tory acquired should be under Anglo-Saxon control, there is little reason to doubt that it would soon have come under the rule of the United States through settlement, or purchase, or in some way less questionable than that which was followed.

264. Oregon. (1815-1846.) — But it was not only the southern boundaries which were in dispute. The northeastern boundary difficulties with Great Britain had been settled in 1842, but at that time it had not seemed practicable to enter upon the question of the northwestern boundary, which was also in dispute. It was accordingly left for future negotiation, both countries maintaining a joint occupancy of the country west of the Rocky Mountains under an arrangement dating from 1815, and renewed from time to time. Very little was known in the eastern states of the character of the Oregon country. Many able men thought its possession of little moment and were quite ready to yield it to England. Dr. Marcus Whitman, who had been sent out in 1835 by the American Board of Foreign Missions, had become familiar with the country, recognized its great value, and was anxious that the United States should gain undisputed control. In the fall of 1842 he learned that the Hudson's Bay Company, the great English monopoly, were encouraging English immigration, and that a large party of immigrants had already come. He at once determined to carry this news to Washington, and at the same time inform the government and people of the great value of the Oregon country, and the practicability of reaching it by wagons, and so start a stream of emigrants that would take possession of the land. He left Oregon in October, 1842, and riding on horseback reached St. Louis in February, 1843. The dangers, the hairbreadth escapes, and the indomitable perseverance which carried Dr. Whitman and his companion through this terrible winter ride

make a story not often surpassed in the annals of adventure. Dr. Whitman arrived at Washington to find the Ashburton Treaty had been signed six months before, but with the Oregon question unsettled. He supplied information of great importance to the government, circulated printed accounts of Oregon, and took back with him a company of emigrants with two hundred wagons. Walla Walla was reached in safety, after a journey of four months, in October, 1843. This advance guard of American occupation was soon followed by detachments of other settlers.

In the Presidential campaign of 1844, one of the Democratic cries had been, "Fifty-four forty [54° 40'] or fight," that latitude being the southern boundary of the Russian possessions, and one which would exclude Great Britain altogether from the western coast of the continent. It was folly to suppose that England would agree to such terms without a fight. Polk took a warlike tone in his inaugural, which, probably only meant for political effect, stimulated the emigration already begun. In 1845 about 7000 American citizens were actually living within Oregon, while the British occupancy was limited to a few forts and stations of the Hudson's Bay Company. By the Florida treaty of 1819 the parallel of 42° north latitude had been agreed upon as the northern boundary of the Spanish possessions, and to this line Mexico extended without question; the disputed territory was therefore between 42° and 54° 40'. Of this the United States claimed all, and Great Britain claimed to a point somewhat south of the Columbia River. Neither the United States nor Great Britain had an indisputable claim, and so a compromise was the natural as well as the fairest settlement; and this, despite Polk's warlike tone, was agreed upon. The line 49° north latitude, already the boundary from the Lake of the Woods to the Rockies, was settled on as the line to the coast, but England

was to retain Vancouver Island. This peaceful settlement "was at once just, honorable, and fortunate." 1

265. Sub-Treasuries re-established; Tariff; Polk's Success. (1846-1848.) The Sub-Treasury system had been abolished in 1841, and the government had since availed itself of private banks. At the first session of the new Congress an improved system, though essentially similar to the old one, was devised, and a bill was promptly passed establishing it. This is still in force.

Polk in his first message advised a revision of the tariff so as to reduce duties and make a tariff for revenue only. After a considerable struggle Congress passed a bill known as the Tariff of 1846; this was only a moderately protective measure, and until 1861 the country was more nearly upon a free trade basis than during any period since 1816. Under this tariff all duties were ad valorem.

It will be seen that in less than three years Polk had accomplished the main objects he had set before himself on entering office (sect. 258), and he might well feel satisfied with his success. The tariff had been reduced, the Sub-Treasury had been re-established, the Oregon question had been settled, and California had been acquired.

266. Gold in California. (1848.)- No one suspected how valuable California really was. It was known to be excep

1 The claims of the United States to Oregon rested (1) on Gray's visit to the Columbia River in 1792 (sect. 174); (2) on Lewis and Clark's explorations (sect. 174); (3) on the Louisiana Purchase; (4) on the Spanish treaty of 1819; (5) on the retrocession by England of Astoria, an American post, after the War of 1812; (6) the American settlements south of the 49° parallel. The treaty was proclaimed in force August 5, 1846. From the coast the boundary line was to follow "the middle of the channel which separates the continent from Vancouver Island. A question having arisen as to the true channel, the matter was not settled until 1871 (see sect. 371).

GOLD IN CALIFORNIA.

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tionally fertile, and this, together with the splendid harbor of San Francisco, was enough to make it highly desirable in American eyes. Scarcely, however, had the treaty with Mexico for its cession been arranged when news was brought of the discovery of gold.1

At once (1849) there was a rush to the gold fields. There were then two ways to get there, - around Cape Horn, and by the route overland. By these two routes men hastened to the new El Dorado. Of the two, the overland route was perhaps the more dangerous, for the path lay across vast plains, unoccupied except by herds of buffalo, and hostile Indians, while the Mormons were directly in the track, resenting the invasion of their territory, and doing all in their power to harass the slowly moving trains of emigrants. So great was the loss of cattle, and, indeed, of the emigrants themselves, that it was said that the trail could be known by the whitening bones that lay along it. A third route, by ship or steamer to the Isthmus of Panama, thence across it and by water again to San Francisco, was soon opened, which became the favorite way of reaching California until the Pacific railroad offered a pleasanter and more rapid means of travel. But notwithstanding the hardships, in less than two years there were fully 100,000 emigrants within the bounds of California. Most of the emigrants were from the free states, and this fact had an important influence upon the after history, not only of California, but of the whole country.

1 The discovery was made by a man named Marshall, during the construction of a mill-race in the valley of the American River, for the saw-mill of a Swiss immigrant, Captain Sutter. Gold was actually discovered in January, 1848, before the treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo had been signed, but news travelled so slowly in those days that the fact was not fully appreciated in the eastern states until December, 1848, when President Polk, in his annual message, confirmed the reports and gave them great publicity.

267. Wilmot Proviso. (1846.) While the question of — obtaining territory from Mexico was being debated in Congress, David Wilmot, a Democratic member of the House from Pennsylvania, proposed an amendment to the bill providing that slavery should be forever prohibited in any territory that might be purchased from Mexico. This is known from him as the "Wilmot Proviso," and though it passed the House of Representatives (1846), it failed in the Senate. It was, however, a political watchword in the next two or three Presidential campaigns. Hannibal Hamlin (afterwards Vice-President), in the absence of Wilmot, introduced the proviso in the House of Representatives for him.

The acquisition of so much territory again brought up the question of slavery, and in a way that demanded an answer. Texas had been admitted as a slave state, but all the other territory had been free under Mexico. Should it be free or slave under the United States? As a general rule southern men would not settle unless they could take their slaves with them. The North would resist any proposition to make that land slave territory which was already free. If the Missouri Compromise of 1820 were applied to the new country, the line of 36° 30' would divide California nearly in half; but this satisfied neither the North, for it violated the principle for which they contended, nor the South, for it would shut out a large part of the most desirable lands.

268. Whigs Successful in electing Taylor. (1848.)- In this state of affairs the time for nominating candidates for the Presidency came round. Clear-headed men saw there was now a distinct issue before the country, but the leaders of both the Democrats and the Whigs dodged the question, for each nominating convention refused to commit itself in regard to slavery. The Democrats chose Lewis Cass of