[27.] See particularly the debate on the $3,000,000 bill and the Ten Regiment bill, and, in the House, the Loan bill. Wash. Union, May 18, 1846.
[28.] Polk, Diary, Dec. 19, 1846. Benton, View, ii, 678. House proceedings in Cong. Globe, 29, 2, Dec. 8–16. Richardson, Messages, iv, 506–7, 594–600. U. S. vs. Rice: 4 Wheaton, 246, 253. Story, Commentaries on the Constitution, § 1318. Butler, Treaty-making Power, i, 128, 168–9. (Decision, Castine, Harrison) Wash. Union, Dec. 11, 15, 26, 1846; Dec. 12, 1847. Kent, Commentaries, i, 282. Cong. Globe, 29, 2, app., 130, col. 1. Von Holst, U. S., iii, 261, note 1, 336. (Kearny a Whig) Richmond Whig in Nat. Intellig., Oct. 19, 1846. (Unhappy) Amer. Review, Feb., 1848, p. 110. Public Ledger, Feb. 8, 1847.
The National Intelligencer had the hardihood to state (Dec. 25, 1846): “It is the opinion of the President that the fact of conquest annexes foreign provinces to the United States.” The Texans complained because the part of New Mexico claimed by them was occupied by Kearny; but since the enemy had held it by military force this action was proper, and Buchanan assured Henderson that the temporary military occupation would not affect the rights of his state (Buchanan, Works, vii, 215). The author did not find Harrison’s proclamation in Ms.; but Mr. D. M. Matteson discovered it in Niles, Nov. 27, 1813, p. 215. Copies of official documents in the Burton Historical Collection, kindly furnished to the author, throw further light on the fact that American sovereignty over a portion of Canada was declared in 1813. The subject is certainly an interesting one.
[29.] The Whigs wished to repeal all of the new fiscal policy. Welles papers: [note 22]. Wash. Union, Mar. 9, 1847. Lyell, Second Visit (N. Y., 1849), 256. Public Ledger, Dec. 8, 1846. (Nat. Intellig.) Charleston Mercury, Jan. 12, 26, 1847. Pierce, Sumner, iii, 122. Niles, Jan. 2, 1847, p. 288. Boston Atlas, Jan. 6; Feb. 6, 1847. (Webster) Niles, Jan. 9, 1847, p. 303. N. Y. Journ. of Comm., Jan. 4, 1847. N. Y. Tribune, Feb. 14, 1847. No. American, Dec. 24, 1846; Jan. 4, 1847. Polk, Diary, Jan. 22, 1847. Nat. Intellig., Jan. 14, 1847 (if the government desires the coöperation of the Whigs, let it repeal the tariff and sub-treasury Acts). Note also the treatment of the important public land question (vol. ii, p. 261).
[30.] Cong. Globe, 29, 1, pp. 1211–21. Greeley, Amer. Conflict, i, 189. Smith, Annex. of Tex., 314, 351–2. Welles papers. McLaughlin, Cass, 229. Cole, Whig Party, 119, 122–4. Polk, Diary, Dec. 19, 23, 1846; Jan. 4, 16, 22, 23, 1847. Benton, View, ii, 695. Wilson, Rise and Fall, ii, 15, 16. [13]Pakenham, no. 5, 1847. [108]Polk to Bancroft, Jan. 30, 1847, private. Meigs, Benton, 371. Amer. Hist. Assoc. Report, 1911, i, 187–95 (C. E. Persinger). Cong. Globe, 29, 2, pp. 453–5, 541–55. Von Holst, U. S., iii, 301, 306–7. Calhoun, Works, iv, 323. [137]Fisher to Calhoun, Aug. 22, 1847. Stephens, U. S., 391. Cutts, Questions, 154. Garrison, Extension, 254–68. Boston Atlas, Jan. 4, 1847. Blaine, Twenty Years, i, 73. So. Qtrly. Review, Jan., 1851, p. 196. Wash. Union, July 3; Aug. 12, 1846; Jan. 16, 1847. N. Y. Herald, Jan. 16; Feb. 20, 1847. Merriam, Bowles, i, 48. [139]Gentry to Campbell, Apr. 18, 1848.
The Proviso, offered as an amendment to the $2,000,000 and $3,000,000 bills, was objected to because: 1, J. Q. Adams, Benton and others argued that any territory acquired from Mexico would come to us “free” by law, and slavery would not exist there unless subsequent legislation and also the natural conditions should be favorable to it; 2, the question would necessarily be settled when Congress should have to decide regarding the government of such territory, and present action would not bind a future Congress; 3, it did not relate to American territory, property or citizens—in short it related to nothing that existed; 4, the only way to reach the end aimed at by the Proviso would be through a treaty, and, should the treaty be violated, Mexico would have a right to interfere with our domestic affairs; 5, the President would have no right to sign such a treaty, for the subject belonged to Congress; 6, the American Senate would not ratify such a treaty, and hence the adoption of the Proviso would prevent peace and the acquisition of territory; 7, it was insulting to Mexico to legislate about territory belonging to her, would scandalize the world, and might prolong the war; 8, the Proviso stood in the way of needed war legislation, tended to alarm the South and lessen its interest in the war, incited to discord at a time when harmony was peculiarly desirable, promoted sectionalism, and, if adopted, might render the administration powerless to wage the war successfully. As is well known, Brinkerhoff of Ohio was the father of the Proviso, but for strategical reasons Wilmot was asked to introduce it. Wilmot himself did not insist upon the Proviso, when Polk explained to him some of the difficulties. For a convenient review of the later history of the Proviso principle see Lalor, Cyclopædia, iii, 1115–7. The Proviso threatened Whig unity and success, of course, because the northern wing and the southern wing of the party could not agree regarding slavery.
[31.] [137]Fisher to Calhoun, Aug. 22, 1847. (Committed) Richardson, Messages, iv, 536–41. [169]Rives to Crittenden, Feb. 5, 8, 1847. [330]J. P. to Z. Taylor, Sept. 8, 1847. Merriam, Bowles, i, 48. Curtis, Webster, i, 303–7, 324 5[missing hyphen of 324–5?F1]. Webster, Writings, ix, 257–9; xiii, 328. [13]Pakenham, no. 18, 1847. Lalor, Cyclopædia, iii, 1105. Amer. Review, Oct., 1847, 345–6. Louisville Journal, Sept. 17, 1847. Cincinn. Enquirer, Nov. 15, 1847. Cong. Globe, 29, 2, pp. 555–6 (Webster); app., 296–302 (Berrien). [132]Donelson to Buchanan, Jan. 8, 1847. [132]Bancroft to Id.., Oct. 18, 1847. Boston Courier, Feb. 14, 1848. Corwin to F., Feb. 4, 1847: Ohio Phil. and Hist. Soc. Pubs., July-Sept., 1914. Benton, Abr. Debs., xvi, 42 (Berrien). Wash. Union, Feb. 8, 25; Sept. 8, 13, 16; Oct. 5, 1847. Public Ledger, Feb. 8, 17, 1847. Cole, Whig Party, 119–22. Pierce, Sumner, iii, 159. Nat. Intellig., Sept. 7, 1847.
Berrien’s words (Benton, Abr. Debates, xvi, 42): The war “ought not to be prosecuted ... with any view to the dismemberment of that republic, or to the acquisition by conquest of any part of her territory”; this government “will always be ready to enter into negotiations, with a view to terminate the present unhappy conflict on terms which shall ... preserve inviolate the national honor ... of Mexico”; “it is especially desirable ... that the boundary of the State of Texas should be definitely settled, and that provision be made by the republic of Mexico for the prompt and equitable settlement of the just claims of our citizens.” Naturally the Whigs endeavored to recommend the “No territory” idea by dwelling on other points (e.g. the country was already large enough; this plan would prevent a struggle between North and South over slavery; without it no treaty with Mexico could be ratified). How much merit these arguments possessed, it is unnecessary to point out; but no doubt there was more or less honest belief in them, especially among the rank and file. The people in general, however, were against giving up all the fruits of our victories, and even Calhoun admitted that we could not get out of the war with credit unless we made a large gain in territory.
[32.] [256]Marcy to Wetmore, Dec. 5, 12, 1846. [108]Appleton to Bancroft, Feb. 24, 1847. [108]Polk to Bancroft, Jan. 30, 1847, private. Welles papers. Public Ledger, Mar. 2, 1847. Boston Atlas, Jan. 18, 21; Feb. 8; Mar. 3, 1847. Polk, Diary, Jan. 19, 1847. Nat. Intellig., Aug. 11, 1846; July 22, 1847. N. Y. Journ. Comm., Jan. 7, 1847. N. Y. Express, Sept. 4, 1847. N. Y. Tribune, Jan. 8, 1847; Jan. 27, 1848. Balt. American in Wash. Union, Sept. 8, 1847. No. American, Dec. 30, 1846; Oct. 6, 1847. Slidell to Buchanan, Nov. 5, 1846: “The fate of the administration depends on the successful conduct of the war” (Curtis, Buchanan, i, 601).
[33.] (Elected) Smith, Annex. of Texas, 307–9. [169]Burnley to Crittenden, Dec. 12, 1847. [132]R. Taylor to Buchanan, Nov. 18, 1847, private. Seward, Seward at Washington, i, 57–8. Schurz, Clay, ii, 290–2. Wash. Union, Nov. 16–18, 24 (Clay’s speech in full, which Colton does not give complete), 27, 29; Dec. 1, 1847. N. Y. Sun, Nov. 16, 1847. N. Y. Herald, Nov. 17, 1847. Cincinn. Enquirer, Nov. 15, 1847. (Abhorrent) Amer. Review, Feb., 1848, 110. Lexington Observer, Nov. 17, 1847. Clay, Works (Colton, ed.), iii, 60–7. No. American, Dec. 4, 1847. Cole, Whig Party, 120. Shackford, Citizen’s Appeal, 18. Hill, Lawrence, 76. (In Mexico) [256]J. Parrott to Marcy, Dec. 27, 1847, private. Webster, Writings, xiii, 328.