The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 1, No. 3, September, 1900Oregon Historical Society
History
The quarterly of the Oregon Historical Society, Vol. 1, No. 3, September, 1900
Oregon Historical Society
Oregon -- History -- Periodicals
of territory south of the forty-second parallel would compensate for the
loss of Oregon north of the Columbia, while the northern and southern
sections would be reconciled to the treaty by the large acquisition it
secured north and south, respectively, of parallel thirty-six.
The plan of the administration included a special mission to England, on
which it was expected Mr. Webster should be sent, that he might be the
better able to negotiate the treaty; and, failing this, a mission to
China, to which Mr. Everett, then Minister to England, should be
transferred, thus still accomplishing the desired end by allowing Mr.
Webster to take his place in London. The mission to England failed in
committee; the mission to China passed in congress, but failed to carry
Mr. Webster to England, through Mr. Everett’s unwillingness to accept
the China mission. With his failure to reach England at this time, Mr.
Webster’s hope of being able to effect a settlement of the questions
pending between the two governments died; this having been his main
reason for remaining in President Tyler’s cabinet, his resignation
shortly followed. And thus, with Mr. Webster’s resignation from the
cabinet, passed forever all danger of a settlement of the Oregon
boundary on a line below the forty-ninth parallel.
There were causes operating to produce this result which do not appear
in this narrative. Even if the mission to England had succeeded, and Mr.
Webster had effected the tripartite treaty as he desired, it is doubtful
if it would have been accepted by the senate. Events were occurring
contemporaneously with the movement of these measures that rendered it
probable that the treaty, if made, would have failed of confirmation.
Certain it is that the early spring of that year found the President
less disposed to press for the settlement of the Oregon boundary
contemplated in this scheme, and with less reason to expect the approval
of congress or the country in any such settlement. Events had been
rapidly making such a settlement impossible. A notable one, the great
emigration of 1843, has already been mentioned. There were others
precedent to this.
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