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SARAH CHILDRESS, of Tennessee, when nineteen years old married James Knox Polk, a member of the Legislature of that State. next year he was elected to Congress, continuing fourteen sessions in Washington, and Mrs. Polk held a high social position there owing to her courteous manners, dignity and many accomplishments. When she returned to Washington as the wife of the President, having no children, she devoted herself exclusively to her duties in that position. At her weekly receptions the custom of serving refreshments to guests was abolished. As she was a strict Presbyterian, dancing also was forbidden; nevertheless, she was very popular. She was a handsome woman of the Spanish type, dressed with refined and elegant taste, and was noted as a conversationalist, beside realizing keenly the obligations of her station. She survived her husband over forty years, living at "Polk Place," Nashville, the home they had hoped to share in old age.

POLK

James K. Polk will be remembered for the war that he did not fight as much as for the war he made against Mexico. The prominent issues presented in the famous Presidential campaign between Polk and Clay were the Texas and Oregon questions. Clay, who had always been a compromise man, occupied a compromise position in the campaign. He was in favor of the acquisition of Texas, provided it could be done without a war with Mexico, but probably a majority of his party did not go even that far. On the other hand Polk was strongly in favor of the immediate annexation of Texas and of the acquisition of the whole of Oregon up to 54° 40" north latitude, and was in favor of war in both cases, if necessary to accomplish these results. It will be remembered that one of the campaign slogans was "Fifty-Four Forty or Fight." The result of such a campaign was 170 electoral votes for Polk and only 105 for Clay.

Polk in his inaugural address commended the late action of Congress in relation to Texas, providing for the introduction of the Republic into the Federal Union as a separate State, and strongly asserted the title of the United States to the whole of Oregon, regardless of the claim of Great Britain, and intimated his intention to maintain it by force if necessary. Texas was promptly admitted into the Union, which resulted in the breaking off of diplomatic relations between this Republic and the Republic of Mexico, Mexico having never recognized the independence of Texas, and still claiming that territory as belonging to her dominion. The Mexican War followed, which was prosecuted not only to defend and maintain the status of Texas, but even to a war of conquest. The war was pushed until the flag of the United States floated over the Mexican capital, and the immense territory from New Mexico to Oregon west of the Mississippi River, excluding the Louisiana purchase acquired by Jefferson, was taken as a war indemnity by the peace of Guadaloupe Hidalgo.

Thus while Polk, as a result of the war, was acquiring most valuable and important territory in the South and Southwest, and in this respect going even further than his campaign promises and pledges, yet he was pursuing an entirely different, just the opposite course in fact, with reference to the other important question of the memorable campaign which won him the Presidency, with reference to Oregon and the Northwest. President Polk unfortunately surrendered and compromised away the rights and contention of the United States. All of Oregon north of the forty-ninth degree of north latitude was quietly and peaceably surrendered.