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 certained 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 MIR. Polk on the
subject, and did so. He afterwards told me that he
was authorized by Mr.. Polk to say 70 myself and
other Senator'S thati could pass the resolution
with the amendment proposed TO be made, he would
not use 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 saw Mr.. Polk personally, and
he gave him 'full assurance that he would appoint
a commission contemplated in the bill proposed
by Colonel Benton, passed In conjunction with the
House resolution, an alternative" ''and that
the first men Of the country should fill the commits
sion" Mr.. Blair says that Messrs Benton, Bag
by, Dix, and fappan were absolute in their oppo-
sition to the House resolution; and, can add, my
predecessor Mr.. Niles) was also, as have ever
understood 1t is believed all these Senators voted
for the amendment, and for the resolution as
amended, the faith of this positive assurance of
MIR. Polk. Il is certain MIR. Tappan did 50; for he
says "upon this assurance i voted for the amend
ment moved by Mr.. Walker, containing the sub
stance Of Mr.. Benton's BILL and voted for the
luton it now stands upon the statute book" II
appears from the Senate journal, I'd session 2Sth
Congress, page 800, that the resolution was uti-
matey passed by vote of twenty -seven in the af-
frmative, to twenty five in the negative; that it
was in the power of Mr.. Iappan, or any other
Democratic Senator to defeat 1T, as there was then
Vice President to give casting vote. The truth
of the statements of Mcssrs Tappan and Blair have
not been contradicted to this day by any other Of
the parties named the facts alleged must therefore
be regarded indisputable. Mr.. Polk did give
this pledge. How did he perform II! Let Mr..
Tappan tell the story:
at is (he says) matter of history that MIR. Cal
houn did have the audacity to send of special
messenger with the House resolution 10 Texas. on
hatn hn ..ltf
of office, and that Mr.. Polk adopted and confirmed
this act of Mr. Calhoun, so admitting Texas into
the Union, and placing the United States in state
of war with Mexico"
Polk 'sadopted and confirmed the act Of the retir
ing Executive, appears from his annual message to
Congress, of the % of December, lS45, in which he
says:
for annexing Texas to the United States, my pre-
decessor, on the Sd Of March, 1916, elected to sub
NIT the first and second sections fthat resolution
to the republic of Texas, an overture on the part
of the United States for her admission State
into our Union. This election approved; and ac-
cordingly the charge dafiaires 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 this pledge of Mr.. Polk
''fulflled' Is it not notorious that, "while 1t yet
fingered upon the lips of him who uttered it." he
ner2 Hence the war with Mexico; and hence the
origin Of all the evils now present with US.
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 course
of the Democracy in the matter of Oregon, and the
distinct pledge which they gave, only to be vio-
lated, to the American people, that they would, IN
the event Of the election OF MIR. Polk, assert for US
title TO the whole of that Territory. The utter
exclusion of the British from that country up to
$40 40 constituted 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:
''Resolred, That title to the tohoie of the ter
ritory of Oregon is clear and unquestionabe; 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 ut the earliest practicable PERIOD great
American measures, which this convention recon-
mends TO the cordial support Of the Democracy OF
the Union"
Thus il would seem we are to have "reannexa-
ton of Texas and "reoccupation of Oregon"
Every thing done with "RE'' in those days.
The South was to be won over by remuneration,
and the North conciliated by reoccupation, And
on this platform Mr.. Polk was elevated TO the pre-
sidency. That gentleman saw fit TO renew the
pledge in his inaugural address, as follows:
"Nor will il become in a 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
tains Our title to the territory Of the Oregon is
clear and unquestionable, and already our
people preparing TO occupy 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
''cear and unquestionable." In furtberance Of the
same idea, he remarked in his annual message TO
Congress already referred 10, (after stating that
the parallel Of 80 degrees bad been offered to and
rejected by the British goSernment,) that
ignton Of any Of our rivers, through the heart Of
our country, was one which was unwilling to con,
cede." "The extraordinary and
wholly Inadmissibe demands Of the British govern
ment, and the rejection Of the proposition, made
alone in Difference 10 what had been done by my
predecessors, and the implied obligation which their
acts seemed 70 impose, afford satisfactory evidence
that no compromise, such as the United States
ought 10 accept, can be effected. With this con-
viction, the proposition Of compromise which had
been made and rejected was, by my direction,
subsequently Withdrawn, and our title to the whole
" the Oregon Territory asserted, and is believed
maintained by irrefragable facts and arguments :"
l." "At the end Of the years mo-
tce, 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 to adj
i init Of doubt"
That this meant the expulsion Of the British from
|
the Baltimore convention declared for the whole Of
Oregon, or, az the Democracy in the habit Of
expressing themselves in those days, for "54o 40
or light ~ but also from the further fact that both
parties had been in joint possession Of the territory
for more than a quarter Of century, under and
by virtue OF the conventions Of the 10Th Of October
ISIS and Of the 18th 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 sac 90. Nothing could
exceed the herOism which they exhibited on that
parallel. But the British lion made his ap.
| peaance; and he had scarcely thrown himself into
his usual attitude ofdefanee before the Democracy
came down 70 4so, with the speed Of the lightning
i telegraph. They even surrendered portion Of the
territory below $50 much Of Nancouyer's island
az s situated south Of that parallel-and conceded
"to a foreign power the free navigation" Of the
Columbia river Through the heart OF our country,
az Mr.. Polk expressed IL; and this, notwithstand
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 s sufficiently set forth by Mr.. Han
negan in speech delivered in this chamber, Is
session 10Th Congress, from which produce thu
following extract
"If the President has betrayed that standard
vyhi fhc Haltirnoro his han