THE ROARING FORTIES 131 



what they had been willing to concede. Pak- 

 enham here made a grave tactical error. With 

 out consulting his government he rejected the 

 proposal, in terms so peremptory and ill-advised 

 as to give great offence to the President. Polk 

 promptly revealed a spirit that he had not been 

 supposed to possess. Against the almost tearful 

 protests of the timid Buchanan he practically 

 broke off negotiations by directing the secret aiy 

 to withdraw his offer and to refrain from all 

 further consideration of the question until some 

 definite proposal should be received from Great 

 Britain. This position the President main 

 tained unflinchingly despite repeated efforts of 

 Pakenham to induce a renewal of the offer; for 

 Lord Aberdeen had disapproved of his course 

 in rejecting it, and Pakenham was left in a very 

 uncomfortable position. 



In his message to Congress in December, 1845, 

 Polk confirmed his uncompromising attitude by 

 revealing the whole situation, claiming that the 

 conciliatory policy of the United States had been 

 flouted by Great Britain, and calling upon Con 

 gress for legislation to sustain the right to all 

 Oregon, and to protect its citizens who should 

 settle therein. As against the policy of Great 

 Britain he propounded two dogmas that must 



