Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/71

 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

63

in opposition twenty-one were from the North and from the rest Tennessee, Kentucky and Georgia, with one Whether each from Ohio, Maryland and South Carolina. Kentucky and Tennessee are called southern or western (they

the

Whigs

are ranked as western in the table above) the opposing pull of Little light is shed by the the South and West is revealed. classification in free and slave States, and it would appear that this issue did not figure had in the debate.

mere

largely in the vote than

it

While the proceedings in the House of Representatives aroused more or less comment there had been little doubt of the result, hence people looked to the Senate's action with much keener interest, for the decisive action would be there.

The Senate, however, had not pushed the matter while the House debate was carried on; the more cautious Senators wished to await both the action of the House and possible of the negotiation. Webster, one of the moderate 8 "As to Oregon, the bill a the situation wrote propos Whigs, It will pass however, in a very diluted will pass the House. results



?

state,

with sundry objectionable provisions struck out.

This whole proceeding

is

in opposition to the

of the President and Mr. Calhoun.

The

fact

.

.

.

known wishes

is,

a majority of

House

the

and

of Representatives appear to be rash, headstrong, uninformed men, and men who cannot comprehend the

delicacy

and importance of the subject, with which they

meddle." Senator Allen of Ohio, one of the staunchest of Oregon men, had seen the President's Message before it had been sent to

Congress,

9

and had "heartily approved"

its

tone on the

Oregon Question. He opened the campaign in the Senate in the middle of December by introducing a resolution advising 10 Resolutions for the President to give notice "forthwith." the same end were introduced by Hannegan of Indiana, who 8 Webster to Haven, 2 Feb., 1846; Private Correspondence of Webster, II, 216. See also Webster to N. Appleton, 20 Jan., and to F. Webster, 27 Jan., Van Tyne, Letters of Daniel Webster, 306-7. 9 Pblk, Diary, I, 108. 10 Globe, XV, 76, 182-3.