The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915 Page: 146
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The Southwestern Historical Quarterly
quate government by the authorities at Washington. Nor did it
seem possible to some minds that the western boundary of the
Republic should extend beyond the Rocky Mountains.47 To those
who held such views it appeared both natural and expedient that
California and Oregon should be united into a strong, independent
country, settled by American emigrants, and standing on the Pa-
cific as a sort of complementary nation to the United States.
"The situation of California," said Wilkes in his official report,
"will cause its separation from Mexico before many years. It is
very probable that the country will become united with Oregon
with which it will perhaps form a state that is designed to con-
trol the destiny of the Placific.48 A year or two later, Waddy
Thompson assures us, he was told of a definite plot to separate
California from Mexico and asked if the United States would be
willing to surrender her title to Oregon so that that territory and
California might be made into a Republic.49 Benjamin E. Green
sent much the same report to Calhoun, adding, however, that the
Oregon settlers were not anxious for the plan, provided they could
receive aid and encouragement from the United States in main-
taining their hold upon Oregon.5o In England, also, the idea of
an independent state on the Pacific seems to have obtained some
favor. Lord Ashburton wrote Webster that the power possessing
Oregon and California should be independent of Great Britain
and the United States, but of the English race;5" while Louis
McLane, when ambassador to England, in one of his despatches
to Buchanan, spoke of the plan as having been "suggested simul-
taneously by certain classes on both sides of the Atlantic," add-
ing, it may be remarked, that such an arrangement would work
untold disadvantage to this government.52
References to this plan, likewise, were freqcgently met with in
"AnNals of Congress, XL, 422-423; 598-599; Thomas H. Benton, Thirty
years' vieto (New York. D. Appleton and Companyv, 1854), IT, 430;
MeMaster, History of the United States, VIT, 296-297; 300-301, and au-
thorities quoted.
4"Wilkes' Narrative, V, 182-183.
4"Thompson, Recollections, 232. His informant was Lansford W. Has-
tings.
"5Green to Calhoun, April 11, 1844. Calhoun Correspondence, 946.
"'George Bancroft to Polk, April 27, 1845. Polk MSS.
"2McLane to Buchanan, Dec. 1, 1845. MS., State Department.146
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Texas State Historical Association. The Southwestern Historical Quarterly, Volume 18, July 1914 - April, 1915, periodical, 1915; Austin, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth101064/m1/152/: accessed April 24, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu; crediting Texas State Historical Association.