Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/288

 LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE the fact that he resisted the importunities of Buchanan and others in his Cabinet to secure all or a much larger portion of Mexico than he did, for this would have disturbed the bal-

ance as seriously in favor of the South and so equally have threatened disunion.

The letter written by Buchanan, to which Polk referred, was entrusted to Shively. 15 It noted the failure of the territorial

bill

but pointed to the encouragement to be derived in the House in its favor, and contended

from the large vote

that this foretold a successful issue at the next session.

The

disposition of the United States was, moreover, seen in the passage of an act extending postal facilities to the people of

Oregon, as well as of riflemen.

The

in that of the last session for a

regiment

demands against proof that Oregon

steadiness with which the

Great Britain has been maintained was also would never be abandoned. Good use was made during the summer and autumn of 1847 of the blazing issues raised by the Mexican war and the prospective increase in territory for the United States. In the North the principles of the Wilmot Proviso received approval and ten States, through their legislatures, formally endorsed the proposition, 16 while some of these went further and insisted that no new States should be admitted unless slavery should be prohibited. Oregon was swallowed up in the greater issue of slavery and its extension. An interesting, although not important, comment on the position Oregon was assuming even

West

afforded by a one-time ardent pro-Oregon, After pub54-40-or-Fight paper, the Missouri Republican. lishing a letter from L. W. Boggs once governor of Missouri, on the route to Oregon and California, the Republican said 17 in the

is

?



"We

give place to his instructions not because

we

desire

to be understood as recommending any man to go either If we were asked our to California or Oregon

advice in this matter

we would

tell

any man who has any-

Works

of James Buchanan, VII, 258-60; 29 March, 1847. Ohio, New Hampshire and Vermont Register, 18 Sept.

15 1 6 to admission with slavery. 1 7 Quoted in Niles Register,

6

Nov.,

1847.

were

opposed