The republic. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1849-1853, 1850-05-20

stood, indeed that he intended to submit the Senate
proposition TO that government; but without being
satisfied he would do this, would not vote for the
resolution and twas well ascertained that without
my vote il could not pass. Mr.. Haywood, who had
voted with me, and was opposed to the House reso-
luton, undertook to converse with Mr. Folk on the
subject, and did so. He afterwards told me that he
was authorized by MIR. Polk TO say TO myself and
other Senators, that if could pass the resolution
with the amendment proposed To be made, he would
not the House resolution, but would submit the
Senate amendment as the sole proposition to
Texas"
Mr. Blair tells substantially the same story, ex-
cept he adds that he Mr. Polk personally, and
he gave him "full assurance that he would appoint
a commission contemplated in the bill proposed
by Colonel Benton il passed in conjunction with the
House resolution, as an alternative" ''and that
the first men Of the country should fill the commits
sion" MIR. Blair says that Messrs. Benton, Bag
by, Dix, and Tappan were absolute in their oppo-
sition to the House resolution; and, can add, my
predecessor MIR. Niles) so also, as have ever
understood. 1t is believed all these Senators voted
for the amendment, and for the resolution as
amended, on the faith of this positive assurance of
MIR. Polk. Ii Is certain MIR. Tappan did so for he
says "upon this assurance ! voted for the amend
mcnt moved by Mr.. Walker, containing the sub
stance Of Mr. Bentons bill, and voted for the
luton as II now stands upon the statute book" 1t
appears from the Senate journal, I'd session 2Sth
Congress, page 800, that the resolution was uli-
mately passed by vote Of twenty seven in the af
frmative, TO twenty. five in the negatives SO that it
was in the power of Mr.. Tappan, or any other
Democratic Senator, to defeat it, there then
no Vice President to give casting vote. The truth
of the statements of Messrs. Tappan and Blair have
not been contradicted to this day by any other of
the parties named; the facts alleged must therefore
be regarded as ndsputable Mr.. Polk did give
this pledge. How did he perform it? Let Mr..
Tappan tell the story:
ut is Che says) matter of history that MIR. Cal
houn did have the audacty to send of a special
messenger with the House resolution 10 Texas. on
the Sd of March, few moments before he went out
of Office and that Mr. Polk adopted and confirmed
this act of Mr., Calhoun, admitting Texas into
the Union, and placing the United States in state
of war with Mexico"
That Mr.. Tappan right in asserting that Mr..
Polk adopted and confirmed the act of the retir-
ing Executive, appears from his annual message to
Congress of the ID of December, ls45, in which he
says:
sin pursuance of the joint resolution of Congress
for annexing Texas to the United States, my pre-
decessor, the Sd of March, lS45, elected to sub
NIT the first and second sections of that resolution
TO the republic OF Texas an overture on the part
of the United States for her admission as State
into our Union. This election approved; and ac-
cordingy the charge daffares of the United States
in Texas, under Instructions of the 10th Of March,
lS45, presented these sections of the resolution for
the acceptance of that republic"
In the language of the honorable Senator from
Maine, ask, show was this pledge" OF Mr.. Polk
fingered upon the lips of him who uttered it," he
commenced violating it in the most atrocious man
ner? Hence the war with Mexico and hence the
origin of all the evils now present with
8. But, MIR. President, in this history of party
regeneration, deceit, and perhdy, should not do
justice TO the subject if did not refer to the
of the Democracy in the matter Of Oregon, and the
distinct pledge which they gave, only to be vio
the event of the election of MIR. Polk, for
title to the whole of that Territory. The utter
exclusion of the British from that country up to
$40 40 constituted one Of the principal issues of the
canvass of 1874. At the Democratic convention
held in Baltimore on the 9th of May of that year.
the following resolution was passed:
"ResolUed, That our title to the tohoie of the ter
ritory of Oregon is clear and unquestionable; that
no portion of the same ought TO be coded TO Eng
land, or any other foreign power; and that the
reoccupation of Oregon and the remuneration of
Texas at the earliest practicable period, great
American measures, which this convention recon-
mends TO the cordial support Of the Democracy of
the Union'
Thus it would seem are TO have "reannexa-
ton of Texas" and "reoccupation of Oregon. :"
Every thing was done with GRE" in those days
The South was 10 be won over by remuneration,
and the North conciliated by reoecupaton And
on this platform Mr.. Polk was elevated TO the pre-
sidency. That gentleman saw fit to renew the
pledge in his inaugural address, follows
"Nor will ii become in less degree my duty TO
assert and maintain, by all constitutional means,
the rights Of the United States to that portion OF
our territory which lies beyond the Rocky noun
tans. Our title to the territory of the Oregon is
'Cicdt anu anu are our
people preparing to occupy il with their wives and
children"
II will be observed that ON this occasion he even
condescended to quote the very words used by the
Baltimore CAUCUS and concurred with them in al
frming that our title to the whole country was
'clear and unquestionable." In furtherance ofthe
same idea, he remarked in his annual message 10
Congress, already referred 70, (after stating that
rejected by the British gosernment,) that
1.-The right OF any foreign power TO the free nav
igaton Of any Of our rivers, through the heart Of
our country wa: one which was unwilling TO con-
wholly Inadmissibe demands Of the British govern
mcnt, and the rejection Of the proposition, made
alone in difference TO what had been done by my
predecessors, and the implied obligation which their
acts seemed 10 impose, afford satisfactory evidence
that no compromise, such as the United States
ought 20 accept, can be effected. With this con-
yiction, the proposition Of compromise which had
been made and rejected was, by my direction,
subsequently Withdrawn and our title to the whole
Of the Oregon Territory asserted, and is believed
maintained by irrefragabe facts and arguments +"
"At the end Of the years no
tice. should Congress think il proper 10 make pro-
vision for giving that notice. shall have reached
period when the national rights in Oregon must
either be abandoned or firmly maintained That
they cannot be abandoned without a sacrifice OF
both national honor and interest is too clear 10 adj
init Of doubt"
That this meant the expulsion Of the British from
the country is manifest, not only from the fact that
the Baltimore convention declared for the whole OF
Oregon, or, as the Democracy in the habit OF
expressing themselves in those days, for $50 40
light 80 but also from the further fact that both
parties had been in joint possession Of the territory
| for more than quarter Of century, under and
by virtue OF the conventions Of the goth Of October
1918, and Of the 10Th Of February 1877. The Brit
ish, therefore, TO be driven out Of the whole
country. The opening Of the 18th Congress found
the Democracy rampant for $40 40. Nothing could
| exceed the berosm which they exhibited on thai
/ parallel But soon the British lion made his ap
| pearance; and he had scarcely thrown himself into
his usual attitude Of defiance before the Democracy
came down 70 490, with the speed Of the lightning
! telegraph. They even surrendered portion Of the
territory below 4go-so much Of Vancouver island
az is situated south Of that paralle-and conceded
"to foreign power the free navigation" Of Oh,
Columbia river Through the heart OF our country,
az Mr. Polk expressed il; and this, notwithstsnd
ing "our title 70 the whole territory ASSERTED
and maintained by irrefragable facts and argu
ments." This violation Of pledges by Mr.. Poll
and his party is sufficiently set forth by Mr.. Han
negan in speech delivered in this chamber, Is
session 10Th Congress, from which I produce tn,
| following extract.
III the President has betrayed that standard
which the Baltimore convention put into his hands
xrho he btroacIf an, he