrendered it; and the thirty-fourth degree of North latitude to the Pacific ocean should have been our boundary with Mexico. We have surrendered terri- tory in the Northeast, and in the North, to Great Britain; and, sir, I want to see no more surrendered. For this reason I am a little afraid of negotiations, and I am not willing to let any other go on to a final termination without first giving some opinion as to what should be done, or, in other words, advising the President what to do. Had the honorable Senator from Virginia [Mr. Archer] not made this motion to refer the resolution, with the avowed object of delay, I should not have said anything on the subject; and it is not my intention at present to occupy the time of the Senate longer than will be necessary merely to explain the reasons which induced me to introduce the resolution now under consideration.
