THE ROARING FORTIES 137 



any such proceeding would be regarded as hos 

 tile by the United States, and would indefinitely 

 postpone the settlement that was so eagerly 

 desired. To keep open the possibility of Mex 

 ican aid in case the Oregon dispute led to war, 

 was a most obvious duty of the British Govern 

 ment, and accordingly Aberdeen continued to 

 show interest in California in the winter of 

 1845-46. After the way to agreement with the 

 United States became clear, and Mexico at the 

 same time took the course that made a breach 

 with that nation certain, California and Mexico 

 were both left to their fate. 



If reason were anything like as large a factor 

 in human affairs as is often pretended, the fric 

 tion between Great Britain and the United 

 States in the forties over Oregon and California, 

 if not over Texas, would never have developed. 

 There was nothing of the rational in the spirit 

 that led the American immigrants to Oregon, 

 when much more promising opportunities for 

 welfare in every sense lay open without a jour 

 ney of two thousand desert miles to reach them. 

 The acquisition of California was projected be 

 fore any man faintly suspected its power to 

 satisfy the hunger for gold, and when its enor 

 mous area could not reasonably be expected to 



