Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/65

 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

57

Another contemporary observer, William Grason, summed up the situation in this way, after Congress had been in ses2 sion about a month

"...

As

far as I can learn, from conversation with different classes, there appears to be no definite opinion formed, among the people who control the elections, respect-

ing the extent of our claim to the Oregon territory. There is a general feeling of excitement, because they think the question is approaching a crisis, and is likely to be attended with serious consequences. I have seen but two men who are I have seen in favor of a war for any part beyond 49. others, however, who think we can recover more by claiming

and making speeches to that effect. My opinion is, that, bring on a war, by contending for more than we have offered to take, the party that brings it about will have very Unless we were victorious in little to do in making peace. every quarter, and we could not expect to be so at first, Mr. Polk would be succeeded by Mr. Clay or some other Whig, the majorities in the two houses would be reversed; and after establishing a national bank and extending the privileges of all kinds (of) corporations, our Whig rulers would take the Columbia as the dividing line, and justify themselves to the people on the ground that we had been precipitated into the all if

we

necessity or preparation. John Q. Adams, who for all of Oregon, and, in the event of war, is for driving the British to the North Pole, would insist that he had warned the nation of the consequences and other Whigs, who assert our extreme rights, would say that they were never opposed to a war for the maintenance of these rights, but that they never could approve of the measures of men who were incompetent to their stations. The Democrats them-

war without is

now



who

are generally engaged in agricultural pursuits, or labor, would find double taxes and no markets, and at the same time, witness volunteers marching to Canada, and war steamers entering our harbours. If, in the mean time they saw we had lost Texas without taking possession of Oregon, they would not become much attached to the theoretical doctrine of not suffering any European power to interfere in the affairs of the American continent." selves,

who

live

by their

Briefly then the party alignment 2

Grason

to

Van Buren,

10 Jan.,

1846,

may

be

summed up

Van Bur en Papers,

Vol. 53.

in this