Birmingham age-herald., 1895-09-27
PRESIDENT POLK AND MEXICO
how the War Between That Country ano the
 United States Was Precptated.

United States Was Precipitated.
 James Schouler in Atalntic Monthly.
 President Polk has been greatly blamed for precipitaing the United States in an unrighteous war with Mexico, and at the same time placing the onus of hos tilities most craftlly and dishonesty upon that republic The familiar phrases of his message will be recalled: "Mexico has passed the boundary of the United States, has invaded our territory and shed Amer jean blood upon American soil" War
 exists, and, notwithstanding all our ef- forts to avoid it, exists by the acts of Mexico herself" The real climax as shown by the dairy makes this disSimula- tion even greater than has been supposed. Saturday, the 9th of May, 1S46, was a memorable one. Sliddell was now in Washington, having returned from mis- sion for purchase utterly fruitless; and Polk, feeling convinced that nothing but war would give us the treaty of ample ceSSion that he was bent upon procuring, took up war policy. It was not the orig inal Texas which had won it's independ- ence that he wanted to annex, for Mex ico sought no recovery; nor was it Texas as voted to the Rio Grande, for Taylor held that disputed solitude by military possession, and was the real aSgresSor; but it was a new and broader belt to the Pacific. whose clear title could be won, as now SeeInu clear, Only Dy lOIce of arms. Congress being in the midst of it's long session. the president summoned his cabinet on this Saturday, and stated that 1t was his desire to send to the two houses an immediate war message. But no news of any armed advance or oppOSi- ton by MeXicans or of bloodshed or colli- sion of any sort had reached Washington from the front where General Taylor with his command was already posted to make the disputed area of Texas our own. The cabinet as a whole advised the president encouragingly, but Buch anan not without hesitation, while Ban
 croft, the secretary of the navy, gave his candid opinion that we ought to wait for some act of hostility before de- claring war Folks diary shows, how ever, that hs preferred to recommend war as matters stood, for after the ad- journment he made his preparations to write a message. But a new and sud den turn was given to the situation about sunset of the same day, when dispatches from General Taylor reached the White House by the southern mail, reporting that slight and casual attack by Mexican and loss of fife on the line of the Rio Grande, which has since passed into history. Here then was the opportunity for throwing all scruples aside; and that Polk made the most of this casus bell, of this shedding of the first drop of blood by Mexico, the American world is well
 aware The cabinet were summoned once more in the evening; and they agred unanimously that a war message should be sent into congress on Monday, based upon this new state of facts.
 But would not that war message have been sent the same had not this oppor- tune intelligence arrived from the front? All now, says the diary, was unity and energy MT. Polk worked all Sunday over the message except for his attend ance at morning church. Secretary Ban croft, who took dinned with him, giving his skillful literary aid in the afternoon. There was great excitement in Wash ington, and confidential friends of the democracy were preparing to have con gress cooperate Tt was" records the president, piously, but with no apparent sense of the unrighteousness of his sec ular task, "a day of great anxiety to me, and l regretted the necessity for me to spend the Sabbath in the manner I have" On the morning of Monday, the momentous 11th of May, MT. Polk shut out company, and carefully revised this war message, which he sent into congress about noon; and such was the haste of prepara ton that he had not time to read over the accompanying executive corre- spondence, though he had seen the orig inals. Slidell. in the afternoon, called upon him, to announce that though the bill for declaring the war with Mexico passed the house, the senate had ad- journed without action. and evidently not united. But the bill went through that branch Tuesday, with a slight amendment, in which the house con cured. The act was brought to the pres ident soon after the noon of Wednesday. May 13. and he approved and signed 1t; and an executive proclama ton was forth with issued which announced the exist ence of war, following the example of President Madison in 1872