"S. J. T. retires--surrenders all his interest--is indemnified against
its outstanding liabilities.
"J. L. O'S. and H. G. L. (H. G. Langley) rearrange their proportion of
ownership. Hereafter to own equally. The difference of capital to be
equalled by credits to H. G. L., the necessary amount on his advances,
existing or prospective.
"H. G. L. contracts to devote himself faithfully to the business and
interests of the paper--to conduct with the utmost energy and fidelity
the procuring of advertisers.
"Failing to do this, he is to retire, giving O'S. all reasonable
facility to substitute some other persons on reasonable terms of sale.
All disputes and differences of opinion as to these stipulations to be
left to the decision of----"
The triumph of the pro-slavery party in the election of Mr. Polk
resulted in the revolt of Texas from Mexico, her annexation to the
United States, and a war with Mexico.
At the expiration of his term, Governor Wright was renominated almost
unanimously. If elected, nothing in the future appeared more certain
than that he would have been Mr. Polk's successor in the Presidency.
The reversion of the Chief Magistracy to such a formidable opponent of
slavery extension as Governor Wright, who could neither be corrupted
nor cajoled, was then regarded at Washington as a peril, to avoid
which no sacrifice was too great. The magnitude of the sacrifice of
Mr. Wright was as correctly appreciated at Washington, and by the very
men who were to offer it up as a propitiation to the demon of slavery,
as at Albany; but to the short-sighted vision of the statesmen then in
the ascendant at the national capital the political supremacy of the
slave-holding States was to be maintained at any price.
The influence of the Federal government was, therefore, all turned
against Mr. Wright at the Gubernatorial election in 1847, and it proved
to be sufficient to give a majority of some eleven thousand to John
Young, the candidate of the Whigs.
Mr. Wright, at the expiration of his term, returned to his home in St.
Lawrence County, consoled by the reflection that the evil consequences
of taking him from the Senate and making him a party to the faction
fights in New York had resulted as he had predicted--in disaster to the
party and in his own political destruction. He died within nine months
from his retirement.
The annexation of Texas and the war with Mexico which ensued resulted
in the acquisition of vast territories, sooner or later to be organized
into States, to be consecrated to freedom or to slavery. To open these
States to slavery and reinforce the slave representation in Congress,
it had become necessary to paralyze the Democratic party in New York.
The first steps towards this end had been taken in the defeat of Mr.
Van Buren's renomination for the Presidency, and putting a Southern
man in his place. The second had been taken in the defeat of Governor
Wright's re-election in 1847; the third, yet to be taken, was to
deprive the Democracy of New York of its legitimate influence in
Congress and the next Democratic national convention.
In this scheme the administration was entirely successful. At the
commencement of President's Polk's administration the Democratic
party was completely in the ascendant in New York. It had elected its
Governor and Lieutenant-Governor; it had a majority in both branches
of the Legislature, and a majority of the delegation in Congress.
At the expiration of two years its Chief Magistrate was a Whig, and
its Congressional delegation was reduced to a meagre minority. The
following year the whole legislative power of the State was transferred
to the Whigs by an overwhelming majority, and the schism in the party,
encouraged by the bestowal of all the patronage of the Federal
government upon the "Hunkers," had become irreparable.[12]