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 THE FEDERAL RELATIONS

OF OREGON

217

since that line had been offered in July of "The truth is," says Polk, "Mr. McLane's language in his New York address was susceptible of being misinterpreted, and that has given rise to the whole controversy. The Whig

the basis of 49 1845.

press has seized

made

it

upon

it

for political capital,

and

(this)

has

necessary to set forth in the Democratic the true state

of affairs." 39

Among

other things

said in his address, "Havofficial position at that time of

McLane had

ing some knowledge from my the policy and object of the Convention of 1827, I am quite persuaded that its main design was to lead in a future partition of the territory, to the recognition of

our claim to the

country not north, but south of the 49th parallel, and between that and the Columbia River." When Richard Rush saw his statement in print he wrote the acting Secretary of State Trist view was all new to him, for he held that Adams'

to say that this

view of the

title

was the same

as he

the previous winter, to 54 40'. comment on the course of Polk

had maintained

in

Congress

Then Rush proceeded

to



"For one, I am unshaken in the belief that it was the President's opening message to the first Congress he met, on the second of December last, that produced the settlement of the

Oregon difficulty. It was like a great bumb-shell thrown into the British Cabinet. It took them by surprise, and first aroused them to the unavoidable necessity of a settlement. I thought when it appeared that it would lead to war, so bold was it, 40 though every word was just; whereas it lead [sic] to peace."

Toward

the very end of his Administration (16 February, is found in Polk's Diary one more reference to

1849) there

Oregon. Howell Cobb and John H. Lumpkin, Representatives in Congress from Georgia, had called on the President and in the course of the conversation Oregon and Polk's relation to it were mentioned. Lumpkin told of a conversation he had had with Allen who said, in reply to a his course with

39 Polk, Diary, I, 313, 317, 37-7 (30 Mar.. 3 and 18 April.) 40 Diary, II, 136, 139, 167-8, 173-3, for this McLane episode and the newtpayer controversy.