questions with Mexico
quickly and by a compromise on easy terms. He did all he could to avert
war. When war actually came, he urged that even the military operations
of the United States should be strictly defensive, that they should
confine themselves to occupying the disputed territory and repelling
attacks upon it, but should under no circumstances attempt a
counter-invasion of Mexico. There can be little doubt that Calhoun's
motive in proposing this curious method of conducting a war was, as
usual, zeal for the interests of his section, and that he acted as he
did because he foresaw the results of an extended war more correctly
than did most Southerners. He had coveted Texas because Texas would
strengthen the position of the South. Slavery already existed there, and
no one doubted that if Texas came into the Union at all it must be as a
Slave State. But it would be otherwise if great conquests were made at
the expense of Mexico. Calhoun saw clearly that there would be a strong
movement to exclude Slavery from such conquests, and, having regard to
the numerical superiority of the North, he doubted the ability of his
own section to obtain in the scramble that must follow the major part of
the spoil.

Calhoun, however, was as unable to restrain by his warnings the warlike
enthusiasm of the South as were the little group of Peace Whigs in New
England to prevent the North from being swept by a similar passion. Even
Massachusetts gave a decisive vote for war.

The brief campaign was conducted with considerable ability, mainly by
Generals Taylor and Scott. Such army as Mexico possessed was crushingly
defeated at Monterey. An invasion followed, and the fall of Mexico City
completed the triumph of American arms. By the peace dictated in the
captured capital Mexico had, of course, to concede the original point of
dispute in regard to the Texan frontier. But greater sacrifices were
demanded of her, though not without a measure of compensation. She was
compelled to sell at a fixed price to her conqueror all the territory to
which she laid claim on the Pacific slope north of San Diego. Thus
Arizona, New Mexico, and, most important of all, California passed into
American hands.

But before this conclusion had been reached a significant incident
justified the foresight of Calhoun. Towards the close of the campaign, a
proposal made in Congress to grant to the Executive a large supply to be
expended during the recess at the Presi