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knowledged the independence of Texas, but the Mexican CHAP. Congress refused to ratify his act.

A month previous to this battle, a convention of delegates met at a place named Washington, and declared themselves independent of Mexico. The convention then proceeded to form a Constitution, which in due time was adopted by the people. Six months later Houston was inaugurated President of the Republic of Texas; and its first Congress assembled.'

When its people threw off their allegiance to Mexico, they naturally turned to more congenial associations; they desired to annex themselves to the United States.

One of the last official acts of General Jackson had been to sign a bill recognizing their independence, and now the question of their annexation became the absorbing topic of political discussion in the United States, in every section of which many opposed the measure only on the ground that it would incur a war with Mexico, whose government still persisted in fruitless efforts to reduce the Texans to obedience. The interminable question of slavery, as usual, was involved in the controversy. The South was almost unanimously in favor of annexation. The genial climate, the fertile soil, and the varied productions of Texas, were so many pledges that slave labor would there be profitable. A strong party in the North was opposed to the measure, lest it should perpetuate that institution, while one in the South was devising plans to preserve the balance of power existing between the States in the Senate.

The subject of annexation, with its varied consequences, was warmly discussed in both Houses of Congress, in the newspapers, and in the assemblies of the people.

Calhoun gave his views by saying: "There were

1 Yoakum's Hist. of Texas.

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CHAP. powerful reasons why Texas should be a part of this Union. The Southern States, owning a slave population, 1844. were deeply interested in preventing that country from having power to annoy them." Said Webster: "That while I hold to all the original arrangements and compromises under which the Constitution under which we now live was adopted, I never could, and never can, persuade myself to be in favor of the admission of other States into the Union, as slave States, with the inequalities which were allowed and accorded by the Constitution to the slaveholding States then in existence."

Under the auspices of Calhoun, who was now Secretary of State, a treaty was secretly made with Texas, by which she was to be admitted into the Union. But the Senate immediately rejected it by a vote more than two to one, on the ground that to carry out its provisions would involve the country in a war with Mexico. This rejection was the signal for raising a great clamor throughout the land. Annexation was made a prominent issue in the pending presidential election-the Democratic party in favor of the measure, and the Whigs opposed. To influence the credulous, it was boldly asserted that England was negotiating with Texas to buy her slaves, free them, and, having quieted Mexico, to take the republic under her special protection. This story General Houston said was a pure fabrication; yet it served a purpose. In certain portions of the South conventions were held, in which the sentiment "Texas, or Disunion," was openly advocated. The threats of secession and uniting with Texas, unless she was admitted to the Union, had but little effect, however, upon the great mass of the people.

The following year it was proposed to receive Texas by a joint resolution of Congress. The House of Representatives passed a bill to that effect, but the Senate added an amendment, appointing commissioners to nego

THE JOINT RESOLUTIONS-TEXAS ANNEXED.

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tiate with Mexico on the subject. Thus manifesting a CHAP. desire to respect the rights of Mexico as a nation with whom we were at peace, and at least make an effort to 1844. obtain the annexation with her consent, and also the settlement of boundaries.

By a clause in the resolutions the President was authorized to adopt either plan. The joint resolutions were passed on Saturday, the 2d of March; Tyler would leave office two days later. The President elect, James K. Polk, had intimated that if the question came before him he should adopt the Senate's plan, by which it was hoped an amicable arrangement could be made with Mexico. The retiring President, and his Secretary of State, chose to adopt the mode of annexation proposed in the House resolutions. A messenger was sent on Sunday night the 3d, to carry the proposition with all speed to the Legislature of Texas.

The opposition to annexing slaveholding territory to the Union was so great that Texas came in by compromise. Provision was made that four additional States might be formed out of the Territory when it should become sufficiently populous. Those States lying north of the parallel of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, north latitude-the Missouri Compromise line-were to be free States; those south of the line, to "be admitted into the Union with or without slavery as the people of each State asking admission may desire." To the original State, the right was accorded to prevent any State being formed out of her territory, by refusing her consent to the measure. Texas acceded to 1845 the proposition, and thus became one of the United States. Her population now amounted to two hundred thousand.

For nearly two hundred years the people of Rhode Island had lived under the charter granted by Charles II. This instrument was remarkable for the liberal provisions

1 Benton's Thirty Years' View, Chap. cxlviii., Vol. ii.

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CHAP. it contained. The desire to change this charter gave rise to two parties, the "Suffrage," and "The Law and 1845. Order" each determined to secure to their own party the administration of affairs, and each elected State officers. Thomas W. Dorr, elected governor by the Suffrage party, tried to seize the State arsenal; the militia 1843. were called out by the other party, and he was compelled May 18. to flee. In a second attempt his party was overpowered by citizen soldiers, and he himself arrested, brought to trial, convicted of treason, and sentenced to imprisonment for life; but some time afterward he was pardoned. A free constitution was in the mean time adopted by the people, under which they are now living.

Almost the last official act of President Tyler was to sign the bill for the admission of Iowa and Florida into the Union. "Two States, which seem to have but few things in common to put them together-one the oldest, the other the newest territory-one in the extreme northwest of the Union, the other in the extreme south-eastone the land of evergreens and perpetual flowers, the other the climate of long and rigorous winter-one maintaining, the other repulsing slavery."

CHAPTER LI

POLK'S ADMINISTRATION.

The Presidential Canvass.-Difficulties with Mexico.-General Taylor at Corpus Christi.-Oregon Territory; respective Claims to.-Settlement of Boundary.-Taylor marches to the Rio Grande.-Thornton's Party surprised.--Attack on Fort Brown.--Battle of Palo Alto; of Resaca de la Palma.-Matamoras occupied.-Measures of Congress.—The Volunteers.-Plan of Operations.-Mexico declares War.-General Wool.--General Worth.-The Capture of Monterey.

LI.

On the 4th of March, James Knox Polk, of Tennessee, CHAP. was inaugurated President, and George Mifflin Dallas, of Pennsylvania, Vice-President; James Buchanan was ap- 1845. pointed Secretary of State.

The canvass had been one of unusual interest and spirit. The candidates of the Whig party were Henry Clay and Theodore Frelinghuysen. The questions involved were the admission of Texas, and the settlement of the boundary line on the north-west, between the British possessions and Oregon. The latter-for the Whigs were also in favor of its settlement--thrown in by the successful party.

The result of the election was assumed to be the expression of the will of the people in relation to the admission of Texas, which measure, as we have seen, the expiring administration had already consummated. We have now to record the events, the consequences in part of that measure.

Though France and England, as well as the United