Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly vol. 20.pdf/79

 FEDERAL RELATIONS OF OREGON

71

Apparently it had taken for it provoked applause both from the Senate and from the galleries. The 54 40' men feared that the President had deserted them and Hannegan, greatly excited, asked

him the same day whether Haywood had been

Polk replied that no one spoke ex were delighted with to went the President to tell him and many Haywood's speech him that of Alabama told Lewis and Florida Yulee of so. answer utterbe an to the warlike to people took the speech had to before this whom ances of Allen, they supposed speak for him, but

speaking cathedra for him.

The

conciliation forces

for the Administration on 'account of the warlike tone of the

Polk mildly remarked that he did not consider the Message warlike and if the notice were to be passed by a decided majority, as had been the case in the House, he was Message.

sure peace would continue. "I venture the remark in reference to the feverish excitement of members of the Senate/' wrote Polk in his Diary, "on the question of Notice on the Oregon question, that it all proceeds from the ambitious aspirations of certain leading members of that body. For example, Mr. Calhoun probably thought by opposing the Notice at the early part of the session, he would best advance his views upon the Presidency, by placing himself at the head of the peace party in the country. He now finds his mistake and is struggling to extricate himself Mr. Allen, on the other from his embarrassment .

.

.

hand, will bear no compromise under any circumstances, and would probably prefer war to peace, because it might subserve his ambitious views. Mr. Cass takes the same view that Mr. Allen does, as probably his best chance of reaching the Presidency, and therefore he acts with Mr. Allen, but is not so ultra or ardent. Col. Benton feels that he has lost cast(e) with

and

tions of the

and

Democracy on the Texas

dissatisfied with his position.

Democratic party

I

question, and feels sore

In the midst of these facam left without any certain

support in Congress, especially in the Senate. Each leader looks to his own advancement more than he does 23 to the success of my measures." reliable

General Cass had a reputation as a fire-eater. At 23. Polk, Diary, I, 264-5. one time in the debate he arose and announced that he would speak to one "Inevitable war?" asked Haywood. No, he was not going to make only. a war speech, but before he ended he had advocated an increase of the army and navy and had invoked, in respect to Oregon, the "inevitable destiny." "Yes," said Webster, "war is inevitable."

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