President Polk
As another Lame Cherry exclusive in matter anti matter.
I post this from the first volume of the Memoirs of President US Grant, in the time of the Mexican American War, for the expressed purpose that it astonishes me how even then, how petty and self serving the democrats were at the time of 1845 AD in the year of our Lord.
I disagree that the war with Mexico was not necessary. I in fact agreed with President Polk in his Secretary Robert Walker in the United States taking all of Central America to Panama. Democrats had very good policies and ideas, but while Polk sent Colonel Zachary Taylor to command in the invasion, the Polk Administration, were soon concerned that Taylor who was a Whig or Republican was too successful and they did not want to make a different political party president.
They tried to keep General Winfield Scott off the field as he did want to be President. Polk actually ordered Scott to not go to Mexico to take command, to subvert Taylor, but ended up sending Scott in the plot that Scott would invade the interior by almost 300 miles and destroy himself and Taylor by over extending. The President actually did not send troops or munitions to Scott to make this like Joab withdrawing from Uriah on orders of King David.
As it turned out, Taylor did not get his orders from Scott, had his own plans and attacked Vera Cruz with volunteers and won. The end result was Taylor was elected in 1848 AD in the year of our Lord as President.
Meet you on the other side.
General Scott
The Mexican war was a political war, and the administration conducting it desired to make party capital out of it.
General Scott was at the head of the army, and, being a soldier of acknowledged professional capacity, his claim to the command of the forces in the field was almost indisputable and does not seem to have been denied by President Polk, or Marcy, his Secretary of War.
Scott was a Whig and the administration was democratic.
General Scott was also known to have political aspirations, and nothing so popularizes a candidate for high civil positions as military victories.
It would not do therefore to give him command of the ‘‘army of conquest.”
The plans submitted by Scott for a campaign in Mexico were disapproved by the administration, and he replied, in a tone possibly a little disrespectful, to the effect that, if a soldier’s plans were not to be supported by the administration, success could not be expected.
This was on the 27th of May, 1846.
Four days later General Scott was notified that he need not go to Mexico.
General Gaines was next in rank, but he was too old and feeble to take the field. Colonel Zachary Taylor—a brigadier-general by brevet—was therefore left in command.
He, too, was a Whig, but was not supposed to entertain any political ambitions; nor did he; but after the fall of Monterey, his third battle and third complete victory, the Whig papers at home began to speak of him as the candidate of their party for the Presidency.
Something had to be done to neutralize his growing popularity.
He could not be relieved from duty in the field where all his battles had been victories : the design would have been too transparent.
It was finally decided to send General Scott to Mexico in chief command, and to authorize him to carry out his own original plan: that is, capture Vera Cruz and march upon the capital of the country.
It was no doubt supposed that Scott’s ambition would lead him to slaughter Taylor or destroy his chances for the Presidency, and yet it was hoped that he would not make sufficient capital himself to secure the prize.
The administration had indeed a most embarrassing problem to solve.
It was engaged in a war of conquest which must be carried to a successful issue, or the political object would be unattained.
Yet all the capable officers of the requisite rank belonged to the opposition, and the man selected for his lack of political ambition had himself become a prominent candidate for the Presidency.
It was necessary to destroy his chances promptly.
The problem was to do this without the loss of conquest and without permitting another general of the same political party to acquire like popularity.
The fact is, the administration of Mr. Polk made every preparation to disgrace Scott, or, to speak more correctly, to drive him to such desperation that he would disgrace himself.
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General Taylor
For a President to place America in jeopardy like this, is treacherous. It explains a great deal as to why Robert Walker's plans were never implemented in why America is not rightfully in possession of Central America, because Polk was worried about a Republican being elected to the White House, when one was elected anyway.
God was on the side of America thankfully, as all the sabotage of Polk against Winfield Scott, did not work, and the very situation which Polk was maneuvering against, took place. The great loss though was the United States lost Central America, and think of the advancement those lands would have become like California, Texas and Florida, if not for Polk political intrigue.
He was promised all he asked and seemed to have not only the confidence of the President, but his sincere good wishes.
The promises were all broken.
Only about half the troops were furnished that had been pledged, other war material was withheld and Scott had scarcely started for Mexico before the President undertook to supersede him by the appointment of Senator Thomas H. Benton as lieutenant-general.
This being refused by Congress, the President asked legislative authority to place a junior over a senior of the same grade, with the view of appointing Benton to the rank of major-general and then placing him in command of the army, but Congress failed to accede to this proposition as well, and Scott remained in command: but every general appointed to serve under him was politically opposed to the chief, and several were personally hostile.
This is simply the Lame Cherry providing you with information again which none of you have ever heard, and the reasons things took place with Abraham Lincoln as President did not make sense in Robert Walker was a closet advisor to the Republican President.
Nuff Said
agtG
