England. Being young and feeble, and being settled almost entirely by Americans, the people of Texas at an early day came to the conclusion. that their best interests required them to seek a union with the United States, and as early as August, 1837, a proposition was submitted to Mr. Van Buren looking to such a union. It was declined by him, but the question was taken up by the press and people of the Union, and was discussed with the greatest interest and activity. The south was unanimously in favor of the annexation of Texas, as it was a region in which slave labor would be particularly profitable; and a strong party in the north opposed the annexation for the reason that it would inevitably extend the area of slavery. An additional argument against annexation was that it would involve a war with Mexico, which had never acknowledged the independence of Texas.

In April, 1844, Texas formally applied for admission into the United States, and a treaty for that purpose was negotiated with her by the government of this country. It was

rejected by the Senate.

In the fall of 1844 the presidential election took place. The leading political question of the day was the annexation of Texas. It was advocated by the administration of President Tyler and by the Democratic party. This party also made the claim of the United States to Oregon one of the leading issues of the campaign. Its candidates were James K. Polk, of Tennessee, and George M. Dallas, of Pennsylvania. The Whig party supported Henry Clay, of Kentucky, and Theodore Frelinghuysen, of New Jersey, and opposed the annexation of Texas.

During this campaign, which was one of unusual excitement, the Anti-slavery party made its appearance for the first time as a distinct political organization, and nominated James G. Birney as its candidate for the presidency.

The result of the campaign was a decisive victory for the Democrats. This success was generally regarded as an emphatic expression of the popular will respecting the Texas and Oregon questions. Mr. Birney did not receive a single electoral vote, and of the popular vote only sixty-four thousand six hundred and fifty-three ballots were cast for him.

When Congress met in December, 1864, the efforts for the annexation of Texas were renewed. A proposition was made to receive Texas into the Union by a joint resolution of Congress. A bill for this purpose passed the House of Representatives, but the Senate added an amend

ment appointing commissioners to negotiate with Mexico for the annexation of Texas, which she still claimed as a part of her territory. The president was authorized by a clause in these resolutions to adopt either the House or the Senate plan of annexation, and on the 2d of March, 1845, the resolutions were adopted. Senator Benton, of Missouri, the author of the Senate plan, was of the opinion that the matter would be left to Mr. Polk, the president-elect, to be conducted by him; and that gentleman had expressed his intention to carry out the Senate plan, as he

patched with all speed to Texas to lay the proposition before the authorities of that State. It was accepted by them, and on the 4th of July, 1845, Texas became one of the United States.

The area thus added to the territory of the Union comprised two hundred and thirty-seven thousand five hundred and four square miles. It was provided by the act of admission that four additional States might be formed out of the territory of Texas, when the population should increase to an extent which should make such a step desirable. Those States lying north of the Missouri Compromise line-36° 30' north latitudewere to be free States; those south of

that line were to be free or slave-. holding," as the people of each State asking admission may desire." To Texas was reserved the right to refuse to allow the division of her territory.

On the 3d of March, 1845, the president approved an act of Congress admitting the Territories of Iowa and Florida into the Union as States.

No president has ever been more unpopular during his administration than Mr. Tyler. His administration speaks for itself, however, and bears out the truth of his memorable words: "I appeal from the vituperation of the present day to the pen of impartial history, in the full confidence that neither my motives nor my acts will bear the interpretation which has, for sinister purposes, been placed upon them."

CHAPTER XXXVII.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF JAMES K. POLK-THE WAR WITH MEXICO.

The Oregon Question-Position of President Polk respecting it-The Question SettledTreaty for Settlement of Claims against Mexico-Mexico Resents the Annexation of Texas-General Taylor Ordered to Texas-He Advances to the Rio Grande-Battles of Palo Alto and Resaca de la Palma-The War with Mexico Begun-Invasion of Mexico -Occupation of Matamoras-Action of the United States Government-Taylor Advances into the Interior-The Storming and Capture of Monterey-The Armistice-Return of Santa Anna to Mexico-President Polk Duped-Santa Anna Seizes the Mexican Government-General Wool Joins General Taylor-Troops Taken from Taylor's Army-Advance of the Mexicans-Battle of Buena Vista-Conquest of California by Fremont and Stockton-Occupation of Santa Fé-New Mexico Conquered-Doniphan's March -Occupation of Chihuahua-Sailing of Scott's Expedition-Reduction of Vera CruzSanta Anna Collects a New Army-Battle of Cerro Gordo-Occupation of Puebla by Scott-Trouble with Mr. Trist-Vigorous Measures of Santa Anna-Scott Advances upon the City of Mexico-El Peñon Turned-Battles of Contreras and Churubusco-Capture of Molino del Rey-Storming of Chapultepec-Capture of the City of Mexico-Siege of Puebla Raised-Flight of Santa Anna-Treaty of Peace Negotiated-Close of the War-Acquisition of California and New Mexico-Discovery of Gold in California— Rapid Emigration to the Pacific-Death of John Quincy Adams-The Wilmot Proviso -Revival of the Slavery Question—General Taylor elected President.

HE inauguration of James K. Polk, as president of the United States, took place on the 4th of March, 1845. He had served the country as governor of the State of Tennessee, and for fourteen years had been a member of the House of Representatives in Congress from that State, and had been several times chosen speaker of that body. His cabinet was selected from the first men of his party. James Buchanan was secretary of state; Robert J. Walker was secretary of the treasury; William L. Marcy, secretary of war; and George Bancroft, the historian, secretary of the navy.

Two important questions presented themselves to the new administration for settlement: the troubles with Mexico growing out of the annexation of Texas, and the arrangement of the northwestern boundary of the United States.

The question of the northwestern boundary had been left unsettled by the treaty of Washington in 1842. Great Britain was anxious to arrange the matter, and late in the year 1842 Mr. Fox, the British minister at

Washington, proposed to Mr. Webster, then secretary of state, to open negotiations. The British proposition was accepted, but nothing further was done until February, 1844, when Sir Richard Packenham, the British minister at Washington, proposed to take up the question of the Oregon boundary and settle it. Mr. Upshur, the secretary of state, accepted the offer, but was killed a few days later by the explosion on board the "Princeton." Six months later, Sir Richard Packenham renewed the proposal to Mr. Calhoun, who had become secretary of state, and negotiations were entered upon in earnest.

The territory of Oregon lay between the forty-second and fifty-fourth parallels of north latitude, and extended from the Rocky mountains on the east to the Pacific ocean on the west. This region was originally claimed by Spain, by whose subjects it was first discovered. At the cession of Florida, Spain ceded to the United States all her territory north

JAMES K. POLK.

of the forty-second parallel of north latitude, from the headwaters of the Arkansas to the Pacific. Mexico, upon achieving her independence, had acknowledged by a treaty with the United States the validity of this boundary. The line of fifty-four degrees forty minutes north latitude was established by treaty between the United States, Great Britain, and Russia as the southern boundary of the Russian possessions in America.

The United States claimed the entire region of Oregon in virtue of the cession of Spain in the Florida treaty; the discoveries of Captain Gray, of Boston, who circumnavigated the globe, and in 1792 discovered to a certain extent and explored the Columbia river; the explorations of Lewis and Clarke in 1805 and 1806 of the southern main branch of the Columbia, and of the river itself from the mouth of that branch to the sea; and the settlement of Astoria planted at the mouth of the Columbia in 1811 by John Jacob Astor, of New York. Oregon was also claimed by England, who also rested her pretensions on discovery, and on the settlement made by the Northwest Company on Fraser's river, in 1806, and on another near the headwaters of the north branch of the Columbia.

In 1818 the United States and Great Britain had agreed upon the forty-ninth degree of north latitude, as the boundary between the United States and British America from the Lake of the Woods to the summit of the Rocky mountains. Mr. Calhoun now opened the negotiations by

proposing to continue this line to the Pacific. The British minister would not consent to this, but proposed to extend the forty-ninth parallel from the mountains to the north branch of the Columbia, and then to make the boundary follow that stream from this point of intersection to the sea. Mr. Calhoun at once declined to accept this boundary, and the further consideration of the subject was postponed until Packenham could receive additional instructions from his government.

During the presidential campaign of 1844 the Democratic party adopted as its watchword, "all of Oregon or none," and the excitement upon the question ran high. The election of Mr. Polk showed that the American people were resolved to insist upon their claim to Oregon, and when the new president in his inaugural address took the bold ground that the

American title to "Oregon territory" "was dear and indisputable," and declared his intention to maintain it at the cost of war with England, the matter assumed a serious aspect, and for a while it seemed that party passion would involve the two countries in hostilities. President Polk, upon a calmer consideration of the subject, caused the secretary of state to reopen the negotiations by proposing to Great Britain the forty-ninth parallel of latitude as a boundary. The British minister declined the proposition, and the matter was dropped.

According to the treaties of 1818 and 1828, the joint occupation of Oregon could be terminated by either party by giving the other twelve months notice. The president now proposed to give the required notice, which was done by a resolution of Congress. This put an end to the old arrangement, and compelled the two countries to make a new settlement