With his quick perception, he discerned that if the policy apparently indicated by Mr.Webster and aggressively pursued by Mr.Upshur, on the Oregon question, should be followed, and that issue sharply pressed upon Great Britain, complications of a most embarrassing nature might arise, involving in their sweep the plans, already well matured, for acquiring Texas.

In order to avert all danger of that kind, Mr.
Calhoun opened a negotiation with the British minister in Washington, conducting it himself, for the settlement of the Oregon question; and at the very moment when the Democratic National Convention which nominated Mr.Polk was declaring our title to the whole of Oregon as far as 54 deg.

40' to be "clear and unquestionable," the Democratic secretary of State was proposing to Her Majesty's representative to settle the entire controversy by the adoption of the 49th parallel as the boundary! The negotiation was very nearly completed, and was suspended only by some dispute in regard to the right of navigating the Columbia River.

It is not improbable that Mr.Calhoun, after disclosing to the British Government his willingness to accept the 49th parallel as our northern boundary, was anxious to have the negotiation temporarily postponed.

If the treaty had been concluded at that time, it would have seriously interfered with the success of Mr.
Polk's candidacy by destroying the prestige of the "Fifty-four forties," as Colonel Benton termed them.