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told. In the face of Parke and Peel and all the British warships Dr. McLoughlin sent succor to the famishing immigrants. Far up Des Chutes they met his messengers of mercy with shouts and hallelujahs. The settlers bestirred themselves, and hurried forward pack-trains of food and horses to rescue their brethren in the mountains. There were not boats enough in the country to meet the needs of transportation, and when at Christmas all were in, the population of Oregon had been doubled.
And yet the boundary was not settled. A rumor was current at Havana that the whole British armament was sailing for the Columbia. Commodores Sloat and Stockton off the coast of California cast many a longing eye toward Oregon, but the Mexican War demanded their presence South. The Provisional Government sent the Applegates to cut a road for United States troops to enter southern Oregon.
Senator Benton said in Congress, "Let the emigrants go on and carry their rifles."
But Rufus Choate made that clarion answer: "In my judgment this notion of a national enmity of feeling towards Great Britain belongs to a past age of our history. We are born to happier feelings. We look on England as we do on France. We look on them from our new world, not unrenowned, yet a new world still, and the blood mounts to our cheeks; our eyes swim; our voices are stifled with emulousness of so much glory; their trophies will not let us sleep, but there is no hatred at all, no hatred; all for honor, nothing for hate. If you will answer for the politicians I think I will venture to answer for the people."
Webster, too, made a great peace speech that was heard on two continents.
