LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE

174

minister, although the President did not at first approve the notion, that in all probability if the British government should make a proposition for settling the Oregon told the

American

controversy the President would submit it to the Senate for advice. This hint was but one of those which, in the months

manner

which the negotiaWashington was the scene of action, with Pakenham and Buchanan the principals; quite as much, however, did the negotiation take place in London between Lord Aberdeen and Mr. McLane. The formal exchanges occurred in America; the real dickering was done in England. Buchanan's communications, both to Pakenham and to McLane, were always supervised and sometimes dictated by the President those to the minister in London afforded the

that followed, revealed the true tion

was being conducted

in

ostensibly

material for the campaign which finally brought the compro-

mise

offer.

On

the twenty-third of December McLane's hint that a new proposal for arbitration might soon be expected was received by Buchanan. It was discussed at length by the President and

and all agreed that arbitration could not be accepted, but Polk refused to allow the Secretary of State to tell Pakenham that a new proposition on which to base negotiations would be respectfully considered; this would mean that the United States had taken the first step, and Polk was

his Cabinet

determined that Great Britain should move definitely that

if

ports on the sea

first.

He

did say

Pakenham should offer the United States free and on the Straits of Fuca north of 49 degrees

he would confidentially consult three or four Senators from different parts of the country and might submit such a proposal to the Senate.

So

difficult

did

himself to the President's view as to

Buchanan find it to bring what constituted a proper

Pakenham's probable overture him what he should write 3 reply to

that Polk dictated to

"I would refer

him

to the correspondence

and your

last

note

3 In part the difficulty Polk had with Buchanan was due to the latter's disappointment about an appointment in Pennsylvania; he thought the President was using his patronage in such a way as to hurt him in his own state. Diary, I,

134-6, 143-7.