Yorkville enquirer. [volume] (Yorkville, S.C.) 1855-2006, 1910-06-14
81
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EPILOGUE.
"'Tis the Star SpangIed Banner; O.,
long may it wave,
Ger the land of the free, and the
home of the brave!"

long may it wave,
Ger the land of the free, and the
home of the brave!"
Francis Scott Key.
on the night that Miss Elisabeth
Churchill gave me her hand and her
heart for ever-for which | have not
yet ceased to thank God-there began
the guns of Palo Alto. Later, there
came the fields of Monterey, Buena Wis.,
Ia, Cerro Gordo, Contreras. Cherubusco,
Molino del Rey-at last the guns
sounded at the gate of the old City OF
Mexico itself. Some of that fighting
myself saw; but much of the time
was employed in that manner of spe-
cial work which had engaged me for
the last few years. 1t was through MIR
Calhouns agency that l reached GER
tain Importance in these matters; and
so | was chosen as the commission
er to negotiate a peace with Mexico.
This honor later proved to be a dam
gerous and questionable one. General
Scott wanted no interference. of this
kind, especially since he knew Mr..
Calhouns influence in my choice. He
thwarted all my attempts to reach the
headquarters of the enemy, and did
everything he could to secure peace
of his own, at the mouth of the cannon.
| could offer no terms better than Mr..
Buchanan, then our secretary of state,
had prepared for me, and these We're
rejected by the Mexican government at
last l was ordered by Mr.. Polk to
state that we had no better terms to
offer; and as for myself, l was told to
return to Washington. At that time ]
could not make my way out through
the lines, nor, in truth, did much care
to do so.
A certain event not written in his
tory influenced me TO remain for a
time at the little village of Guadalupe
Hidalgo. Here, in short l received
word from a lady whom l had formerly
known, none less than Sonora YturriO,
once a member of the Mexican legation
at Washington. True to her record.
she had again reached influential po-
sition in her country, using methods OF
her own. She told me now 10 pay no
attention to what had been reported
by Mexico. In fact. was approached
again by the Mexican commissioners,
introduced by her, What was done
then is history. We signed then and
&C q
in accordance with the terms original
" given me by our secretary of state.
So, after all. Calhoun's kindness to
woman i'm distress was not lost; and
so. after all. he unwittingly helped in
the ending of the war he never wish
ed begun.
Meantime, l had been recalled to
Washington, but did not know the ma
ture of that recall. When at last l
arrived there l found myself disgraced
and discredited. My actions were re-
pudated by the administration. l my
self was dismissed from the service
without pay-sad enough blow for a
young man who had been married less
than year.
Mr.. Polks jealousy of John Calhoun
was not the only cause of this. Cal
houn's prophecy was right. Polk did
not forget his revenge on me. Yet,
none the less. after his usual fashion.
he was not averSe To receiving such
credit as he could. He put the rcspon-
sibility of the treaty upon the senate!
1t was debated hotly there for some
weeks. and at last, much to his surprise
and my qualification. it was ratified!
The north. which had opposed this
Mexican war-that same war which
later led inevitably to the war of the
Rebelion-now found itself unable to
say much against the great additions
to our domain which the treaty had
secured. We paid fifteen millions. in
addition to our territorial indemnity
claim. and we got a realm whose
wealth could not be computed. So
much. it must be owned, did fortune do