Correspondence of James K. Polk Transcriptions, April 1848 – June 1849 April 1848 2 FROM WILLIAM McLAIN My Dear Sir Colo. Rooms 1 April 1848 I was very anxious to have an interview with you, this morning, but could not. It is very important that I should see you to day, for a few minutes, on a matter connected with the operations of the Colonization Society. I am sorry to trouble you in this way, but I will be under lasting obligations for the favor of a few words. W. MCLAIN ALS. DLC–JKP. From Polk’s AE: received April 1, 1848. TO ANDREW J. DONELSON My Dear Sir: Washington City April 2nd 1848 I have received your letter of the 22nd of February, requesting leave of absence, for a short period in order to enable you to visit the United States. Upon conferring with Mr Buchanan I had determined to accede to your wishes, and would have done so, but for the sudden revolution which has occurred in France. That great event, renders, it highly necessary, if not indispensible, that all our diplomatic representatives in Europe, should remain at their posts, that they should 3 vigilenty watch, its effects upon the Governments to which they are respectively accredited, their policy in reference to it, and that they should keep their own Government regularly & minutely informed, of whatever may transpire. For these reasons I have felt constraind to decline accepting a request made by Mr Ingersoll to be recalled from St. Petersberg.1 If in the course of the next summer the condition of affairs in Europe should be such as to permit it, it will give me pleasure, to grant the leave which you ask. At present I do not think that the U. States should be without a Diplomatic Representative of the first rank, at Berlin. The news of the sudden overthrow of the French Monarchy, and the establishment of a Provisional Government, based on Republican principles, in its stead, has been received with general joy, throughout our country. The National Intelligencer and a few Federal leadeers, true to their instinctive hatred of free principles constitute the exception to the general rule. On tomorrow I will send a Message to Congress, communicating a despatch recived from Mr Rush,2 in which I will express my full and unqualified approbation of his prompt recognition of the new Government. Your despatch, written after you had recived the news of the revolution3 has been received. I have postponed writing this hasty note, until I have but a few minutes left, in order to be in time for the mail by the next steamer. With the kinds regards of Mrs. Polk and myself to Mrs. Donelson: . 4 JAMES K. POLK ALS. DLC–AJD. Addressed to Berlin and marked “(Private & unofficial).” See also ALS, press copy. DLC–JKP. Published in St. George L. Sioussat, ed., “Letters of James K. Polk to Andrew J. Donelson, 1843–1848,” Tennessee Historical Magazine, 3 (March 1917), pp. 72–73. 1. Ralph I. Ingersoll requested his recall in Ingersoll to Polk, February 11, 1848. He also did so in a February 11 dispatch, no. 8, to James Buchanan. LS, duplicate, in Colin M. Ingersoll’s hand. DNA–RG 59. Buchanan relayed Polk’s denial of the request in a letter of April 1. WJB–8, pp. 38–39. 2. Polk refers to Richard Rush’s dispatch no. 17 to Buchanan, dated March 4, 1848, in which Rush describes the February 24 revolution in Paris and Rush’s interactions with the provisional republican government. Rush enclosed an address that he had presented to that government on February 28, a letter of February 27 from Minister of Foreign Relations Alphonse-Marie-Louis de Prat de Lamartine to Rush, and Rush’s response of February 28. See all these documents in Senate Executive Document No. 32, 30th Congress, 1st Session, pp. 2–6. 3. Polk probably refers to a dispatch from Donelson to Buchanan, possibly no. 62, dated March 10, 1848. ALS. DNA–RG 59. TO JACOB L. MARTIN My Dear Sir: Washington City April 2nd 1848 In pursuance of the recommendation contained in my last annual messag[e]1 Congress has made the necessary appropriation fo[r] the outfit and salary of a charge d’ affaires of the United States to the Papal 5 States. Imm[e]diately after the act was passed, it gave me pleasure to nominate you to the Senate for t[his] important mission, and the nomination wa[s] promptly confirmed by that body. You will receive your commission and instructions by th[e] Steamer which will convey to you this letter. [In] view of the great events, which have just transpi[red] in France, and of the advance of liberal princip[les] in other countries of Europe, it is desireable that you should proceed to Rome and enter upon the duties of your mission with the least practicable delay. Being the first diplomatic rep[re]sentative of your country, accredited to the Pope’s Government, your duties, will be delicate and highly important. The United States recognizes the Government to which you are sent, as that of one of the States of Europe, with which it is proper to initiate Diplomatic relations, but without any reference to the fact that the Sovereign is also the Head of a church. Queen Victoria is also the Head of church. More detailed instructions than those which the Secretary of state has had time to prepare, during the brief interval which has elapsed, since, your nomination was confirmed by the Senate, will be forwarded to you by the next steamer for Europe. After your arrival at your post, and after you have been recognized as the Representative of your Government, I deem it important, that you should take an early opportunity, to intimate in a proper manner and in the proper quarter, that the Diplomatic Representative whom the Pope may commission to the United States, should be a layman and not a Priest. You will readily 6 understand the reasons for this suggestion. I will send a message to Congress on tomorrow, transmitting Mr Rush’s despatch,2 and expressing my full and unqualified approbation of his prompt recognition of the Provisional Government of France. The news of the Revolution, by which the Monarchy was overthrown, and a Government based on liberal republican principles, established in its stead, has been received with general rejoicing throughout our county. The National Intelligencer and a few Federal leaders, may entertain sentiments and opinions, which constitute exceptions, to the general ru[le]. JAMES K. POLK ALS, press copy. DLC–JKP. Addressed to Paris and marked “(Private & unofficial).” 1. Text here and below cut off side of page. 2. See letter and notes in Polk to Andrew J. Donelson, April 2, 1848. TO RICHARD RUSH My Dear Sir: Washington City April 2nd 1848 Your despatch giving official information of the sudden overthrown of the French Monarchy, and the establishment of a Provisional Government, based on Republican principles in its stead, was received at the Department of State two days ago. You will learn by a despatch 7 which you will receive from the Secretary of State, by the Steamer which will convey to you this letter, that it has given me pleasure to approve your prompt recognition of the new Government. On tomorrow I will send a message to Congress, communicating a copy of your despatch, and expressing my unqualified approval of your conduct. Your position, upon the sudden emergency which occurred, was delicate and highly responsible. You met the occasion as became the Representative of the greatest Republic on earth. It affords me great pleasure, to express to you these sentiments. The news of the revolution in France, and the establishment of free Government, has been received with general joy, throughout our countrey. The National Intelligencer & a few Federal leaders, true to their instinctive hatred of liberal principles, constitute the exceptions to the general rule. You will learn that I have appointed Dr. Martin, your Secretary of Legation, to be charge’ d’ affaires to the Papal States. It is desireable that he should proceed to Rome, and enter on the duties of his mission, with as little delay as may be consistent, with his convenience, and the necessary arrangements, which he have to make. His appointment, leaves a vacancy in the office of Secretary of Legation, and I request that you will inform me, whom you may desire to have appointed. It is usual to consult the minister in regard to his Secretary of legation, and to accord to his wishes in the selection. I have postponed writing this hasty note, until I have but a few 8 minutes left, in order to be in time for the mail by the next Steamer. JAMES K. POLK ALS. NjP–RF. Addressed to Paris and marked “(Private & unofficial).” See also ALS, press copy. DLC–JKP. FROM GEORGE ABERNETHY Sir, Oregon City 3d April, 1848 I am aware that much of your time is occupied, and shall be brief in my remarks, hoping the importance of the case, will excuse this liberty. A copy of the memorial passed by the Legislature, at its last session, together with papers containing the account of the massacre of Dr. Whitman, and others, at Waülatper by the Cayuse Indians, were forwarded to Congress by Mr. J. Meek. I also forwarded duplicates via California, as Mr. Meek left Walla Walla on the 4th ult. he will no doubt reach you in May. I send with this a file of the Spectator, and an Extra issued to-day, together with a Copy of my last Proclamation1 by which you will perceive that we are carrying on a War with the Indians of the interior.