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About Oregon free press. (Oregon City [Or.]) 1848-1848 | View Entire Issue (June 24, 1848)
OREGON FREE PRESS. FOIl TUB VOL. I.) WEEK ENDING SATURDAY, JUNE 24, 1848. (NO. 12. "Here shall the Press the people's rights maintain, Unawed by influence, and unbribed by gain." (From our Exlra of Wednesday Evening.) NEWS FROM THE UNITED STATE?. By the arrival of the II. I). Co's bark Cowlitz, from the Islands, iuc have intelligence from the United Slates to the 5th of March last, which we condense from the Polynesian. The venerable John Quincy Adams died at Washing ton on the 23d of February, in the 81st year of his age. The melancholy intelligence was announced in a spe cial communication from the President: the Executive offices were put in mourning and all public business suspended for two days. A treaty of peace had been negotiated with Mexico which it was presumed would be ratified by the Sen ale with some modifications. A military convention, Tor the provisional suspension of hostilities between the United States and Mexico, was signed at the city of Mexico on the 5lh of March. The substance of the treaty, which we gather from letter writers, defines the boundary between the two republics: the line commencing in the gulf of Mexico, three leagues from land, to run up the middle of the Rio Grande to its intersection with the southern boun dary of New Mexico ; thence north until it intersects the first branch of the Gila; thence down the middle of that branch of the river to the Colorado; thence it fol lows the division between the Upper and Lower Cali fornia to the Pacific, which it strikes one league south of San Diego. In consideration of this cession of ter ritory on the part of Mexico, the United Stales govern ment binds itself to pay Mexico fifteen millions of dol lars. All claims of American citizens against Mexico arc lobe assumed by the United Slates. A bill has passed the House of Representatives, au thorizing a government loan of sixteen millions of dol lars. This measure gives flic administration the neces sary means of continuing the war, if they think best. The trial of Lieut. Col. Fremont had been concluded : the court martial finding him guilty, and sentencing him to be dismissed. The President had approved the sentence, but remitted the punishment. Col. Fremont had sent in his resignation. The Democratic convention was to have been held at Harrisburgh on the 4lli of March, and it uas believed Mr. Buchanan would bo nominated for the Presidency. The National Whir convention was to have been held at Philadelphia on the 7lh of this month. The nomi nation for President lies between nenryClay and Gen. Taylor In consequence of the number of candidates on botli sides, it is thought that there will be no elec tion by the people. No one particularly prominent for Vice President. From the city of Mexico, uo have news to the 20th or March. Gcnoral Scott had been arraigned before a court of Inquiry, on charges preferred by Gen. Worth. Those charges were unknown. From the records of the court, says the Polynesian, it appears that General Scott had preferred charges against Gen. Worth, Gen. Pillow, and Col. Duncan and Gen. Worth had at the same time preferred charges against Scott. The Proi. dent had pre-acquitled Gen. Worth, and fie refused to prosecute hischaigcs against Scott on the ground that the President had done him ample justice. Santa Ana is still lurking in the country, although it is said he had applied for a passport. He is opposed to the treaty of peace, and is supported by Gen. Pare des, Ex-President of Mexico. It was thought that San ta Ana merely applied for a passport to blind the Amer ican authorities, in order that he might the belter car ry out his plans against the peace party. Contracts have been made for five steamers: three to run from New York to navana and thenloChagres, bearing a mail: two others from Panama to Oregon. The N. Y. Tribune says that Col. Sherburne, bearer of despatches to the American Legation at London, takes out a proposition or plan for the final adjustment with the London stockholders of the State debts, which amount to upwards of one hundred and fifty millions of dollars. During the navigable season of 1847, 98, 105 emigrants had arrived at Montreal, 5,293 died on the way, and 8,072 died in the hospitals after their ar rival. We make the following extract from the President's Message, which is all that refers to Oregon: The attention of Congress was invited, at their last and the preceding session, to the importance of estab lishing a territorial government over our possessions in Oregon, and it is to be regretted that there was no legislation upon the subject. Our citizens who inhab it that distant region of country are still left without the protection of our laws, or any regularly organized government. Before the question of limits and boun daries of the territory of Oregon was definitely settled, from the necessity of their condition, the inhabitants had established a temporary government of their own. Besides the want of legal authority for continuing the government, it is wholly inadequate to protect them in their rights of person and properly, or to secure to them Ihe enjoyment of the privileges" of other citizens, to which they are entitled under the constitution of the United States. They should have the right of suffrage, be represented in a territorial legislature, and by a del egate in Congress, and possess all the rights and privi leges which citizens of other portions of the territories of the United Slates have heretofore enjoyed, or may now enjoy. The preservation of peace with the Indian tribes re siding west of the Rocky mountains will render it pro per that authority should be given by law for the ap pointment or an adequate number of Indian Agents to reside among them. I recommend that a surveyor general's office be es tablished in that territory, arid that the public lands bo surveyed and brought into market at an early period. I recommend, also, that grants upon liberal terms, of limited Quantities of the public lands be made to all cit izens of the United Stales who have emigrated, or who may hereafter within a prescribed period, emigrate to Oregon, and settle upon them. These Hardy and ad venturous citizens, who have encountered the dangers and privations of a long and toilsome journey, and have at length found an abiding place for themselves and their families upon the utmost verge of our wes tern limits, should be secured in the homes which tbey have improved by their labor. 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