Inauguration of James K. Polk-His cabinet-John Tyler and Texas matters-Annexation completed - The Oregon question — The point in dispute — Excitement on the subject-The twenty-ninth Congress — Mr, Polk's message -Debate on the Oregon question-Negotiations with England - Settlement of the question- General Taylor on the Rio Grande Commencement of hostilities Declaration of war-New tariff bill, etc. Sub-treasury again established - The "Wilmot proviso"- Other acts of the session -Summary of the acts of the second session of the twenty-ninth Congress - Affairs in Mexico-Plan of the campaign - Taylor at Point Isabel Battle of Palo Alto- Battle of Resaca de la Palma Mexicans driven across the Rio Grande-Taylor enters Matamoras Santa Anna and his proceedings-Trials of Taylor's position-His advance on Monterey - Severe contests-Monterey taken-Armistice agreed upon General Wool's march-Kearney and the "army of the New Mexico taken possession of - Doniphan's advance to Chihuahua - Fremont and his exploits California taken-Taylor blamed for suspending hostilities-Santa Anna and his army - New programme of attack on Mexico - Scott's measures - Taylor's army greatly weakened-Mexican force much more numerous -Taylor makes a stand at Buena Vista - The celebrated battle of Buena Vista-Taylor victorious-His return to the United States. west" THE inauguration of James K. Polk, the eleventh president of the United States, took place on the 4th of March, 1845, and notwithstanding the day was lowering and rainy, a vast concourse assembled, and the ceremonies 1845. were striking and impressive. The Inaugural address was long and interesting, and gave expression to the sentiments and views which were expected from the victorious candidate of the democratic party. The annexation of Texas, and the Oregon question, both of them of deep interest to the welfare of the Union, and our relations with Mexico and Great Britain, were spoken of quite fully, and in terms which commended the president's plans VOL. III.-54 and purposes to the majority of the nation. Mr. Polk immediately made choice of his cabinet officers, who were confirmed at once by the Senate. James Buchanan was made secretary of state; Robert J. Walker, secretary of the treasury; William L. Marcy, secretary of war; George Bancroft, secretary of the navy; Cave Johnson, postmastergeneral; and John Y. Mason, attorneygeneral. Mr. Tyler's anxiety to connect his name with the annexation of Texas, we have mentioned already (p. 423). The matter was hurried forward in the very last days of his administration, and Congress left it to his option wheth er the annexation should be accomplished by treaty, in the regular manner (which would have given the glory of it to Mr. Polk and the democrats), or should be effected immediately, according to the tenor of the resolutions passed at the close of February (p. 424). John Tyler availed himself at once of the opportunity presented, and on the 3d of March, dispatched a messenger to deliver to Mr. Donelson, chargé d'affaires to Texas, the joint resolutions of Congress for the admission of Texas into the Union, instructing him to communicate to the Texian government, that he, the president, had made choice of the alternative of immediate annexation, instead of negotiating by treaty. As might be expected, Mr. Tyler received any thing but praise from the democratic party, for the course he had pursued. General Almonte, the Mexican minister at Washington, had demanded his passports on the 6th of March; and at the beginning of the following month, the Mexican government refused to hold any further communication with the United States minister, on the ground that the annexation of Texas was an act of war against Mexico; and it was distinctly announced, that the rights of Mexico would be maintained by force of arms. Matters remained in this unsettled state until the commencement of hostilities in 1846. Oregon was the next subject of importance before the administration. It will be remembered, that, in 1818, a convention was arranged between the governments of the United States and Great Britain, for the joint occupation of this region, during the next ten years; and that by a second convention, in 1827, this arrangement was indefinitely prolonged, with the provision, that after the 20th of October, 1828, either of the contracting parties might set aside the arrangement, by giving twelve months' notice to the other. On the part of Texas, a convention was immediately summoned, and on the 4th of July, 1845, it assented to the joint resolutions, and the country was thus fully incorporated into the Union. The president was requested and authorized to lose no time in establishing Mr. Polk had been elected with the a line of frontier posts, and occupying understanding that he would insist upon any exposed position along the western the 54° 40' parallel as the boundary of border of the new state; and an "army Oregon, (p. 423,) and that the United | of occupation," under the command of States were to have "the whole or none" General Zachary Taylor, was despatch- of that vast region. Nevertheless, he ed for its defence. On the 26th of felt it his duty to renew the proposiJuly, a body of United States tions of compromise, which had previ troops was landed at Aransas ously been made, by which the fortyBay, and on the same day the Amer- ninth parallel was to be the northern ican flag was first hoisted, by authority, boundary of the United States territory. at the south end of St. Joseph's Island, Mr. Buchanan, in July, made a proposiin token that the land was now a part tion to this effect to Mr. Pakenham the of the great republic of the north. British minister; but it was received 1845. CH. V.] THE TWENTY-NINTH CONGRESS. in so unsatisfactory a manner, that, in his next communication, after giving a very full and complete resumé of the question as viewed by his government, Mr. Buchanan withdrew his proposal; preserving, however, the conciliatory tone of his first statement, and expressing the hopes of the president that the controversy might be soon and safely adjusted. Our readers, most of them certainly, will remember the intense excitement which sprang up in connection with this subject; and had there not been a strong conservative feeling in the bosoms of a large portion of our countrymen, we might have been engaged again in a bloody strife with England, to the infinite harm of both countries, and to the disgrace of the two foremost civilized Christian nations of the world. Happily, such men as Daniel Webster, were willing to exert their influence to bring about a settlement on terms fair and honorable to both parties, and to repress that spirit, more or less rampant, which would lead us to battle in a cause unworthy of our countrymen. 1845. On the 1st of December, 1845, the twenty-ninth Congress began its first session. Mr. John M. Davis was elected speaker, and the president's message was received the next day. It was very long, and contained a great variety of recommendations on topics of interest and importance, among which Oregon, and the state of our relations with Mexico, occupied a prominent place. Mr. Polk recommended a revision of the tariff laws, for the purpose of reducing the rates of duty, and abolishing the protective system; and 427 the establishment of a constitutional treasury for the custody of the public money, the employment of state banks as depositories being in effect the conversion of that money into banking capital, and the loaning of it to the banks without interest, to be loaned by them at interest to their borrowers. The employment of steam in the navy was also suggested; and a glowing panegyric was pronounced upon Andrew Jackson, who died on the 8th of June, 1845. The question relative to Oregon was discussed in the Senate early in the session, and General Cass made a speech looking plainly to the chances of war with England. In the House, Stephen A. Douglas, and others, advocated similar views and claims in respect to Oregon; and at the same time, a joint resolution of the two Houses, giving the requisite notice to Great Britain for terminating the joint occupation of the territory, as the president had recommended, was pressed forward. The excitement of the debate, and the vast variety of considerations urged, some pertinent but more wholly irrel evant, we need not attempt to describe. Fierce appeals were made to popular passions, and to judge from what was said on the floor of Congress, there would seem to have been great wrongs and outrage committed by England, which could be atoned for only by blood and by extrusion from the continent of America. Meanwhile negotiations had been recommenced between the secretary of state and the British minister, and were urged forward as rapidly as was consistent with the nature of the subject. 1846. On the 23d of April, 1846, the joint resolution authorizing the president, if he considered it discreet to do so, to give notice to Great Britain for terminating the joint occupation of Oregon, finally passed both Houses by large majorities. But, happily, the question was settled without giving rise to any collision between the two countries. Correspondence was actively carried on through the British minister at Washington, and Mr. M'Lane, the American minister at London; and at length, on the 10th of June, the Senate was called upon to discuss a proposal, in the form of a convention, presented to the secretary of state by Her Majesty's minister, for the adjustment of the Oregon question; on the 12th, the Senate, by a vote of thirtyeight to twelve, advised the acceptance of the proposal; three days later, the convention, duly concluded and signed, was transmitted to the Senate for ratification; and on the 18th of June, the ratification was carried by a vote of forty-one to fourteen. By this convention, the forty-ninth parallel of north latitude was adopted as the boundary between the territory of the United States and the British possessions, but Vancouver's Island was given up to Great Britain; the navigation of Fuca's Straits, and of the Columbia River, was declared free to both American and British navigators, and rights of actual possessors of land on both sides of the boundary line were to be respected by both parties. Thus, we may hope, as Mr. M'Lane said to the New York Chamber of Commerce, in September, after his return from En gland "that the settlement of the Oregon question will soon come to be universally regarded as the knell of those inveterate jealousies and feuds which, it may be apprehended, have so long excited a mischievous influence over the people, if not upon the councils, of both countries." 1846. General Taylor, who commanded the "army of occupation" in Texas, was ordered, early in the year 1846, to march to the Rio Grande, which was claimed as the western boundary of the new state. He set out for this purpose in March, reached Point Isabel on the 25th, and on the 28th encamped on the Rio Grande opposite Matamoras. The Mexicans looked upon this advance of Taylor as an invasion of their territory, and from the indications of their feelings towards the Americans, it became apparent, that a collision must speedily follow. Taylor was waiting, in obedience to orders, for the Mexicans to strike the first blow, which they did towards the latter part of April, by attacking and capturing Captain Thornton with a squadron of dragoons. Intelligence of this rencontre reached Washington on the 9th of May. The subject was immediately taken up, and a bill was passed, by large majorities, declaring, that, "by the act of the republic of Mexico, a state of war exists between that government and the United States," and placing the military and naval forces of the * As Senator Benton justly states, the truth of hisThe annexation of Texas was the real cause of the tory demands, that this assertion be pronounced untrue. war. See his "Thirty Years' View," vol. ii., p. 678. |