The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1847-10-08
The Ambition 10 be President, the Curse OF

The ambition of men to be President may pc SAID,
with perfect truth, to be the cause oi the war now
waging with Mexico, and of the manner in which 1t
has been and is waged 49,. g..
After the accession of General Jackson TO the Pre-
sidency the Bank of the United States the lad
der by which aspiants sought To ascend TO that Of
fee. Ii served 10 place General Jackson in power
second term, and 10 make Mr.. Van Buren, President
once The people, tired of the war upon their pock-
cts which the opponents of the National Bank ruth
essly waged turned them neck and heels out OF pow
er, and placed new men in their Chief Magistracy;
but scarcely had Mr. Tyler warmed the seat 10 which
the Providence Of God and the Constitution had ee-
waited him. before the ambition TO be President by the
vote of the people seized upon him.
How was he to effect that purpose There was
no United States Bank in existence. 81 will veto
the charter making n National Bank and that will
make me President by the people" But his expec-
tation was not realized Instead Of gaining for him
the affection of the people, it aienaled it from him.
What was next to be done7 81 will annex Texas 10
the Confederacy" And forthwith he. set about car
rying his new policy into effect but the Senate veto
ed the treaty, and Mr.. Tyler farther than ever
from the object of his ambition. He had, however,
started new game, and though it was not reserved
for him to be in al the death" aspirants avail
ed themselves of the inviting opportunity and carried
off in triumph the "brush." Thus his vaulting am
biton TO be President overleaped ITSELF Ii had been
well if he had been the only party injured, but unfor
tunatey his ambition inflicted curse upon the
country under which it is now suffering dreadfuly
and deeply. .,.-..r' r. .. .. ~.
We have never regarded the annexation of Texas
evil in ITSELF On the contrary, we have always
thought that it was desirable We believe in the
virtue of our institutions TO sustain themselves over
indefinite extent Of country II there is thing
for which they are fitted, it is this very principle
But TO our mind there never was any necessity for
the annexation of Texas against the will and without
the consent Of Mexico. Mr. Tyler knew this, but he
wanted TO be President and he cared not for the con-
sent OF Mexico because he rather desired than other
wise war with Mexico during his administration
as political measure which would assist his eleva-
ton TO power in l6i4 And when the Senate inter-
posed and prevented his concentrating annexation
the Democratic party seized upon the measure
fraught with war though it was and carried il
through Mr.. Polk, the President elect, had reached
the Presidency upon the merits of the Texas question
and it was natural for man. constituted as he is 10
look TO the consequences Of this question to re-ecct
him. The consequences he knew, and Mr.. Tyler
knew, would be war. Before Mr.. Tyler retired from
his Office he concerted with Mr. Polk to execute the
act of annexation in such manner as to ensure u
war 10 flow out of 1t. Though defeated in his pur-
pose OF reaching the Presidency upon the Texas
question, Mr.. Tyler appears to have been deter
mined to vindcate his original proposition of an.
nexation toihio the consent Of Merico by compelling
the President Elect to take the annexation resolu
tons as he, Mr. Tyler was pleased to execute them
even if Mr.. Polk had been disposed to adopt tin
pacific amendment of Mr.. Benton, instead of tn
War Resolution of the House.
But Mr.. Polk was no sooner elected than he, toe
looked n III, succession II vas this ,mh,,,r ,bo
induced Mn, !, corfrn, Mr. u,,,or, ox.o,,,i,,, IS III
annexa,ion resolution II has been this ,.rrhlo mn,
biton--terribe because II il n demon in nossessio
Of him. All Inc day and all the nipbl long-whicb II,
influenced him in the conduct Of the war with Me,
leo from the hour n hroke opt dow, n, Tho ,r.,
moment The most careless observer cannot h,v,
6il,d 10 see Inn, II has been md "a tba pr,,;d.nc,
for another term which is the sole object of his exc
cuton of the Office 1t has not only shownitstl TO be
So in the management of our Mexican rela ions before
the war broke out and in the conduct of the war
since il broke out but it has manifested itself in the
direction of all the public business at home and of all
our other foreign relations. We were saved as by
miracle from desoating war with England which
Mr. Polk sought for the sole purpose of being made
President a second time ea...
A review Of the acts of the President from the 4th
of March le45, down to the day when Gen TAYLOR
was ordered 10 take post on the Rio Grandc is not
necessary to prove, that Mr. Polk WINS acu,nted
throughout by the ambition Of being President n 80.
cond term. Those acts are fresh in The minds Of n,
people and are only explninable uDon the hvnotbe-
ss here assumed Nav. thev pont inevitablv ~ tho
existence Of such passion con,roing tho prcsidsn.
al mind But if 1t were doubtful that snch was The
desire of Mr.. Polk before the breaking ont of tbe war
there is no longer any doub, upon the snhect since
that event. 1t is as plain as the sun at noon day in
a clear sky
Passing by the continual contradictions and in
consistencies in the Presidential public paners which
disgrace the pages Of our National Annals the acts
OF the Administration in the conduct Of the war are
sufficient to condemn forever as an Administration
seeking to re-estabish itself in power at the expense
Of the public interests.
At no time has the Mexican war been prosecuted
with view the re-establishment of the peace the
breaking Of which was owing to the annexation of
Texas in the way it was effected II has besn ,saped
NTH rep to is continuance and 10 The subjueaiion
Of entire Mcrico. Mr. Polk. from the first, has be-
heved and still believes, tina, he can be reelected
President upon the war question And he Is risht.
1 fho pnaat ~, r.