LESTER BURRELL SHIPPEE
174
minister, although the President did not at first approve the notion, that in all probability if the British government should make a proposition for settling the Oregon told the
American
controversy the President would submit it to the Senate for advice. This hint was but one of those which, in the months
manner
which the negotiaWashington was the scene of action, with Pakenham and Buchanan the principals; quite as much, however, did the negotiation take place in London between Lord Aberdeen and Mr. McLane. The formal exchanges occurred in America; the real dickering was done in England. Buchanan's communications, both to Pakenham and to McLane, were always supervised and sometimes dictated by the President those to the minister in London afforded the
that followed, revealed the true tion
was being conducted
in
ostensibly
material for the campaign which finally brought the compro-
mise
offer.
On
the twenty-third of December McLane's hint that a new proposal for arbitration might soon be expected was received by Buchanan. It was discussed at length by the President and
and all agreed that arbitration could not be accepted, but Polk refused to allow the Secretary of State to tell Pakenham that a new proposition on which to base negotiations would be respectfully considered; this would mean that the United States had taken the first step, and Polk was
his Cabinet
determined that Great Britain should move definitely that
if
ports on the sea
first.
He
did say
Pakenham should offer the United States free and on the Straits of Fuca north of 49 degrees
he would confidentially consult three or four Senators from different parts of the country and might submit such a proposal to the Senate.
So
difficult
did
himself to the President's view as to
Buchanan find it to bring what constituted a proper
Pakenham's probable overture him what he should write 3 reply to
that Polk dictated to
"I would refer
him
to the correspondence
and your
last
note
3 In part the difficulty Polk had with Buchanan was due to the latter's disappointment about an appointment in Pennsylvania; he thought the President was using his patronage in such a way as to hurt him in his own state. Diary, I,
134-6, 143-7.
