Vermont phÅ“nix. [volume] (Brattleboro, Vt.) 1834-1955, 1848-08-04
A peep behipd the Scenes.
Mr.. POLK CONVICTED OF FRAUD
AND FALSEHOoD BY Ills OWN
FRIENDS.

AND EALSElOOD 81 Ills OWN
FRIENDS.
Our readers will recollcct that while the pro-
position to annex Texas to the Union was be-
fore Congress, treaty of annexation was re-
jcctcd by the Senate. That afterwards u joint |
resolution of annexation passed the House and
came into the Senate There the friends of
the President amended it by autborisng the |
President to negotiate with Mexico; SO that he
had power to take Texas by her own consent
alone in defiance of Mexico, or to institute a
negotiation with Mexico, for the purpose of Oh
tanning her consent 1t was understood at
the time, that without this amendment, some OF
the democratic Senators, and enough to defeat
it, would vote against Che joint resolution.
The Wings charged that the amendment
amounted to nothing, inasmuch Us the President
had power to take either alternative and would
not wait for negotiation, but the democratic
Senators opposed to the joint resolutions alleg-
ed they l,al satisfactory assurances that the
President would resort to negotiation in the first
place, and thus the amended bill passed. What
that satisfactory assurances was, the public were
not then informed, but it did appear that the
assurance was not well founded for on the
third OF March, the very day of is passage, Mr.
Calhoun, then Secretary Of State FOR AIR Tyler,
sent of a special messenger, 10 procure the
sent Of Texas To the joint resolution; and MIR
Polk, who came into power the next day, in
stead of recalling the special messenger, con-
frmed his appointment, and urged upon Texas
the speedy acceptance of the joint resolution
Thus Texas was annexed by her consent alone
without waiting for, or attempting negotiation
with Mexico and in defiance Of her.
The consequence predicted by the Wings,
and by the Democrats opposed to the joint res
olution, soon followed. In taking Texas with
out the consent Of Mexico, and pending Il war
with her, We necessarily took her quarrel upon
ourselves II has cost US hundred millions of
money, which the wealth and resources of the
country may replace, and the lives Of twenty
thousand citizens that all the wealth aud power
Of the republic cannot restore; besides involving
US in this question OF slave extension over the
conquered territory, which bids fair 10 rcnd as
suIider the Union.
But the satisfactory assprances,' which prov
cd so unloundcd and false, to tho democratic
Senators who relied upon them, arc ut length
made public and We invite to them the special
attention of every honest and well meaning cit
izcn who has hereto supported Mr. Polk and
his party.
Remember that these developments are from
no Wing authority, and do not depend on Wing
assertion. Mr. 1appan was then u democratic
Senator from Ohio, and was one Of those deceiv-
ed by the satisfactory assurance"-thc other
was then, and previously under Gen. Jackson's
administration, the editor of the leading demo-
cratic paper Of the Uuon.
In letter Of the date Of July 81, 1913, Mr.
Tappan, in explaining his course, says;
"When the Joint resolution declaring the
terms on which Congress will admit Texas into
the Union rs a State was before the Senate II
WIS soon found that number of the demo rat
ic members who were favorable TO the admission
of Texas would vote agsinsi that rcsoullon
was one of them In this state OF the matter II
was proposed that, instead of rejecting the Hous,
resolution, we should amend it by adding, as NJ
alternative proposition, the substance OF Nj
Benton's bill to obtain Texas by negotiation.
had strong objections to this plan, for did no
see the necessity or propriety of passing thu
House resolution either with or without the pro
posed amendments, but it was urged that tn
session was so near its close that the measure
would be defeated Il we substituted Mr. Benton
plan for the other, whereas II we made it an nd
titional arlicleit would readily pass the House il
that form. This reasoning did not satisfy me
but finding thai my friends were all saiisGe
!, with such proposed arrangement, aceeded /
u it--provided that could have satisfactory ASSN
ance that the plan proposed in such amcndmcn
would be the only one used and submitted I
= Texas.
n Mr. Polk was in the city, il was undcrstoo
:, that re was very anxious that Congress shoul
d act on the subject before he came into office
e was also understood that the proposition I
amend the House resolution, originated with NJ
Ir Polk. II had been suggested that If we did
n, amend the resolution, Mr. Calhoun would son
nj off the House resolution to Texas, and so e.
deayor TO forestall the action of Mr. Polk, b.
Mr. Dufhc, his friend, having met this sngec
utf ton by the declaration that he would not ha,
OIL the 'audaeity' to do such thing il was no moi
I thought OF. One difficulty remained, and TN
g. was the danger Of putting IL into the power
rs MIR Polk to submit the House resolution to Tel
s. as. We understood, indeed, that he intendc
Il, 10 submit the Senate proposition TO that govern
ment, but without being satisfied that he woul
I, do this, would not vote for the resolution, al
y il was well ascertained that without my vote
n could not pass. Mr. Haywood who hal vote
with mt and was opposed to the House resol
lr ton, undertook to converse with Mr. Polk on Il
in subject, and did so. He afterwards told mo tn
he was authorized by Mr. Polk, to say to myso
and other senators, that If We would pass Il
I'd resolution with tho amendment proposed to |
up made no would not use the House resolutio
e. but would submit the Senate amendment US Il
st sole proposition to Texas; upon this assuran,
RI voted for the amendment moved by Mr. Wal
m err containing the substance of Mr. Bentons bi
80 and voted for the resolution as il now stands
the statute book.
1t is matter of history that Mr. Calhoun d
~ have the 'audacity' to send on special messe
&c ger with the House resolution to Texas, on Il
d. Sd Of March, few minutes before he went o
H. of office and that Mr. Polk adopted and confri
ne ed his act OF Mr. Calhoun's, so admitting Tex
into the Union, and placing the United Stat
st. in q state OF war with Mexico