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| | '''Debate: Is it ever justified for a President to lie to Congress to accomplish a goal sought by Americans?''' | | '''Debate: Is it ever justified for a President to lie to Congress to accomplish a goal sought by Americans?''' |
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| − | The U.S. Army pushed into Mexico to win this war. In September 1847, the United States captured Mexico City. Then Nicholas Trist, chief clerk of the Department of State and Polk's emissary to negotiate a peace treaty, began discussions with the Mexican Government just as Slidell had done the prior year. President Polk grew angry with Trist, however, for offering terms of peace that Polk thought were too generous to Mexico. Meanwhile, Trist had became a close friend of General Winfield Scott, who was member of the opposite Whig Party and thought to be planning to run against Polk for the presidency. Worse, the war caused the Democrats (who wanted to expand slavery) to demand for complete annexation of Mexico. | + | The U.S. Army pushed into Mexico to win this war. In September 1847, the United States captured Mexico City. Then Nicholas Trist, chief clerk of the Department of State and Polk's emissary to negotiate a peace treaty, began discussions with the Mexican Government just as Slidell had done the prior year. President Polk grew angry with Trist, however, for offering terms of peace that Polk thought were too generous to Mexico. Meanwhile, Trist had became a close friend of General Winfield Scott, who was a member of the opposite Whig Party and thought to be planning to run against Polk for the presidency. Worse, the war caused the Democrats (who wanted to expand slavery) to demand for complete annexation of Mexico. |
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| | Polk essentially fired Trist in October, demanding that he return to Washington, D.C. Trist ignored this "recall order" and entered into the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, signing it with Mexico in Mexico City on February 2, 1848. This Treaty provided that: | | Polk essentially fired Trist in October, demanding that he return to Washington, D.C. Trist ignored this "recall order" and entered into the Treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo, signing it with Mexico in Mexico City on February 2, 1848. This Treaty provided that: |
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| | *the Texas-Mexico border is set at the Rio Grande River as Polk originally sought | | *the Texas-Mexico border is set at the Rio Grande River as Polk originally sought |
| − | *Mexico grant to the United States about 525,000 square miles (55% of its prewar territory) | + | *Mexico granted to the United States about 525,000 square miles (55% of its prewar territory) |
| − | *the United States pay Mexico $15 million | + | *the United States would pay Mexico $15 million |
| | *the United States government would pay off up to $3.25 million worth of debts owed by Mexico to U.S. citizens, relieving Mexico of those obligations | | *the United States government would pay off up to $3.25 million worth of debts owed by Mexico to U.S. citizens, relieving Mexico of those obligations |
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| | Polk was unhappy with the terms of this Treaty. He wanted even more Mexican territory. But he felt he had little choice other than submit this Treaty to the U.S. Senate for ratification, which it did on March 10, 1848 by a margin of 38 to 14. The 2/3rd minimum required for ratification was 2/3rd of 52, or 35. The Treaty had passed by a margin of only 4 votes. | | Polk was unhappy with the terms of this Treaty. He wanted even more Mexican territory. But he felt he had little choice other than submit this Treaty to the U.S. Senate for ratification, which it did on March 10, 1848 by a margin of 38 to 14. The 2/3rd minimum required for ratification was 2/3rd of 52, or 35. The Treaty had passed by a margin of only 4 votes. |
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| − | Soon after the war began in 1846, Congressman David Wilmot introduced a rider (Aug. 1846) to an appropriations bill stipulating that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist" in any territory acquired from this war. Southern senators (especially South Carolina Senator John Calhoun) blocked this "Wilmot Proviso," but it was so powerful that it captured the abolutionist sentiment all the way until (and through) the Civil War. The Wilmot Proviso had an influence on politics much as the call to stop abortion (and overturn ''Roe v. Wade'') does today. | + | Soon after the war began in 1846, Congressman David Wilmot introduced a rider (Aug. 1846) to an appropriations bill stipulating that "neither slavery nor involuntary servitude shall ever exist" in any territory acquired from this war. Southern senators (especially South Carolina Senator John Calhoun) blocked this "Wilmot Proviso," but its concept was so powerful that it captured the abolutionist sentiment all the way until (and through) the Civil War. The Wilmot Proviso had an influence on politics much as the call to stop abortion (and overturn ''Roe v. Wade'') does today. |
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| | In addition to all of Polk's accomplishments in adding territory, he also had a habit if seeing every single visitor that came to the White House! Still a young man, Polk died shortly after leaving office of an exhaustion-induced illness. | | In addition to all of Polk's accomplishments in adding territory, he also had a habit if seeing every single visitor that came to the White House! Still a young man, Polk died shortly after leaving office of an exhaustion-induced illness. |