Page:History vs. the Whitman saved Oregon story.djvu/33

Rh declarations in 1864-5 to 1882 that the route to Oregon was deemed impracticable for wagons as late as 1843, he omits to quote from Spalding's letter of September 20, 1836 (published in the Missionary Herald, October, 1837, and giving an account of the overland journey of the Spalding-Whitman party, in 1836), the following: "We drove a wagon to Snake Fort" (i. e., Fort Boise) "and could have driven it through but for the fatigue of our animals. We expect to get it at some future time."

Before March 1, 1843, in presidential messages, or in instructions to diplomats negotiating with England or Russia about Oregon, or in other executive papers, or in correspondence which has been in print for fifteen to fifty years past, or in reports of negotiations on Oregon, or in debates in Congress, or in reports of congressional committees, the following statesmen are on record as holding that Oregon was of great value to the United States, and could be easily occupied by us, while it was practically impossible (as the world then, was) for any European power to people it, and that our title was unquestionable at least as far north as 49 degrees, and that we should insist on not accepting any line south of 49 degrees as the north boundary of Oregon, viz.:

Ten men who have been presidents, Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Jackson, Van Buren, Tyler, Polk, Pierce and Buchanan; also Calhoun and King, vice-presidents (as had been also Jefferson and Van Buren); also Webster, Clay, Everett, Forsyth, secretaries of state (as had been also Jefferson, Madison, Monroe, J. Q. Adams, Van Buren, Calhoun, Livingston and Buchanan); Gallatin, R. Rush, Livingston and Everett, ministers to England (as were also. J. Q. Adams, Van Buren and Buchanan); also Middleton, Cambreling and Ingersoll, ministers to Russia, and Archer, Baylies, Benton, Berrien, Lewis Cass, Rufus Choate, Caleb Cushing, John J. Crittenden, Drayton, Floyd, John Reed of Massachusetts ("the life member"), Reynolds, Rives, Sevier, Tappan, J. W. Taylor of New York, R. J. Walker, Woodbury and many others of lesser note, while not a single authentic sentence has ever been produced from any man of importance enough ever to have been president or vice-president, or minister to England or Russia, or secretary of state, or even a senator for as much as one full term, which expressed any doubt of our title to all of Oregon south of 49 degrees, or which intimated that we would surrender anything to Great Britain south of 49 degrees.

It is true that Tyler had, to use his own words, "a dream of policy never embodied," about selling that part of the present state of Washington north and west of the Columbia River to England for a good round sum; but this wholly impossible