Page:Oregon Historical Quarterly volume 13.djvu/256

 248 WILLIAM BARLOW and "54-40-or-fight" was what made him president. But he did not carry out his "54-40-or-fight," either. I voted for Clay, myself being 22 years old in 1844, though I never regretted Folk's election as Clay had never committed himself on the boundary question. Father always said, Clay would have had 54-40 and would not have had to fight either. Of course, Canada and British Columbia should belong to the United States by natural boundaries. I have always thought it strange, that we did not exact it at the close of the last war with Great Britain. In fact, we had virtually taken Canada. Had whipped England at Plattsburg and on Lake Erie and could have taken Quebec from the rear without any trouble. But the Briton had sued for peace and always were the shrewd- est diplomats. We never, never valued the North Pole as much as they did. But now with Alaska, we would have the whole North American continent except Mexico. This acquisition without Mexico would be worth to us more than all Asia and Africa put together ; in fact, we do not want those countries, all of them or any of them. Even the Sandwich Islands are detri- mental to us and we are going to have trouble about them some day. The delegates selected to our Congress will try to seat the old Kanaka squaw on the throne. Of course that will not be done. But just as we are now, we are the greatest and most powerful nation on the globe. But expansion was Spain's downfall and it will be the fate of England some day and who knows how it will affect America ? Now, I will commence back with father in 1836 at Bridge- port, Indiana, ten miles west of Indianapolis. My father was owner and proprietor of the little town situated in a densely timbered country. There were five boys and two girls of us, all growing up fast. We were making a good backwood's living, by making at home everything we ate, drank and wore. But to stay there and wear ourselves out in that white oak timber and on land not very productive, even when it was got in culti- vation, was more than the old folks thought they could stand. Hearing there was land already cleared in Illinois, the adjoin- ing state, and having a fair offer as they thought for their In-