Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/206

 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE

196

had Mr. Pakenham received expected instructions from

government

To

his

in time. 2

Francis

W.

Pickens 3 he wrote in the same strain



"I fear

Mr. Polk has taken a false view of that important question. The remarks of the inaugural in reference to it, have made it impossible to settle

it

by negotiation, unless he

"I

my

retracts, or ex-

." away what he has said. saw the danger, and endeavored to guard Mr.

plains

first

.

.

interview, against

it



but as

it

seems

in vain.

Polk, in I,

also,

endeavored to guard Mr. Buchanan, but I know not whether with more success. A war with England about Oregon would be the most fatal step, that can be taken and yet there is great danger that it will come to that. In my opinion, if prevented, it must be by the Senate and the South. The question might have been successfully managed. I saw my way clearly ." through it, and left it in a good way. It is fairly clear that Calhoun never thought that any presi;

.

dential candidate

when he had won

.

the campaign and had been

inaugurated would ever take seriously the literal words of a campaign slogan. Such was the view of the Democracy of the South and of the North for the most part only in the West, and there were exceptions there, was Polk expected to

Thomas Benton said that 54 40' was adopted as a "campaign message" and the framers of the platform knew little of the geographical situation or of former

adhere to the plank.

treaties

and negotiations. 4

The bulk

of the

Democracy

in the

House

of Representatives, however, appeared to be convinced that Folk's words meant what all believed to be the literal

meaning of the platform, and this view was strengthened when his first Annual Message outlined what he had done in the summer of 1845 and apparently reiterated his determination never to surrender a foot of Oregon. The Whigs, too, understood him in the same way and did; their best to show that this meant war with Great Britain. 2 22_May, 1845, Correspondence, 656. to J

showed that his views were shared by many of 4 Thirty Years' View, II. 677.

his political friends.