LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE
196
had Mr. Pakenham received expected instructions from
government
To
his
in time. 2
Francis
W.
Pickens 3 he wrote in the same strain
"I fear
Mr. Polk has taken a false view of that important question. The remarks of the inaugural in reference to it, have made it impossible to settle
it
by negotiation, unless he
"I
my
retracts, or ex-
." away what he has said. saw the danger, and endeavored to guard Mr.
plains
first
.
.
interview, against
it
but as
it
seems
in vain.
Polk, in I,
also,
endeavored to guard Mr. Buchanan, but I know not whether with more success. A war with England about Oregon would be the most fatal step, that can be taken and yet there is great danger that it will come to that. In my opinion, if prevented, it must be by the Senate and the South. The question might have been successfully managed. I saw my way clearly ." through it, and left it in a good way. It is fairly clear that Calhoun never thought that any presi;
.
dential candidate
when he had won
.
the campaign and had been
inaugurated would ever take seriously the literal words of a campaign slogan. Such was the view of the Democracy of the South and of the North for the most part only in the West, and there were exceptions there, was Polk expected to
Thomas Benton said that 54 40' was adopted as a "campaign message" and the framers of the platform knew little of the geographical situation or of former
adhere to the plank.
treaties
and negotiations. 4
The bulk
of the
Democracy
in the
House
of Representatives, however, appeared to be convinced that Folk's words meant what all believed to be the literal
meaning of the platform, and this view was strengthened when his first Annual Message outlined what he had done in the summer of 1845 and apparently reiterated his determination never to surrender a foot of Oregon. The Whigs, too, understood him in the same way and did; their best to show that this meant war with Great Britain. 2 22_May, 1845, Correspondence, 656. to J
showed that his views were shared by many of 4 Thirty Years' View, II. 677.
his political friends.
