The Cecil Whig. [volume] (Elkton, Md.) 1841-current, 1880-12-04

styled "the country of the Columbia"
Mr. Allen, having vociferously under
taken to show that the Southern Sena-
tors had acted in bad faith on the an
nexation of Texas, and were disposed to
do so again on the Oregon question,
was sharply answered by Calhoun and
McDuf1ie Mr.. flanagan. in highly
excited harangue, declared that 'if the
President should surrender the banner
which was put into his hands by the Bal
timore convention. he would prove him
self recreant to his professions, recreant
to the party, and recreant to the coun-
try. If it were true, the President would
be doomed to an infamy SO profound, a
damnation so deep, that the trumpet call
of the resurrection could never reach
him.
The excitement produced by the threat
ened war with Great Britain on the Ore
gon question prepared the public mind
for the hoStilties with Mexico. antthrr
Troublesome legacy inherited from JOAN
Tyler By the Polk administration. Tie
first step was to send an army o:
occupation to the frontier command
ed by Brevet Brigadier General Zacha-
riah Taylor. lie was a Southelner
| by birth and by education-a planter
who worked his own slaves and a SOL
dier who had never any fault to find with
his profession except that promotion
came slowly in time of peace. lie re-
| fused to march into the enemy's country
until positively ordered to do SO. and
was finally told that he need not wait
for directions from Washington to carry
out what he might deem proper to be
done He obeycd orders. and soon
demonstrated what he thought should be
done on the bloody fields of P;ilo Alto
and Rrsaca de la Palma. Had the gov
eminent supported the gallant heia VIII"
thus fought two pitched battles AID TEL
minated a campaign, he w.'uld have cnm-
tinued his victorious march, and soon
| reached the halls of the Montezumas in
triumph. But the people began to talk
of General TAYLOR as worthy OF the
highest office in their gilt, and President
Polk began to cripple him; not success
| fully, however. until after he had forced
the garrison of Monterey to capitulate,
and had Won his browning victory at
| Buena Vista.
! President Polk, who had meanwhile
given laid and comfort - to the enemy
by permitting the return of General
Santa Anna. withdrew the best trnors
from General Taylor's army. and placed
them. with reinforcements. under the
command of Major-General Scott. whose
march from Vera Cruz to the city
Mexico won for him the applause of his
countrymen and of the great generals ~
| Europe. But Mr.. Polk endeavored T."
degrade the men whose military skill
! and daring had almost miraculously savrG
the arms of their country from di>grac,
by persuading Congress to create til,
Office of lieutenant general. Had this
been done. he would have commissioned
Thomas Hart Benton, who would have
outranked Major Generals Scott and Ta,-
ler, who had been assailed in Congress
by the Presidents right hand supporters
Orlando B. Fickln. Of Illinois, anu
Jacob Thompson, of Mississippi-as unit
to conduct the war with advantage t."
| the Democratic party.
To the more intelligent portion of til,
United States the war with McXic" W.,
repulsve. and the manner in which II
was used for the advancement of Demo
cratic politicians was revolving; but vcr'
few forgot their allegiance to THEN coun-
try iii the face of the enemy. Congress
repeatedly appealed to by the President.
voted men and money without stint. t"
secure the National success and t" MATT
tain the National honor. Wing State
which-like MaSsachusetts-hadn no sym
patty for the war, contributed the bra--
est of their SONS, but it was noticeable
that the contracts for military supplies
and the charter of vessels for transporta-
ton were almost invariably made with
Democrats Indeed, some of them must
have regretted the declaration of peace;
nor was it many years before they again
came to the front, as contractors, char
terers of vessels, discounters of officers
pay olders, quartermasters, commits
saries, suffers, and camp followers
Many of those, at the North and at the
South. who made small sums from their
connection with the Mexican war amass-
ed fortunes during the subsequent war Of
the rebellion.
The third important measure identified
with the Polk administration was the
repeal of the tariff act Of 1912. and the
enactment of another more decidedly in
the interest of the British manufacturers
Although majority of both Houses
were opposed to the bill, as was declared
again and again in the prolonged debate
which it occasioned, it was forced through
Congress by the persistent efforts o.
President Polk. seconded by Mr.. Robert
J. Walker, his Secretary Of the Treasury
They were aided by Mr.. George Dwight
a Massachusetts Wing. who was a bitter
enemy of protection to home industry
, and the rcputed agent of the manufa
turers and the exporters of Great Britain
He occupied a large parlor in one of the
leading hotels at Washington during thu
sessions of Congress under the Polk ad
ministration, where he dispensed a gen
erons although by no means indiscrimi
nate hospitality. and his position as tn,
aren't Of the British manufacturing ant
mercantile interests was well understood
, There were great changes in the mem
berShip of the United States Senate a
the commencement of the Polk admins
f tration Webster and Calhoun and CLAW
ton returned to the chairs which the,
, had previously occupied; Crittenden tool
, the place of Clay; and Bright. Pu Ter
Cass, Corwin. Dough- Dix. Hale. Rev
erdv Johnson Jefferson Davis. Houston
f Hunter. Hamlin and Mason were among
+ the new Senators. But Rufus Choat
+ h,d returned to the practice of his pro
+ f,.s>ion, Silas Wright had been elected
! Governor of the State of New York
, Levi Woodbury. had been placed upnl
e the bench of the Supr me Court, jaime
n Buchanan and Robert J. Walker ha
been appointed members of the Cabinet