PAUSE IN THE WAR: SEDENTARY TACTICS: "MASTERLY INACTIVITY."
Arriving at Washington before the commencement of the session
of '46-'47, Mr. Benton was requested by the President to look
over the draught of his proposed message to Congress (then in
manuscript), and to make the remarks upon it which he might think
it required; and in writing. Mr. Benton did so, and found a part
to which he objected, and thought ought to be omitted. It was a
recommendation to Congress to cease the active prosecution of the
war, to occupy the conquered part of the country (General Taylor
had then taken Monterey) with troops in forts and stations, and to
pass an act establishing a temporary government in the occupied
part; and to retain the possession until the peace was made. This
recommendation, and the argument in support of it, spread over
four pages of the message--from 101 to 105. Mr. Benton objected to
the whole plan, and answered to it in an equal, or greater number
of pages, and to the entire conviction and satisfaction of the
President. 1. The sedentary occupation was objected to as being
entirely contrary to the temper of the American people, which was
active, and required continual "going ahead" until their work was
finished. 2. It was a mode of warfare suited to the Spanish temper,
which loved procrastination, and could beat the world at it, and
had sat-out the Moors seven hundred years in the South of Spain
and the Visigoths three hundred years in the north of it; and
would certainly out-sit us in Mexico. 3. That he could govern the
conquered country under the laws of nations, without applying to
Congress, to be worried upon the details of the act, and rousing the
question of annexation by conquest, and that beyond the Rio Grande;
for the proposed line was to cover Monterey, and to run east and
west entirely across the country. These objections, pursued through
their illustrations, were entirely convincing to the President, and
he frankly gave up the sedentary project.
But it was a project which had been passed upon in the cabinet, and
not only adopted but began to be executed. The Secretary at War,
Mr. Marcy, had officially refused to accept proffered volunteers
from the governors of several States, saying to them--"_A sufficient
amount of force for the prosecution of the war had already been
called into service:_" and a premium of two dollars a head had been
offered to all persons who could bring in a recruit to the regular
army--the regulars being the reliance for the sedentary occupation.
The cabinet adhered to their policy. The President convoked them
again, and had Mr. Benton present to enforce his objections; but
without much effect. The abandonment of the sedentary policy
required the adoption of an active one, and for that purpose the
immediate calling out of ten regiments of volunteers had been
recommended by Mr. Benton; and this call would result at once
from the abandonment of the sedentary scheme. Here the pride of
consistency came in to play its part. The Secretary at War said he
had just refused to accept any more volunteers, and informed the
governors of two States that the government had troops enough to
prosecute the war; and urged that it would be contradictory now to
call out ten regiments. The majority of the cabinet sided with him;
but the President retained Mr. Benton to a private interview--talked
the subject all over--and finally came to the resolution to act
for himself, regardless of the opposition of the major part of his
cabinet. It was then in the night, and the President said he would
send the order to the Secretary at War in the morning to call out
the ten regiments--which he did: but the Secretary, higgling to the
last, got one regiment abated: so that nine instead of ten were
called out: but these nine were enough. They enabled Scott to go to
Mexico, and Taylor to conquer at Buena Vista, and to finish the war
victoriously.
A comic mistake grew out of this change in the President's message,
which caused the ridicule of the sedentary line to be fastened on
Mr. Calhoun--who in fact had counselled it. When the message was
read in the Senate, Mr. Westcott, of Florida, believing it remained
as it had been drawn up, and induced by Mr. Calhoun, with whose
views he was acquainted, made some motion upon it, significant of
approbatory action. Mr. Benton asked for the reading of the part
of the message referred to. Mr. Westcott searched, but could not
find it: Mr. Calhoun did the same. Neither could find the passage.
Inquiring and despairing looks were exchanged: and the search for
the present was adjourned. Of course it was never found. Afterwards
Mr. Westcott said to Mr. Benton that the President had deceived
Mr. Calhoun--had told him that the sedentary line was recommended
in the message, when it was not. Mr. Benton told him there was no
deception--that the recommendation was in the message when he said
so, but had been taken out (and he explained how) and replaced by
an urgent recommendation for a vigorous prosecution of the war.
But the secret was kept for the time. The administration stood
before the country vehement for war, and loaded with applause for
their spirit. Mr. Calhoun remained mystified, and adhered to the
line, and incurred the censure of opposing the administration
which he professed to support. He brought forward his plan in all
its detail--the line marked out--the number of forts and stations
necessary--and the number of troops necessary to garrison them:
and spoke often, and earnestly in its support: but to no purpose.
His plan was entirely rejected, nor did I ever hear of any one
of the cabinet offering to share with him in the ridicule which
he brought upon himself for advocating a plan so preposterous in
itself, and so utterly unsuited to the temper of our people. It was
in this debate, and in support of this sedentary occupation that
Mr. Calhoun characterized that proposed inaction as "_a masterly
inactivity_:" a fine expression of the Earl of Chatham--and which
Mr. Calhoun had previously used in the Oregon debate in recommending
us to do nothing there, and leave it to time to perfect our title.
Seven years afterwards the establishment of a boundary between the
United States and Mexico was attempted by treaty in the latitude
of this proposed line of occupation--a circumstance,--one of the
circumstances,--which proves that Mr. Calhoun's plans and spirit
survive him.
In all that passed between the President and Mr. Benton about this
line, there was no suspicion on the part of either of any design
to make it permanent; nor did any thing to that effect appear in
Mr. Calhoun's speeches in favor of it; but the design was developed
at the time of the ratification of the treaty of peace, and has
since been attempted by treaty; and is a design which evidently
connects itself with, what is called, _preserving the equilibrium
of the States_ (free and slave) by adding on territory for slave
States--and to increase the Southern margin for the "UNITED STATES
SOUTH," in the event of a separation of the two classes of States.