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 1847-s] Peace with Mexico. The Wilmot Proviso. 397 held New Mexico and California. The army of Taylor occupied eastern Mexico ; United States naval vessels were in her seaports ; and General Scott was in possession of her capital city. Nothing remained but to make peace on such terms as could be obtained ; and these were finally set forth in a treaty signed on February 2, 1848, at Guadalupe Hidalgo. Mexico ceded New Mexico and Upper California to the United States, recognised the Rio Grande from its mouth to the southern limit of New Mexico as the boundary of Texas, received $15,000,000, and was released from the payment of claims, amounting to $3,000,000, which American citizens had against her. On May 30, 1848, the ratifications of the treaty were exchanged at Queretaro ; and the United States came into possession of an immense area, including, in addition to Texas, the present States of California, New Mexico, Nevada, Arizona, Utah, with parts of Wyoming and Colorado. This territory had been made free soil by Mexico ; and the question of the hour became, whether it should or should not remain free ? The strength of the Democratic party lay in the Slave-holding States, and forced it to lean towards an extension of slavery to New Mexico and California. But without the aid of northern Democratic States the party could not elect a President. The strength of the Whig party was in the Free States, and it therefore leaned towards the exclusion of slavery from the new Territories. But without the aid of Southern slave-holding Whigs the party could not carry the approaching national election. Both parties therefore faced the issue with dread. It was troublesome and dangerous, and was made more troublesome by the continued activity of the Liberty party and the discussion of the " Wilmot Proviso."" Scarcely had war been declared to exist when President Polk applied to Congress for an appropriation of $2,000,000, to be used as a cash payment to Mexico in case she should conclude a peace involving the cession of territory. On the introduction into the House of Representatives of a bill appropriating this sum, David Wilmot, a free-soil Democrat, moved an amendment providing that, in all territory to be acquired from Mexico, slavery should be forbidden. This was the famous Wilmot Proviso. The appropriation bill, with this proviso attached, passed the House, but failed in the Senate. In the next session of Congress Polk asked for $3,000,000 for the purpose of negotiating a peace. Again an appropriation bill (January 4, 1847) appeared in the House; and again the Wilmot Proviso was added. It was struck out by the Senate ; and the House now yielded and passed the bill without the proviso, though the Free-State legislatures instructed their senators and requested their representatives to support it. But the issue was not thereby decided, for at this point Calhoun took it up, and (February, 1847) introduced a series of resolutions declaring that the Territories belonged to the States in common, and that any law forbidding a citizen of any State to emigrate with his property (and CH. XII.