The reason for these impressions was that an intrigue was laid, with the knowledge of the Executive, for a peace, even before the war was declared, and a special agent dispatched to bring about a return to Mexico of its exiled President, General Santa Anna, and conclude a treaty of peace with him, on terms favorable to the United States. And for this purpose Congress granted an appropriation of three millions of dollars to be placed at the disposal of the President, for negotiating for a boundary which should give the United States additional territory.

line. He was in a dilemma; to maintain that position meant war with Great Britain; to recede from it seemed impossible. The proposition for the line of 49 degrees having been withdrawn by the American government on its non-acceptance by the British, had appeased the Democratic storm which had been raised against the President. Congress had come together under the loud cry of war, in which Mr. Cass was the leader, but followed by the body of the democracy, and backed and cheered by the whole democratic newspaper press. Under the authority and order of Congress notice had been served on Great Britain While this matter was pending in Conwhich was to abrogate the joint occupation gress, Mr. Wilmot of Pennsylvania introof the country by the citizens of the two duced and moved a proviso, "that no part powers. It was finally resolved by the of the territory to be acquired should be British Government to propose the line of open to the introduction of slavery." It was 49 degrees, continuing to the ocean, as a proposition not necessary for the puroriginally offered by Mr. Calhoun; and pose of excluding slavery, as the only terthough the President was favorable to its ritory to be acquired was that of New acceptance, he could not, consistently with Mexico and California, where slavery was his previous acts, accept and make a already prohibited by the Mexican laws treaty, on that basis. The Senate, with and constitution. The proviso was therewhom lies the power, under the constitu- fore nugatory, and only served to bring on tion, of confirming or restricting all trea- a slavery agitation in the United States. ties, being favorable to it, without respect For this purpose it was seized upon by Mr. to party lines, resort was had, as in the Calhoun and declared to be an outrage early practice of the Government, to the upon and menace to the slave-holding President, asking the advice of the Senate States. It occupied the attention of Conupon the articles of a treaty before negoti-gress for two sessions, and became the subation. A message was accordingly sent to ject of debate in the State Legislatures, the Senate, by the President, stating the several of which passed disunion resoluproposition, and asking its advice, thus shifting the responsibility upon that body, and making the issue of peace or war depend upon its answer. The Senate advised the acceptance of the proposition, and the treaty was concluded.

The conduct of the Whig Senators, without whose votes the advice would not have been given nor the treaty made, was patriotic in preferring their country to their party-in preventing a war with Great Britain and saving the administration from itself and its party friends.

The second session of the 29th Congress was opened in December, 1847. The President's message was chiefly in relation to the war with Mexico, which had been declared by almost a unanimous vote in Congress. Mr. Calhoun spoke against the declaration in the Senate, but did not vote upon it. He was sincerely opposed to the war, although his conduct had produced it. Had he remained in the cabinet, to do which he had not concealed his wish, he would, no doubt, have labored earnestly to have prevented it. Many members of Congress, of the same party with the administration, were extremely averse to the war, and had interviews with the President, to see if it was inevitable, before it was declared. Members were under the impression that the war could not last above three months.

tions. It became the watchword of partythe synonym of civil war, and the dissolution of the Union. Neither party really had anything to fear or to hope from the adoption of the proviso-the soil was free, and the Democrats were not in a position to make slave territory of it, because it had just enunciated as one of its cardinal principles, that there was no power in Congress to legislate upon slavery in Territories." Never did two political parties contend more furiously about nothing. Close observers, who had been watching the progress of the slavery agitation since its inauguration in Congress in 1835, knew it to be the means of keeping up an agitation for the benefit of the political parties-the abolitionists on one side and the disunionists or nullifiers on the other-to accomplish their own purposes. This was the celebrated Wilmot Proviso, which for so long a time convulsed the Union; assisted in forcing the issue between the North and South on the slavery question, and almost caused a dissolution of the Union. The proviso was defeated; that chance of the nullifiers to force the issue was lost; another had to be made, which was speedily done, by the introduction into the Senate on the 19th February, 1847, by Mr. Calhoun of his new slavery resolutions, declaring the Territories to be the common property of the several States; denying

the right of Congress to prohibit slavery passed with an amendment incorporating in a Territory, or to pass any law which into it the anti-slavery clause of the ordiwould have the effect to deprive the citi-nance of 1787. Mr. Calhoun, in the Senzens of any slave State from emigrating ate, declared that the exclusion of slavery with his property (slaves) into such Terri- from any territory was a subversion of the tory. The introduction of the resolutions Union; openly proclaimed the strife bewas prefaced by an elaborate speech by tween the North and South to be ended, Mr. Calhoun, who demanded an immediate and the separation of the States accomvote upon them. They never came to a plished. His speech was an open invocavote; they were evidently introduced for tion to disunion, and from that time forth, the mere purpose of carrying a question to the efforts were regular to obtain a meetthe slave States on which they could be ing of the members from the slave States, formed into a unit against the free States; to unite in a call for a convention of the and so began the agitation which finally slave States to redress themselves. He led to the abrogation of the Missouri Com-said: "The great strife between the North promise line, and arrayed the States of one and the South is ended. The North is section against those of the other. determined to exclude the property of the The Thirtieth Congress, which assem-slaveholder, and, of course, the slaveholder bled for its first session in December, 1847, himself, from its territory. On this point was found, so far as respects the House of there seems to be no division in the North Representatives, to be politically adverse In the South, he regretted to say, there to the administration. The Whigs were was some division of sentiment. The in the majority, and elected the Speaker; effect of this determination of the North Robert C. Winthrop, of Massachusetts, was to convert all the Southern population being chosen. The President's message into slaves; and he would never consent contained a full report of the progress of to entail that disgrace on his posterity. the war with Mexico; the success of the He denounced any Southern man who American arms in that conflict; the vic- would not take the same course. Gentletory of Cerro Gordo, and the capture of men were greatly mistaken if they supthe City of Mexico; and that negotiations posed the Presidential question in the were then pending for a treaty of peace. South would override this more important The message concluded with a reference one. The separation of the North and the to the excellent results from the indepen-South is completed. The South has now dent treasury system.

a most solemn obligation to perform-to herself to the constitution—to the Union. She is bound to come to a decision not to permit this to go on any further, but to show that, dearly as she prizes the Union, there are questions which she regards as of greater importance than the Union. This is not a question of territorial government, but a question involving the continuance of the Union." The President,

The war with Mexico was ended by the signing of a treaty of peace, in February, 1848, by the terms of which New Mexico and Upper California were ceded to the United States, and the lower Rio Grande, from its mouth to El Paso, taken for the boundary of Texas. For the territory thus acquired, the United States agreed to pay to Mexico the sum of fifteen million dollars, in five annual installments; and be-in approving the Oregon bill, took occasides that, assumed the claims of Ameri- sion to send in a special message, pointcan citizens against Mexico, limited to ing out the danger to the Union from the three and a quarter million dollars, out of progress of the slavery agitation, and urged and on account of which claims the war an adherence to the principles of the ordiostensibly originated. The victories achiev-nance of 1787-the terms of the Missouri ed by the American commanders, Generals compromise of 1820-as also that involved Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, during and declared in the Texas case in 1845, as that war, won for them national reputations, by means of which they were brought prominently forward for the Presidential succession.

the means of averting that danger.

The Presidential election of 1848 was coming on. The Democratic convention⚫ met in Baltimore in May of that year; The question of the power of Congress to each State being represented in the conlegislate on the subject of slavery in the vention by the number of delegates equal Territories, was again raised, at this session, to the number of electoral votes it was enon the bill for the establishment of the titled to; saving only New York, which Oregon territorial government. An amend- sent two sets of delegates, and both were ment was offered to insert a provision for excluded. The delegates were, for the the extension of the Missouri compromise most part, members of Congress and office. line to the Pacific Ocean; which line thus holders. The two-thirds rule, adopted by extended was intended by the amendment the previous convention, was again made to be permanent, and to apply to all future a law of the convention. The main questerritories established in the West. This tion which arose upon the formation of amendment was lost, but the bill was finally the platform for the campaign, was the

doctrine advanced by the Southern mem-tually that the money of the Constitution bers of non-interference with slavery in-gold and silver-was the only currency the States or in the Territories. The can- to ensure a successful financial working of didates of the party were, Lewis Cass, of the government, and prosperity to the peoMichigan, for President, and General Wm. ple. O. Butler, of Kentucky, for Vice-President.

The Whig convention, taking advantage of the popularity of Genl. Zachary Taylor, for his military achievements in the Mexican war, then just ended; and his consequent availability as a candidate, nominated him for the Presidency, over Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster and General Scott, who were his competitors before the convention. Millard Fillmore was selected as the Vicepresidential candidate.

The new President, General Zachary Taylor, was inaugurated March 4, 1849. The Senate being convened, as usual, in extra session, for the purpose, the Vice President elect, Millard Fillmore, was duly installed; and the Whig cabinet officers nominated by the President, promptly confirmed. An additional member of the Cabinet was appointed by this administration to preside over the new "Home Department since called the "Interior," created at the previous session of Congress.

A third convention was held, consisting of the disaffected Democrats from New The following December Congress met York who had been excluded from the in regular session-the 31st since the orBaltimore convention. They met at Utica, ganization of the federal government. New York, and nominated Martin Van The Senate consisted of sixty members, Bnren for President, and Charles Francis among whom were Mr. Webster, Mr. CalAdams for Vice President. The princi- houn, and Mr. Clay, who had returned to ples of its platform, were, that Congress public life. The House had 230 members; should abolish slavery wherever it consti- and although the whigs had a small matutionally had the power to do so-[which jority, the House was so divided on the was intended to apply to the District of slavery question in its various phases, Columbia]-that it should not interfere that the election for Speaker resulted in with it in the slave States and that it the choice of the Democratic candidate, should prohibit it in the Territories. This party became known as "Free-soilers," from their doctrines thus enumerated, and their party cry of "free-soil, free-speech, free-labor, free-men." The result of the election, as might have been foreseen, was to lose New York State to the Baltimore candidate, and give it to the whigs, who were triumphant in the reception of 163 electoral votes for their candidates, against 127 for the democrats; and none for the free-soilers.

Mr. Cobb, of Georgia, by a majority of three votes. The annual message of the President plainly showed that he comprehended the dangers to the Union from a continuance of sectional feeling on the slavery question, and he averred his determination to stand by the Union to the full extent of his obligations and powers. At the previous session Congress had spent six months in endeavoring to frame a satisfactory bill providing territorial governments for California and New Mexico, The last message of President Polk, in and had adjourned finally without accomDecember following, gave him the oppor- plishing it, in consequence of inability to tunity to again urge upon Congress the agree upon whether the Missouri compronecessity for some measure to quiet the mise line should be carried to the ocean, slavery agitation, and he recommended or the territories be permitted to remain the extension of the Missouri compromise as they were-slavery prohibited under line to the Pacific Ocean, passing through the laws of Mexico. Mr. Calhoun brought the new Territories of California and New forward, in the debate, a new doctrine-Mexico, as a fair adjustment, to meet as extending the Constitution to the territory, far as possible the views of all parties. and arguing that as that instrument recogThe President referred also to the state of nized the existence of slavery, the settlers the finances; the excellent condition of in such territory should be permitted to the public treasury; government loans, hold their slave property taken there, and commanding a high premium; gold and be protected. Mr. Webster's answer to silver the established currency; and the this was that the Constitution was made business interests of the country in a pros- for States, not territories; that it cannot perous condition. And this was the state operate anywhere, not even in the States of affairs, only one year after emergency for which it was made, without acts of from a foreign war. It would be unfair Congress to enforce it. The proposed exnot to give credit to the President and to tension of the constitution to territories, Senator Benton and others equally promi- with a view to its transportation of slavery nent and courageous, who at that time had along with it, was futile and nugatory to battle against the bank theory and without the act of Congress to vitalize national paper money currency, as strongly slavery under it. The early part of the nrged and advocated, and to prove even-year had witnessed ominous movements