The possessions of the United States extended from the Atlantic to the Pacific, and from the 49th to the 30th degree of latitude. Independent of the thirty States, comprising the Federal Union, the national territories em- braced 1,335,398 square miles—an area equal to about half of all Europe. The American Republic, anterior to the Mexican war, possessed one of the largest regions in the world under one Government, and at the same time one of the most thinly inhabited. It will not, therefore, be pretended, that additional temtory was required for the convenience of our population. It is said a port was w^anted on the Pacific. The portion of California north of the 37 th degree of latitude, which Mexico offered to cede, contains the harbor of St. Francisco, the best and most capacious on the Pacific. Mr. Polk had officially declared, that our title to the whole of Oregon was " clear and unquestionable ;" yet, with the consent of southern Senators, he suiTendered to Great Britain no less than 5° 40' o'f what he insisted was territory belonging to the United States. Why give away northern temtory which is ours, and la%Tish blood and treasure for the conquest of southern territory to which we have no title ? It was knowif, that from natural and other causes, slavery would be for ever excluded from the territory yielded to Great Britain, but would find in California and New Mexico a genial soil and climate ; and that these States, when sub- divided and annexed, would give to the slaveholding inte- rest a predominating and resistless influence in the Federal Government.
Were other proofs wanting of the real object of the war, it might be found in the avowals of the southern press : " We trust," said the Charleston Patriot, " that our southern representatives will remember