The farmer and mechanic. [volume] (Raleigh, N.C.) 18??-19??, 1912-06-04

opinion Of most Southern and West
ern Senators when the treaty was r
ceived. and II was their purpoe. 10
oppose or delay its acceptance untii
opportunity should offer for the pre-
sentation of q demand on NeNl,o
looking to the annexation OF the who.
country, or at least all OF that por-
ton lying. east OF the great arid
plateau. that is. the whole gulf coast
from Texas to Central America. Just
how far the President resisted his
lleutenantS in Congress would be DIFF
fcult TO determine. but We do know
that there was a way OF reopening tho
whole subject even after the treaty
was accepted; that was in the plan
to declare Yucatan, Their in revolt
against Mexico. under the protection
of the United States. Such a plan
was already under consideration. ana
a representative Of Yucatan was on
the ground urging the President al
most daily to hasten TO take over his
country.
On March 10 the treaty was ac-
cepted; but the imperialists were not
R~ucnanan presented to the bin
the petition of Commissioner Sierra,
of Yucatan, asking immediate inter
ventiOn. The opposition to the treaty
now with r~edoubled energy came to
the service of Walker and Buchanan.
he pOlHt Oh departure Tor tne leaO-
ing Southerners and Westerners in the
final effort to secure all OF Mexico
was Now is the accepted time"
Houston. of Texas, who certainly
knew better than most others how
important it was to act while Eng
land was busy elsewhere, was one OF
the most active and insistent advo-
Gates Of immediate occupation. one
Of the most familiar of the
whole discussion, and which does not
sound very strange to our ears today,
was the duty assigned by Providence
Of carrying the blessings Of American
liberty and a real Christian religion
to those poor people sitting in utter
darkness"
ON April 90, the President sent a
message to Congress recommending
immediate Intervention in Yucatan,
where independence of Mexico had
been declared a year before and
where civil war then prevailed. The
Yucatanese asked assistance with 4
view to protection against the, so
called savage element of their own
population and against h enraged
Mexicans, who, upon the return OF
peace, might be expected to punish
the recalcitrant peninsula President
Polk and his cabinet seem to have
determined now to take this oppor-
tunity to reopeA the question Of the
annexation Of an Mexico and at the
same time to suggest to the country
the policy Of purchasing Cuba as
completing the American mastery OF
the Gulf Of Mexico. The two men
who were placed in charge of the pro-
posed legislation were the most ardent
imperia1ists in Congress, Senator
H~annegan, OF Indiana, and Represen-
tative Howell Cobb, OF Georgia. Tho
President had frequently noted in his
diary that Hannegan was bent on
holding all Mexico; he had said that
such extremists were about to wreck
the administrations policy when the
treaty was under consideration. Why
did he now make Hannegan the spon-
ser OF the proposed bill for the seizure
OF Iucatan at the very moment the
treaty was before the Mexican gov
eminent for ratification? And why
were all the extremists in Congress
acting as by preconcerted
lment for immediate intervention with
out giving time for debate or even a
careful reading Of the
bearing on the subject, which, Cal
houn showed in his speech of oppo-
sltion, had all been before the cabinet
three days before the treaty was ac-
cepted? The answer seems TO force
itself: the President and the great
party or expansion had definite news
OF conditions in Europe which gave
every assurance that nc interference
need De reared either from England
or France, both Interested in Mexican
affairs. and regretting the Trist treaty
from he beginning, they decided to
take more or all OF Mexico.
The reading of the Presidents mes
sage was the signal for the beginning
Of a most noteworthy discussion in
both Senate and House. me
brought q bill into the Senate on May
4 authorizing the President to send q
portion OF the army then in Mexico
to Yucatan, while Cass and Jefferson
Davis pressed again the bill blowing
the increase Of the army of occupa-
ton by twenty thousand soldiers. Tho
champions OF the measure oneniy
stated that it was quite likely that
, permanent occupation Of the disturbed
region would be the result. Hanne-
gan insisted that it was time to fore