New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1881-11-18
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
-, ,,o, cr,s POLITICAL HISTORY

Won UOLST'S POLITICAL H1SIoh1.
rur c0ysTITTTTIOyAL AND POLITICAL hi1 Ho1 ar
OF THE UNITED STATES; by RT O. translated
r0m t6e e German by join a9F %na
sHnprY He isiGis5O Annexation OF Gala
promise of 1880 o'o' PIP 49, W.
CHAN Co. 1Jo1eps i'm
IT, third volume of Professor Won hoisCS hii-
,,ortont work would have been pnohsheu !0"i
soorer the author explains, had he not oe'aNou ~
for the purpose of gathering addtlohai h''.i la
dnrinp a visit to this country which ne lnaoc IN
1szsJ79 by the aid of a travelling allowance oI
1000 marks given him by the frusSlah AcaucihS W
Sciences. The volume covers the period OF the Adj
minstratons of Presidents Polk and Taylor, ana so
mucb of that of President Fillmore as embraced the
Compromise Measures of 1850. This period wit
messed the elimination of the Slave Power, It's
change from defensive and apologize attitude to
one of arrogance and aggression its prosecution oil
an unjust war of conquest for the purpose OF adding
new territory to its domain, and its successful ehOrt
10 convert the Federal Government into an instri-
ment for its protection and ACKNOWLEDGEMENT All
epoch Ct such importance i'll the history ol tho
Nation affords our German critic ample scope lor
The exercise of his remarkable ability 10 ahall"e
The natives of marty leaders and to weave from the
tangled threads of political intrigue and action
connected and phoSophic historical narrative
This volume will strengthen the impression made
destined to be accepted by the world as the stan
dard authority on American political history. 1t
fills place which is occupied by no other single
work and fills it so satisfactorily that it is not prob
able that any Other writer will soon seek to 20 over
the ground which Professor Won Hoist has sur
veyed with such industrious and CONSCIENTIOUS
care The first chapter of the present volume
begins with the Inauguration Of Polk, whose nohh-
nation he saws was brought about, in effect by the
Democratic politicians putting their hanuS lh'o
lottery box aud drawing out his name. The follow
ing portrait of Polk is not ilatcring one but Is
unquestionably accurate:
The quality of all Others which constituted Jack
sons strength. was wanting an foik ehtiIeIg. nc
was not man of the people, IT fOl no DINER reason
because the people knew nothing ABOUT NM NOT
could he ever become a man OF the people, not even
on the SuppOStlOn that ms pohcY ShOulu nave Ou-
tanned a brilliant success amt the undivided ap-
.prova of the masses lie possessed nothing OF lhat
which i'm the stcreOtypcd vocabulary of American
political phrases, is called "magnctic." Ills per
sOnal appearance had nothing commanding, ana his
address spite OF Its simplicity ana want OF dssuuip
ton, was not winning. The deep gravity ever
seated on his COuu!enancc did not win sympathy iol
him. neither did il lend him dignity which CON-
PEELED respect, nor the compassion which Is gwen /"
him over whose couch care has stood sentInel IN
the night On his private character there was NOT
"A spot and hence he was not without friends through
life But people did not tcel attracted to approach
very near to him. After hrSt meeting they asked
themselves which was the more lev, his gravity or
his poiteneSs. Had he been more attractive as
person he might perhaps have been judged more
favoraby and more correctly as politician. Ciai-
bOrue describes him as nervclesS, fond of coinpr1-
mise and repToaChes him because, spite OF his aDll
ties, he was party tool, destitute OF Will ODE
dience TO party commands was certainty one ol t,le
principal articles of his political creed. But If the
politicians had expected that they were now gong
20 have the mastery. because he was willing to play
the part 81 Il manlkln theY were greatly mistaken
in the man. The avidjty and narrow minded pre-
cisiOn which the Distinguishing traits revealed
in his long, lean face gave assurance that neither
would
so far as TO make him lose himself IN the dangerous
paths of orig nal personal policy IN opposition to
the party. But his large slightly pendant nose,
gave his face an expression OF so hlgh degree OF
self consciousness that no one could have doubted
his capacity to take the initiative IN matter win
marked decision, while his powerful chm and the
small firmly compressed lips OF his WIDE month,
bore witness to an energy which would not allow |
itself to be easily forced from course on Whlc nc
had once and after sober calculation cnit red. The
party could count upon him, beyond question; nut |
he wished TO be the party's head not merely in |
name and by right, but in fact. And as head of the
party he considered himself justified, If not IN duty
bound TO take the lead in the course 1t pointed out
so far in his estimation 1t was possible and SUIT
able TO the purpose to do so. The person OF POLK |
himself, therefore, was no programme; but TINS 10y |
no means meant that he himself had no political |
programme. And II he had one, IT certainly was |
advisable for those who presumably would not |
like it, to rub their eyes and to keep their hands IN
readiness to Obstruct his way, before 1t was TOO |
late.
Won Hoist accuses Polk of doubc-deal,ng on the
question of the tariff and of wiliul deception ANA
mendacty IN the matter of the annexation of
Texas. Only in regard to the claim Of the
United States to Oregon did he pursue
straightforward course. In the Texas bust
ness he began by deceving the Senate by as
surances that he would negotiate new |
treaty for annexation, while his intention was |
to declare the State incorporated with the Union |
by virtue of a Joint resolution of Congress which |
was itself a gross violation of the Constitution |
and was not intended to accomplish anneXa- !
ton without a treaty. Having got hold of Texas
Polk immediately began to weave the warp Of the |
Mexican war. He did not wait to see whether
Mexico would answer annexation with invasion. !
Three weeks afterhe passage OF the joint resolution
General Taylor, then in Louisiana, was ordered to
prepare for an expedition to Texas. Mexico had |
repeatedly declared that she would consider the |
annexation of Texas an act of war, but it WAS gen |
orally expected that she would 90 nothing more
than make a loud diplomatic fuss about it. The |
conclusion OF the preliminary peace involving the |
eventual recognition of Texan Independence had |
been a confession that Mexico was too weak to sub
jugate the country
The next move undertaken by Polk as the instru- !
ment of the schemes Of the Slave Power was to pro-
woke Mexico to war by invading territory TO which |
Texas had rightful claim. Professor Won |
Hoist is emphatic in his conclusion that the Nucccs
was the true boundary between Texas and Mexico. |
ne SHOWS lhdU IcA''o ho'Oi OCl'io0 any "u'ioi''J
beyond that river except in the town OF Corpus |
Christi on its west bank. BY silence on some im-
portant points and by giving false coloring to
others Polk managed to construct imsy pretcnco |
of q claim TO the country between the NucCes and
The Rio GTdnde. He ordered Taylor to advance TO
The Rio Grandc, and in repeated dispatches told
him that if the Meyicans crossed the river with
considerable force he should consider this in
vason of the United States and the commencement
Of hostities. Polk thus assumed to decide for him
seH MithnnL trealv with Mnyicn anA yyiihnnl The