the destiny of the white race, it is the destiny of the Anglo-Saxon race ; and, if they fail to perform it, they will not come up to that high position which Providence, in his mighty government has assigned them."* In January, 1847, a resolution was offered in the House of Representatives, declaring that the war " is not waged with a view to conquest ;" but the House was too candid to endorse the words of the President, and rejected the resolution. In the same Session, it also rejected, by a vote of 126 to 76, the following amendment proposed to the supply bill, viz. ; "Provided farther, that these appro- priations are made with no view of sanctioning any prose- cution of the existing war with Mexico for the acquisition of territory to form new States to be added to the Union, or for the dismemberment of Mexico."
These disclaimers of all intention of making conquests came from the Whigs, who were unmeasured in their de- nunciations of Mr. Polk's obvious policy.
In his next message of December, 1847, that gentleman adroitly revenged himself upon his opponents, by reminding Congress, that only sixteen members had voted against the war ; and that C-ongress, including, of course, the Whig members with the exception of the sixteen, " could not * Cong Globe, llth Feb., 1847, p. 387.
have meant, when in May, 1846, they appropriated ten millions of dollars, and authorized the President to em- ploy the military and naval forces of the United States, and to accept the services of fifty thousand volunteers to enable him to prosecute the war ; and when at their last Session, and after our army had invaded Mexico, they made additional appropriations, and authorized the raising of additional troops for the same purpose—that no indemnity was to be obtained from Mexico at the con- clusion of the war." It was impossible for the Whigs to elude the • force of this sarcasm. If the war *' was not waged with a view to conquest," with what view did they vote for an army of fifty thousand men ?