The Washington herald., 1915-08-23
HISTORY BUILDERS.
The Best Seller of An American
Historian.

written Expressly for The Washington HalM)
By DIR. e. J. EDWARDS.
II presume there are very few people.
at least of the present generation, who
have any knowledge Of the extraordinary
| situation at Washington as It was at
the time Francis Parkman began his
wonderful journey. whose destination
was to be. II he could make It. the Pa
| cifc Coast near the mouth Of the CO.
lumbia River"
This was said to me by the late Park
Goodwin while he was narrating to me
some of his reminiscences Of the days
when he was the leading periodical edi-
tor OF the United States. for he conduct
ed Putnam's Magazine In the mid-years
of the past century.
"Parkman started out on his expedi-
tion-which he has with such marvellous
charm described in the book which has
given him his chief claim to fame,
The Oregon Traf"-in the year ls46
He did not get beyond what We now
know as Dakota, but his adventures
from the Missouri River to the Black
Hills and his life among the Dakota
Indians were we'll worth recording.
That was a wonderful year for the
United States. and I have no doubt that
| this spirit Of adventure and the sense
| Of expansion OF our territory which
was SO pre-eminently occupying the
| American people that year. In part ex-
planned Parkman's decision to attempt
! this great adventure.
In 1876, President Polk had his hands
full. For there was the shadow in the
spring of that year of impending war
with Mexico. and there also were I'M
der way negotiations. diplomatic in their
character. which it was hoped would
peacefully and permanently determine a
question which had bothered both Great
Britain and the United States for for
ty years. The answer to that question
involved agreement upon the northern
boundary of the Oregon territory. A
great many people thought that the
northern boundary should be the par
allel degree OF north latitude Of 81
degrees and 40 minutes. remember
well that this was taken UP as a politi-
cal campaign cry in these words: Fiji
ty-four forty or fight Parkman told
me that he was intensely interested in
this discussion. He was already plan
ming his history OF the Canadas. A dip
lomat who represented Great Britain
Pa ckingham-visited Washington in the
spring of IS and put into the hands Of
James Buchanan, who was then our
Secretary of State. a draft OF treaty
for the settlement of the Oregon bound
airy. The President sent that draft to
the Senate for its advice, and within
two OF three days the Senate recommend
ed that ii be accepted. This was a curl
Gus way OF ratifying a treaty. 1t was
accepted and the northern boundary OF
Oregon was fixed at the parallel of
~ degrees OF north latitude.
Just at that time Polk asked Congress
to declare that a state of war existed
between the United States and Mexico
and Congress granted his request. I
have always thought that Polk was
thinking much more about Mexico than
about the Oregon boundary.
The excitement and great national In
terest brought about by these events
at Washington stimulated Parkman to
his adventure.
His book was instantly recognized as
n masterpiece. 1t was q masterpiece
for precisely the same reason that
Dana's Two Years Before the Mast was
thus regarded. for It reported with ac-
curacy and in simple, but felicitous Ian
Cuage all those things which he saw.
No doubt Parkmans greatest work was
his history, but 1 suppose there are ten
persons who read The Oregon Trail to
one who reads 'Parkman's Histories.
Copyright. 1915. by Z J. Ed~ards Al nshs' !"
Tomorrow DR.. Edwards Will tell
when Lord Ashburton Was Snuboed."