The daily intelligencer. [volume] (Seattle, Wash. Territory [i.e. Wash.]) 1876-1881, 1880-08-28
MD DIR. WHITMAN SAVE
OREGON

This esestion Xss- Prsnces PslIeI
Victor asks in the August nuDbsr Of
tie Californian. and then proceeds q
answer negatively. II her statement.
are % Re relied upon. sbs upsets fht
n.ny ,rssty articles hitherto cosaPosed
OF this suiJecs. snd will doab;isss pro-
yoke from their authors storm Of rsbat.
tai and d. nuncia,icn. II this matter STE
ray.
That . private citizsn like Dr Whit.
man should have had any influence in
determining questions shSt had o.ffi-d
ths skill Of ths greatest dipiomatist.
ssr over bali . century. II not suscepti
bI. Il belief. He couid say nothing
they did not slresdy know; and Is T.
the folly said to have been coptem
plated BY Mr. Webster. OF trading OF
Oregon for cod fishery is will Be
sren by the treaties qnotej, that the
fishery question had been settled, - it
was supposed. 'foesvss,' by the conven-
ton Of 1878 II wss, however. brought
up .cain in 1852, after the Oregon
boundary was settled, in order to force
the United States into . reciprocity
treaty with the British Provinces, " hen
the Uni:ed States secured greater priv.
iIeges ON the fishing grounds than they
had b fore enjoyed; but which it 10
nov said they are again in danger Of
losing.
So much for the origin and purpose
OF the Ashbafton treaty. But there
still remains the romantic. though
unfortunately foundstienless. story Of
DIR Whitman's visit TO Washington
with . political porpose. DR. Whitman
left tue Csyuss country on business
connected with his mission early in
October, lS42. and performed tsdieus
and remarkable winies journey to the
States The treaty be 10 said to have
Influenced WAS signed before he left
Oregon, and be arrived Ut his destins.
ton in the following spring. after Lord
Ashborten had rstosDed TO England.
and sbout the time Mr. Webster retired
from the Cabinet Il President Tyler.
He may have seen the great statesman.
snd may have given h,m his opinion
II the Oregon country; bat his doing
30 could not Affect . treaty that was
slrsady made. nor one ttst was to be
made, several yrars after, by different
plenipotentisriss. Both Great Britain
and the Uaiisd States knew the value
Of the Oregon territory, aud that Vas
" by 10 Was 50 difficpit for them to
cowc TO . settlement. Immediately
sitter the Ashburton treaty, the nego
ti.tions concerning the 'Oregsn Cues
ton we're transferred II London, and
there remained until 1874. when they
were reirHnsferred to Washington.
Polk. who was q candidate for the
Presidency. made the Oregon boundary
the principal issue on which he was
elected. 1t was Polk who set goios
the cry OF Fifty four forty or fight
90 popular st ono time. Nevertheless.
he very cheerfnily signed the Oregon
treaty Of June Is. 13s6, which made
the forty ninth parallel the northern
boundary u the United States, west a.
we'll 80 cas-! of the Rocky Mountains.
As in the case OF the Ashburton treaty.
both governments were glad to be rid
OF the controversy without . war.
Perhaps DO similar question was ever
clothed with the real romance that has
clang IN and coiorsd the Oregon Cues
ton. IL less needs the adventurous
aids Of invention thsa any mo.isrn
history.