Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/197

 THE FEDERAL RELATIONS

OF OREGON

187

Walker and Marcy agreed with Polk in thinking it would, and they, together with Bancroft and Johnson, said offer should go to the Senate. Buchanan was still in doubt; pired;

friends of 54 degrees 40 minutes were such good friends of the administration that he wished no backing out on the propo-

This volte-face on the part of the Secretary of State angered the President, although he records that he remained

sition.

calm, and caused him to explain that submission of a proposition was in line with the Annual Message, as well as in

accord with the acts of former presidents. Thereupon Buchanan said he would advise submission but declined to prepare the it. Privately the other members of the to the Cabinet spoke President expressing their astonishment at the course of Buchanan, and he explained it in this way

message to accompany



"My impression that Mr. Buchanan intends now to shun all responsibility for the submission of the British proposition to the Senate, but still he may wish it done without his agency, so that if the 54 40' men shall complain, he may be able to say that my message submitting it did not receive his sanction. I shall be disappointed if any message which can be drawn will receive his assent. He will choose to dissent and is

it is condemned he will escape all In his responsibility. dispatches to Mr. McLane I have more than once, & in the presence of the Cabinet, caused paragraphs to be struck out yielding as I thought too much to Great Britain, and now it is most strange that he should suddenly, and without assignment of any reason, take the opposite extreme, and talk as he did yesterday of 'backing out from 54 40'."

if

A

second time Buchanan was requested to draw up the message and refused, saying he would have no agency in its preparation; he also doubted if any of his own or McLane's dispatches ought to be sent to the Senate, which Polk explained to himself on the ground that

Buchanan had formerly

He was, however, diswith Folk's draft of a message and finally drew one up himself, but neither the President nor the rest of the Cabinet thought it was suitable, while Bancroft reminded his colleague

urged 49

and

this

would be shown.

satisfied

that he

had himself said a month ago "the

title

of the United