More soberly, she said, "Let us arbitrate." We agreed, it was done.

By the umpire Maine was awarded more than half what she claimed.

And then we disputed the umpire's decision on the ground he hadn't given us the whole thing! Does not this remind you of some of our baseball bad manners?
It was settled later, and we got, differently located, about the original award.
Did you learn in school about "fifty-four forty, or fight"?
We were ready to take off our coat again.

Or at least, that was the platform in 1844 on which President Polk was elected.

At that time, what lay between the north line of California and the south line of Alaska, which then belonged to Russia, was called Oregon.