Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/195

 THE FEDERAL RELATIONS

OF OREGON

185

Allen went so far as to propose to Cass that they take steps to convert the Congressional Globe into a daily and, under Blair and Rives, make it a new Democratic organ. Both Polk

and Cass, who grasped the situation more clearly than the Ohio Senator, saw that this would only split the party more since the proposed sheet would probably be a Van Buren and Wright paper and its first issue would be taken as the beginning of the next presidential campaign.

Allen did not press the topic

was dropped. Throughout the country

and

it

as a whole, except in parts of the of was looked upon as a virtual the the notice West, passage settlement of the Oregon Question, for they were few who

would refuse to consider a which in some compromise way was going to be proposed. Editorial advice was not wanting. For example the Charleston Mercury from the stronghold of Calhoun said, 27 believed that then the President

"We repeat that we are glad the matter is now in the hands of the President, with the wishes and views of Congress and the people clearly expressed we sincerely hope that he will not allow any mere notion of form or etiquette to prevent him from at once acting on England for the settlement of the boundary at 49. If we were to choose for ourselves we would rather be the party to make the offer of 49 one from the other side."

than to receive

Confidence that there would be no further hitch in settlement received a severe blow when the Mexican situation was brought before Congress and that body was stampeded into a declaration of war.

Calhoun,

who

tried to prevent the Presi-

dent's sending any message on the subject, feared that it would affect the European relations and arrest or possibly defeat the

of the Oregon Question. There would be, he a incentive for powerful thought, England and perhaps France Yet at the same time Buchanan was to get into the contest. 28

settlement

speaking "publicly and confidently of a settlement at 49" adding that this would not have been obtained if

and

27 Quoted in Niles* Register, 16 May. 28 See letters to T. C. Clemson, 12 and 14 May, to Correspondence of Calhoun, 690, 692-4.

J.

E. Calhoun, 29

May,