THE FEDERAL RELATIONS
OF OREGON
217
since that line had been offered in July of "The truth is," says Polk, "Mr. McLane's language in his New York address was susceptible of being misinterpreted, and that has given rise to the whole controversy. The Whig
the basis of 49 1845.
press has seized
made
it
upon
it
for political capital,
and
(this)
has
necessary to set forth in the Democratic the true state
of affairs." 39
Among
other things
said in his address, "Havofficial position at that time of
McLane had
ing some knowledge from my the policy and object of the Convention of 1827, I am quite persuaded that its main design was to lead in a future partition of the territory, to the recognition of
our claim to the
country not north, but south of the 49th parallel, and between that and the Columbia River." When Richard Rush saw his statement in print he wrote the acting Secretary of State Trist view was all new to him, for he held that Adams'
to say that this
view of the
title
was the same
as he
the previous winter, to 54 40'. comment on the course of Polk
had maintained
in
Congress
Then Rush proceeded
to
"For one, I am unshaken in the belief that it was the President's opening message to the first Congress he met, on the second of December last, that produced the settlement of the
Oregon difficulty. It was like a great bumb-shell thrown into the British Cabinet. It took them by surprise, and first aroused them to the unavoidable necessity of a settlement. I thought when it appeared that it would lead to war, so bold was it, 40 though every word was just; whereas it lead [sic] to peace."
Toward
the very end of his Administration (16 February, is found in Polk's Diary one more reference to
1849) there
Oregon. Howell Cobb and John H. Lumpkin, Representatives in Congress from Georgia, had called on the President and in the course of the conversation Oregon and Polk's relation to it were mentioned. Lumpkin told of a conversation he had had with Allen who said, in reply to a his course with
39 Polk, Diary, I, 313, 317, 37-7 (30 Mar.. 3 and 18 April.) 40 Diary, II, 136, 139, 167-8, 173-3, for this McLane episode and the newtpayer controversy.