In 1847 as the War with Mexico progressed, President James Polk repeated his claim that Mexico attacked America on our own soil. But there was much controversy over this. The soil was still in dispute with Mexico. While it may have been rightfully the territory of the United States, this was not recognized by Mexico. In 1846 President Polk placed U.S. troops into territory that Mexico considered its own, and was furthermore warned by Mexico that such movements would be considered an invasion of Mexican territory. When Mexico followed up by attacking these troops, President Polk used this as a reason to go to war. The president claimed that war had already been waged against the United States by a belligerent force on American soil. A claim that he repeated twice in 1846 and now again in 1847 during his address to congress.
"Our minister of peace sent to Mexico was insultingly rejected. The Mexican Government refused even to hear the terms of adjustment which he was authorized to propose, and finally, under wholly unjustifiable pretexts, involved the two countries in war by invading the territory of the State of Texas, striking the first blow, and shedding the blood of our citizens on our own soil."The following month, on January 3, 1848 the House of Representatives passed an amendment censuring President Polk for 'unnecessarily and unconstitutionally' beginning the Mexican war. Among those voting for the amendment, was freshman congressman Abraham Lincoln. Lincoln was very outspoken about this issue. He attacked Polk's claim that Mexico started the war on American soil. First Lincoln pointed out that "so much importance did the President deem the declaration that the place, the very spot where blood was first spilled was our own soil, that he followed it up, and repeated that declaration in almost the same language in every successive message, certainly in every annual message since." Lincoln then proceeded to challenge Polk’s argument that American blood had been shed on American soil, and requested that Polk come forward "frankly and give them facts, not arguments".
Later in 1848, in a letter to his former law partner Herndon, Lincoln spelled out his position even more thoroughly.
"That soil was not ours; and Congress did not annex or attempt to annex it. But to return to your position: Allow the President to invade a neighboring nation, whenever he shall deem it necessary to repel an invasion, and you allow him to do so, whenever he may choose to say he deems it necessary for such purpose — and you allow him to make war at pleasure"
In
that same letter to Herndon, Lincoln continued
".. and you allow him
to make war at pleasure. Study to see if you can fix any limit to his
power in this respect…. Kings had always been involving and
impoverishing their people in wars, pretending
generally, if not always, that the good of the people was the object….
[The Constitution maintains] that no one man should hold the power of
bringing this oppression upon us."
Just a decade later, Lincoln would test the powers of the commander in chief like no other president before him.
Just a decade later, Lincoln would test the powers of the commander in chief like no other president before him.
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