Source: Robert W. Merry. A Country of Vast Designs: James K. Polk, the
Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent (2009)
Mexican War, and the Conquest of the American Continent (2009)
President James Knox Polk was prepared to take a huge risk to try to end the Mexican War: he would sneak Santa Anna (in exile in Cuba) through the US blockade around Veracruz into Mexico, and in a pre-arranged deal, Santa Anna (pictured) would take the lead in negotiating an end to the war. In July 1846, Santa Anna was informally apprised of Polk's demands in exchange for his re-entry to Mexico: 1) The border would be the Rio Grande in Texas; 2) The U.S. would possess Upper California at least as far as San Francisco Bay; 3) The U.S. would pay quite a bit for Mexican lands with no indemnities for war damages. Santa Anna quibbled a bit about the Rio Grande border (Mexico had long insisted the border should be the Nueces River further north), but he accepted the terms.
On 3 August 1846, Polk received confirmation of Santa Anna's desire to return to Mexico; if current negotiations with the Mexican government failed, then Santa Anna was Polk's "Insurance Policy". From the very beginning of the war with Mexico, Polk pursued a negotiated peace while prosecuting an aggressive war. Polk, the Political Chess Master, was setting up his pieces on the board of statecraft . . . but by the Summer of 1846, Polk could no longer hide, or deny, his overall strategy of territorial expansion.
On 3 August 1846, Polk received confirmation of Santa Anna's desire to return to Mexico; if current negotiations with the Mexican government failed, then Santa Anna was Polk's "Insurance Policy". From the very beginning of the war with Mexico, Polk pursued a negotiated peace while prosecuting an aggressive war. Polk, the Political Chess Master, was setting up his pieces on the board of statecraft . . . but by the Summer of 1846, Polk could no longer hide, or deny, his overall strategy of territorial expansion.
President Polk's "Two Million Dollar Bill" was about to be introduced to Congress; he wanted Congress to authorize funding for the war, since there was no National Bank from which the government could secure loans. The overall design of the bill was to achieve an "honorable peace" with Mexico, but Polk did his best to keep the progress of the bill secret, using the Senate's Executive Committee. Polk (pictured) even sent a secret message to trusted Senators on the committee, trying to get the Senate to vote for the bill without any debate.
But in the House of Representatives, Polk was unable to keep the progress of the $2m Bill secret, and he was forced to write an Open Message to Congress explaining the purpose of the bill. Almost immediately, House Whigs announced their opposition to the bill; in their view, Polk was trying to avoid responsibility for a war he started. Interestingly, one of Polk's goals with the Open Letter was to put the onus on the House if the $2m Bill failed. It was during the House debate on the $2m Bill that a first-term Representative, David Wilmot (D; PA), appeared on the historical stage. His motive for what became known as the Wilmot Proviso was most likely to make a name for himself in the House by intensifying the debate on the $2m Bill.
But in the House of Representatives, Polk was unable to keep the progress of the $2m Bill secret, and he was forced to write an Open Message to Congress explaining the purpose of the bill. Almost immediately, House Whigs announced their opposition to the bill; in their view, Polk was trying to avoid responsibility for a war he started. Interestingly, one of Polk's goals with the Open Letter was to put the onus on the House if the $2m Bill failed. It was during the House debate on the $2m Bill that a first-term Representative, David Wilmot (D; PA), appeared on the historical stage. His motive for what became known as the Wilmot Proviso was most likely to make a name for himself in the House by intensifying the debate on the $2m Bill.
David Wilmot (pictured) was somewhat similar to JFK in his approach to his legislative responsibilities: don't work too hard. But, when motivated, Wilmot took on all-comers, even going against his party. During a break during the debate, Wilmot overheard representatives from New York, the "Barnburners" (loyal to Martin Van Buren, and against the expansion of slavery . . . the "Barnburners" were the group of politicians that started the "Free Soil Party" in the late-1840s) brainstorm ideas about keeping slavery from expanding in any territory taken from Mexico.
Wilmot decided to introduce what he overheard from the "Barnburners" on the House floor in order to make the idea his own, for the record at least. Wilmot had never shown this kind of defiance against Democrats loyal to Polk, and it was rather surprising, in that Wilmot was not an opponent of the war, he wasn't an Abolitionist, he did not view African slavery as immoral, and he wasn't against slavery's expansion in the West. If Wilmot was passionate about anything, it was promoting the expansion of Free Labor.
Wilmot decided to introduce what he overheard from the "Barnburners" on the House floor in order to make the idea his own, for the record at least. Wilmot had never shown this kind of defiance against Democrats loyal to Polk, and it was rather surprising, in that Wilmot was not an opponent of the war, he wasn't an Abolitionist, he did not view African slavery as immoral, and he wasn't against slavery's expansion in the West. If Wilmot was passionate about anything, it was promoting the expansion of Free Labor.
When Wilmot rose to speak, he declared the war with Mexico "necessary & proper", and not a war of conquest. Wilmot further clarified that if the war was about conquest, he would be in complete opposition. Wilmot continued to say that it would be desirable to obtain territory all the way to the Pacific, including San Francisco Bay, but only through negotiation. Then, he announced in dramatic fashion, that he would oppose, now and forever, the expansion of slavery in territories obtained from Mexico, and he would shortly officially propose an amendment to the $2m Bill to that effect (which he did on 8 August, 1846).
Immediately, the war debate changed - the Mexican War and the expansion of slavery were now intertwined. It was immaterial if the potential territories did not have any interest in slavery . . . Senator Thomas Hart Benton (D; MO) commented that "never were two parties so completely at loggerheads over nothing". Polk was outraged, referring to Wilmot's Proviso as "a mischievous and foolish amendment"; to Polk, the war had zero connection with slavery.
Immediately, the war debate changed - the Mexican War and the expansion of slavery were now intertwined. It was immaterial if the potential territories did not have any interest in slavery . . . Senator Thomas Hart Benton (D; MO) commented that "never were two parties so completely at loggerheads over nothing". Polk was outraged, referring to Wilmot's Proviso as "a mischievous and foolish amendment"; to Polk, the war had zero connection with slavery.
Now the debate centered on voting on the bill with or without the Wilmot Proviso. John Quincy Adams (pictured in a photograph from 1843) supported the Proviso as a statement of principle, even though he personally felt the amendment was unnecessary. Finally, the moment arrived when the House voted on whether or not to include the Wilmot Proviso in the $2m Bill; Wilmot's Proviso passed 83-64, and was attached to the $2m Bill . . . there would now be an intense national debate about the expansion of slavery in the West.
The Speaker of the House, John Wesley Davis (D; IN) who wanted to be absolutely sure the $2m Bill passed with the Wilmot Proviso attached, delayed and obstructed proceedings to the brink of midnight when the session was over, blocking any efforts of those in opposition to the Proviso to make an official motion. However, Davis forgot that the clock in the House ran 8 minutes faster than the clock in the Senate, and he foiled his own efforts at getting the bill with the Wilmot Proviso sent to the Upper Chamber in the last few minutes for a quick vote . . . whoops. The House ended its session with the Wilmot Proviso attached to the $2m Bill, and the Senate was not able to vote on the bill because the session of Congress had ended . . . for now, Polk's $2m Bill was dead, as was his leverage in Congress concerning the war with Mexico.
The Speaker of the House, John Wesley Davis (D; IN) who wanted to be absolutely sure the $2m Bill passed with the Wilmot Proviso attached, delayed and obstructed proceedings to the brink of midnight when the session was over, blocking any efforts of those in opposition to the Proviso to make an official motion. However, Davis forgot that the clock in the House ran 8 minutes faster than the clock in the Senate, and he foiled his own efforts at getting the bill with the Wilmot Proviso sent to the Upper Chamber in the last few minutes for a quick vote . . . whoops. The House ended its session with the Wilmot Proviso attached to the $2m Bill, and the Senate was not able to vote on the bill because the session of Congress had ended . . . for now, Polk's $2m Bill was dead, as was his leverage in Congress concerning the war with Mexico.
To Southern Democrats, it appeared that the Senate would have passed the bill if it had reached their chamber in time. If that would have happened, according to their perspective, then Polk would have had leverage to use against the Mexican government to end the war sooner. Polk believed that the failure of the $2m Bill denied him the ability to end the war with Mexico by October 1846.
Even with the defeat of the $2m Bill, Polk had been the most productive legislative President in US History to that point. He had finalized the annexation of Texas, was very close to ending the Oregon dispute with Great Britain, introduced much-needed tariff reform, and created an Independent Treasury, all in one legislative session. And, he started a war with Mexico, which to Polk's point-of-view, was absolutely necessary in order to expand America's border to the Pacific. Polk (pictured left) had done more in his first 18 months as President than even his mentor, Andrew Jackson (pictured right), had accomplished in 8 years.
Even with the defeat of the $2m Bill, Polk had been the most productive legislative President in US History to that point. He had finalized the annexation of Texas, was very close to ending the Oregon dispute with Great Britain, introduced much-needed tariff reform, and created an Independent Treasury, all in one legislative session. And, he started a war with Mexico, which to Polk's point-of-view, was absolutely necessary in order to expand America's border to the Pacific. Polk (pictured left) had done more in his first 18 months as President than even his mentor, Andrew Jackson (pictured right), had accomplished in 8 years.
