The news & observer. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 1894-current, 1905-06-18

dark horse" in Democratic history in
the person of James X. Polk. No
shrewder manipulation has ever char
acterized the proceedings of a great
party convention than that of Robert
j. Walker of Mississippi, in the Balti-
more Convention of 1914.
Already Tyler and Calhoun had
practically brought TO successful is
sue the annexation of Texas, which
meant the increase of the slavery sec
ton of the country by an area more
than six times that of Virginia today.
The MisSissippians now winning the
first place in the council of their party
were demanding the annexation of still
other prizes-Cuba, California, and,
perhaps Mexico in case that weak
state resented the annexation of Texas
her former territory. Walker proposed
to the Northwestern delegates the re
annexation of Oregon" as far as south
ern Alaska on condition that they
would support the remuneration OF
Texas" So popular has the cry for
expansion always been in the United
states that, when this combination of
lower Southern and Northwestern pol
iticians took place, their candidate was
elected over so popular a man as
Henry Clay.
the welcome war with Mexico and tn =
occupation of vast territory south of
the famous Missouri Compromise line
Polk proposed to his cabinet the
annexation of the whole of Mexico:
but his Cabinet was afraid to suggest
such a plant to the Senate, dominated,
as it was, by Wing influences. Our
present Southern boundaries, with q
single exception, were then proposed.
y Q1If " an
the proposed indemnity to Mexico was
introduced, the North, though accept
ing all anneXations, laid down the pro-
position that no new lands thus to be
acquired should ever be open to set
Element by the owners of negro slaves!
This was taking the prize from the
victor's hands. From this day Miss
issippi, Alabama, Texas and South
Carolina with strong parties in Geor-
gia, Louisiana and Florida, declared
that the restricting of slavery by the
National authority meant the seces-
sion of the South. Calhoun's last
words to his devoted followers con-
tanned the admonition: in secession
alone lies your safety
The Gathering Storm and Southern
Unity.
Between 1850 and 1860 these new
StateS-thiS country whose founda-
lions Hawkins had done SO much to
establish men who had long been
jealous of the national government be-
cause of it's potent enmity to slavery,
combined with nullificationists of 1888
to carry the whole South into the
scheme of secession. Rhett and Yam
cey resigned seats in the national
Congress to agitate and organize their
States on behalf of secession. Jefferson
Davis Joined the party; in fact he had
been designated by Calhoun as the
logical leader of Southern policies. 1t
was not until 1S54-'56, when the rise
of the Republican party out of the
ruins of ancient Wing and Free Soil
parties, headed by John c. Fremont,
threatened to carry" the North over
to the Dosition of the Abolitionists,
that these agitators of the lower South
were able to gain hearing in Virginia
and other border States. Yancey can
vassed the country; Rhett's famous
paper the Charleston Mercury kept up
| the cry for secession; and Southern
commercial conventions, meeting each
! year in some leading city, finally call