Western Boundary Of Texas.

what should be '* our Western frontiei-," Mr. Polk re- solved not merely to decide that question of his own will and pleasure, but to maintain his decision at the point of the bayonet, without any consultation with the Senate, and without waiting to discuss it with Mexico. For many years a question existed between Great Biitain and the REVIEW OF rilE MEXICAN WAR. 129 United States, respecting the North-eastern boundary of^ the latter. No President assumed the responsibility of plunging the coimtry into war by taking military possession of the disputed territory, and the question was finally settled by treaty. ]\Ir. Polk, on his accession to the Presidency, found another and most iniportant question of boundary pending between the same parties respecting the territory of Oregon. He expressed, in his inaugural address, the opinion, that the title of the United States to the whole of that vast region up to 54° 40' of North latitude, was clear and unquestionable ; and he refused all oftcrs of compromise, and all reference of the question ^to arbitration. Yet he sent no army to defend what he declared to be our Northern frontier. On the contrary, he entered into negotiation with Great Britain, and sur- rendered five degrees and forty minutes of territory, which he, had himself asserted belonged to us " by irrefragable fects and arguments," by a treaty which General Cass declared in the Senate was " prepared by the Biitish Government," and which was ratified by the Senate with- out " the crossing of a t, or the dotting of r^in i, untouched and unchanged." Great' Britain was a powerful nation, and Mexico a feeble one ; the territory surrendered was in the North, and would for ever be free—that which was seized was in the South, and was intended to be for ever a slave region.