124 THE ROARING FORTIES 



occasions evoked abundant manifestations of 

 anti-British feeling among the people. Under 

 the impulse of the Democratic victory President 

 Tyler pressed upon Congress a plan for the 

 annexation of Texas by legislative act rather 

 than by treaty, and the plan was adopted in 

 the ensuing session and put in operation by 

 Tyler before the inauguration of the newly 

 elected President, Polk. The formal consum 

 mation of the plan was effected by the latter 

 late in 1845. Aberdeen s efforts to thwart it 

 did not cease till the decisive step toward enter 

 ing the Union was definitely taken by Texas 

 itself. 



Meanwhile a more open and dangerous con 

 troversy with the United States had developed 

 in relation to the interests of the two nations 

 in the Oregon country. The region concerned 

 lay between the Pacific Ocean and the Rocky 

 Mountains and between the parallels of 42 

 and 54 40 north latitude. Under the treaties 

 of 1818 and 1827, as we have seen, the boundary 

 in this region was left undetermined, and the 

 country was left &quot;free and open ... to the 

 vessels, citizens and subjects of the two Powers.&quot; 

 The object of this provision was to permit the 

 natural course of settlement to proceed without 



