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its height, and not yet counterbalanced by the excitement of the victories of 1847. During the first weeks of the session many series of resolutions in favor of and against the pol- icy of all of Mexico were presented. Several of the latter were offered by Southern Whigs like Botts of Virginia and Toombs of Georgia, and illustrate the point that the slavery and expansion interests were not identical. ^ Similarly, as Calhoun made the ablest speech against the absorption of Mexico, so the most outspoken advocates of it were Senator Dickinson of New York, a Hunker Democrat, and Senator Hannegan of Indiana. Hannegan offered the following resolution, January 10 : " That it may become necessary and proper, as it is within the constitutional capacity of this government, for the United States to hold Mexico as a ter- ritorial appendage. "2 Senator Dickinson, who at the Jack- son dinner on the 8th had offered the toast, " A More Perfect Union embracing the entire North American Continent,"^ on the 12th made a speech in the Senate advocating expansion, in which he declared for all of Mexico and asserted that it was our destiny to embrace all of North America. " Neither national justice," said he, "nor national morality requires us tamely to surrender our Mexican conquests, nor should such be the policy of the government if it would advance the cause of national freedom or secure its enjoyment to the people of Mexico."

Calhoun at the earliest opportunity, December 15, had offered these trenchant resolutions : " that to conquer Mexico or to hold it either as a province or to incorporate it in the Union would be inconsistent with the avowed object for which the war has been prosecuted; a departure from the settled policy of the government ; in conflict with its character and genius, and in the end subversive of our free and popular institutions."*

1 Cf. the letters of Wilson Lumpkin, John A. Campbell, and Waddy Thomp- son to Calhoun at this time. Correspondence of John C. Calhoun. Ibid., 1135, 1140-42, 1150-52.

2 Cong. Globe, 30th Cong., Ist Session, 136. 8 Niles's Register, LXXIII, 336.


 * Cong. Globe, 26. Calhoun wrote his daughter December 26 : " The prospect