Daily inter mountain. [volume] (Butte, Mont.) 1881-1901, 1900-09-26
THE OREGON

-
To the Inhabitants Of the great north
west, a consideration Of the diplomatic
problems involved in the settlement or
the boundary line may always be sup
posed to have some interest, even though
such an inquiry hanks back to the good
old days when the great democratic
party was made up mainly of enthusi-
astic expanSionists, who were eager to
obtain any additional territory, par
ticularly slave territory, with or with
out the consent of the occupants.
The pivotal period in the settlement Of
the northwest boundary, was the presi-
dental campaign of 1874, when the DEM
ocratic platform strongly the
determination of the party to add to the
domain of the United States, both on the
southwest and on the northwest. In this
campaign, one of the most effective bat
tie cries was the historic phrase fifty
four, forty or fight" n no other single
issue was more influential thar this in
raising the wave On which the party
sailed to victory.
The northwest boundary had been long
a subject of dispute between the United
States and England. Neither of these
two countries seems to have had any
clear conception of the value of the ter
ritory In question, though neither had for
thirty years been willing to yield to the
demands of the other. The southern
boundary of the Russian provinces on
the Pacific was recognized by all as at
parallel fifty-four degrees and forty min
utes, and no one disputed that Spain Cor
rather MexicO) owned up to latitude for
ty-two. On the ground of discovery,
and occupation as we'll, both countries
claimed. all the region between.
The n American statesman who re-
allied the vast possibilities of the region
vas Thomas H. Benton More than any
other man he seemed to appreciate the
value of the opportunity. He had been
Jackson's ablest supporter in the sem
ate, and carried an influence that was
particularly valuable to the country at
this time. The democratic party on the
whole favored the project that had the
support of it's strongest member, and on
the whole the federalists We're opposed.
1t is amsuing at this time to note the
serious objection of so great a statesman
as Webster, who ook the ground that
the region was so distant that it could
never be of use to the United States, and
COulu 11cScI 1dSC a ACpAC III CO1.
gress, because the delegate would not
have time to get to the seat of govern
ment before his term expired.
Under the combined influences of lack
of interest n ignorance on both sides
the two nations were apparently in
clined to let the matter rest on the basis
of the scheme Of joint occupation agreed
to in the treaty of 1918. And officially the
British first grasped the Importance of
the question. That they were about to
take possession and secure the prize
came to the knowledge of Marcus Whit
man, whose residence in the country had
made him cognizant of it's value. Then
followed his famous ride across the con-
tinent in the vain attempt to inspire con-
gress with the enthusiasm that he felt
himself.
With the people he was more success
full and led a first company of 1000 actual
settlers to the and of promise. In an
other year 1000 more followed, and pos
session gave US a claim that could not
be denied. What would have been the
result had the courage Of the democra s
been equal to their talk. is uncertain. 1t
is evident that men like Benton were far
from satisfied with the compromise. But
Polk was president and Buchanan his
secretary of state. After a certain
.amount of bluster an offer was made to
renew a compromise that Calhoun had
suggested in the previous administration.
At the time it was first suggested, the
offer to FIX the boundary at forty-nine
degrees had been promptly rejected by
Great Britain. But conditions had
changed. Three thousand settlers were