[17.] [13]Crampton, no. 19, 1848. [345]Niles to Van Buren, Jan. 20, 1848. [345]Dix to Id.., Jan. 27, 1848. (Mad) [335]Statement by Trist, Nov. 4, 1857. Calhoun Corresp., 742 (to C.), 751 (to J. E. C.). Public Ledger, Jan. 4, 1848. N. Y. Sun, May 17, 1848. Bourne, Essays, 235. Cong. Globe, see [note 16]; also 428 (Cabell). Meade in Ho., Jan. 31, 1848, and Ho. debate on Ten Regt. Bill, Jan. 24-Feb. 3, passim. Niles, Feb. 5, 1848, p. 354. Sen. Misc., 8; 30, 1. [137]Hatcher to Calhoun, Jan. 5, 1848.
[18.] Polk, Diary, Sept. 4, 7, 1847; Jan. 4, 15, 24–5, 1848. Sen. 52; 30, 1, pp. 146, 148 (Marcy). [52]Trist, nos. 22, 25. [335]Buchanan to Trist, Oct. 27, 1847, priv. [335]Trist to Thornton, Nov. 24, confid.; to wife (for Buchanan), Nov. 28. [13]Crampton, no. 38, 1847. [132]Buchanan, memo., Jan. 5, 1848. [60]Butler to Trist and reply, Mar. 17, 18, 1848.
[19.] Polk, Diary, Jan. 4, 5, 23, 1847; Feb. 19–21, 1848. [52]Buchanan to Trist, Oct. 6, 25, 1847. Amer. Rev., Feb., 1848, p. 110 (Everything done by Congress for the war has been done under Polk’s pledge to make peace as soon as justice and honor could be satisfied.). Richardson, Messages, iv, 544, 573–5. (P.’s looks) Monitor Repub., Mar. 10, 1848 (C. Landa); Tyler, Tyler, ii, 457. W. E. Dodd in Ills. State Hist. Soc. Trans., 1912, pp. 17–23. Id.., Walker, 25–6. Picayune, Feb. 26; Mar. 3, 1848. (Sevier) Wash. Union, Feb. 4, 1848. [13]Crampton, no. 19, 1848.
Polk intimated to the Senate that the treaty would need to be amended. Trist was confidentially authorized to pay $20,000,000 for what he actually obtained, $5,000,000 more for Lower California, and $5,000,000 for the right of transit across the isthmus of Tehuantepec (Polk, Diary, Apr. 13, 1847; Ho. 69; 30, 1, p. 44).
[20.] Polk, Diary, Feb. 19–21. [297]Report of Cabinet meeting, Feb. 20, certified by Polk’s private secy. Sen. Report 261; 41, 2. Sen. 69; 30, 1, pp. 66–72 (Buchanan). [13]Crampton, no. 21, 1848. Richardson, Messages, iv, 573–5. Klein, Treaty, Public Ledger, June 15, 1849 (Dallas).
Buchanan probably desired to have the treaty go to the Senate. He would then share in the credit of the administration, should it be popular, and in the contrary event would be able to say that he opposed it (Polk, Diary, Feb. 21). Polk’s accepting the treaty as the best agreement that could be obtained under the circumstances completely vindicated Trist’s decision to make it and Scott’s coöperation.
In April, 1848, the question of occupying Yucatan came up. The indigenes appeared to be on the point of exterminating the whites and as a desperate resource Yucatan offered herself simultaneously to England, France and the United States. Apr. 29 Polk recommended intervention to Congress, and this has been thought (Ills. State Hist. Soc. Trans., 1912, 17–23) to mean that he was ready to take Yucatan, upset the treaty, and bring about the dismemberment—perhaps the annexation—of Mexico. But the treaty, which had now been ratified by our Senate, contained in art. 5 a provision expressly intended to prevent us from annexing more of Mexico’s territory without her consent (see Buchanan to Hilliard, Works, viii, 56), and to believe that after giving this pledge our Executive proposed to reverse his entire policy regarding Mexico and be guilty of such bad faith would require much more evidence than we have. It seems to the author that humanity combined with an avowed desire to keep European powers out of Yucatan fully explain what Polk did (see Polk’s Diary, Apr. 25). Congress decided against occupying Yucatan. Its troubles were settled by an agreement between the two parties (Nat. Intelligencer, May 17).
[21.] Sherman Letters, 46–7. Polk, Diary, Feb. 28. Public Ledger, June 15, 1849 (Dallas). N. Y. Journ. Commerce, Feb. 25–6; Mar. 1, 11. Niles, Feb. 26, 1848, pp. 401–3. [139]Fulton to Campbell, Mar. 5. [198]Berrien to Gallatin, June 7. Morse, J. Q. Adams, 307–8. Adams was stricken down two days after the treaty reached Washington. By this time the Senators understood its contents fairly well, no doubt.
[22.] Polk, Diary, Feb. 25-Mar. 10; Apr. 27. [13]Crampton, no. 21, 1848. Meigs, Benton, 378. Benton, View, ii, 694. [210]Woodward to Hammond, Feb. 23. 210Alvord to Id.., Feb. 24. Calhoun Corresp., 743 (to Mrs. C.), 745 (to T. G. C.). (Politicians) Benton, View, ii, 710. [253]McLean, remarks. [345]Blair to Van Buren, Mar. 3, 1848. N. Y. Journ. Commerce, Feb. 25; Mar. 1–3, 7, 11. Sen. 52; 30, 1, pp. 3–37 (proceedings). Wash. Union, Mar. 2, 4. Balt. Clipper, Mar. 4. Balt. Patriot, Mar. 3. Nat. Intellig., Feb. 28; Mar. 4. Public Ledger, Feb. 24. N. Y. Herald, Oct. 30, 1847. Johnson, Douglas, 123. Webster, Writings, x, 3–33. Boston Courier, Feb. 24, 1848. Cong. Globe, 30, 1, app., 497 (Dayton).
The Whigs were suspected of trying to gain enough Democratic support so that they could not be charged with beating the treaty as a party (Polk, Diary, Mar. 3; Public Ledger, Mar. 8). Webster’s policy was not only unpatriotic but unintelligent, for a continuation of the war would probably have led either to defeat or to larger acquisitions; but perhaps he believed no bad results would occur before the next Presidential election. He knew the country as a whole wanted the treaty ratified for the sake of peace (Writings, x, 7), and he was unable to make the New England Whig Senators join him against the treaty. Calhoun wrote to Gallatin that, owing to diversity of opinion in the Senate, not even a majority could have been obtained for any proposition different from the corresponding proposition of the treaty ([198]Mar. 13, 1848). What increased the danger involved in rejecting the treaty was the prospect that, with both Scott and Taylor out of the field, operations—even should they not become unsuccessful—would lack the interest which had largely prevented the public from thinking of the cost and other ills of the conflict, and hence it would be impossible to support the war ([132]W. R. King to Buchanan, Oct. 5, 1847; Seward, Seward at Wash., i, 62). Feb. 28 the committee on foreign relations reported the treaty without recommendation. Webster at once proposed a commission. His motion was tabled Mar. 2 (Sen. 52; 30, 1, pp. 4, 9).