[Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2) by James Gillespie Blaine]@TWC D-Link book
Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2)

CHAPTER III
14/43

Neither could afford to disregard the dominant opinion of the Southern Democracy; still less could either countenance a reckless policy, which might seriously embarrass our foreign affairs, and precipitate a dangerous crisis in our relations with England.

These eminent statesmen quickly perceived that the long-standing issue touching our north- western boundary, commonly known as the Oregon question, was surrounded with embarrassments which, by mismanagement, might rapidly develop into perils of great magnitude in connection with the impending war with Mexico.
The Oregon question, which now became associated, if not complicated, with the Texas question, originated many years before.

By our treaty with Spain in 1819, the southern boundary of our possessions on the Pacific had been accurately defined.

Our northern boundary was still unadjusted, and had been matter of dispute with Great Britain ever since we acquired the country.

By the treaty of Oct.
20, 1818, the 49th parallel of north latitude was established as the boundary between the United States and British America, from the Lake of the Woods to the Stony Mountains, as the Rocky Mountains were then termed.


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