organization of the
Democratic Party. The annexation of Texas, and the Mexican War, had
alienated the support of some, and to this fact was due the closeness
of the contest of 1846.

XII
THE LEGISLATURE OF 1847

At the meeting of the Legislature of 1847, some new members appeared.
Caleb Cushing came from Newburyport, and Fletcher Webster, and J.
Lothrop Motley from Boston. The Democrats of Boston and vicinity were
then engaged in raising and equipping a regiment for Mexico. Cushing
was Colonel of the regiment and Edward Webster, a brother of Fletcher,
was the Captain of one of the companies. On the first day of the
session Cushing introduced an order to appropriate twenty thousand
dollars to aid in equipping the regiment for service. The order was
referred to a special committee of which Cushing was made chairman.
I was put upon the committee and the majority were friends of the
measure.

Upon the report a discussion sprang up which was partisan with a few
exceptions. Conspicuous among the exceptions was Fletcher Webster.
Webster supported the appropriation in a speech of signal ability. His
drawback was the disposition to compare him with his father. Fletcher
was aware of this, and I recollect his remarks upon the subject at an
accidental meeting on Warren Bridge. Fletcher was rather undersize,
and he spoke of that fact as a hindrance to success in life, in
addition to the disposition to compare him with his father. In his
speech he made a remark not unlike the style of his father. Addressing
himself to his Whig friends, he said that they would be required to
explain their opposition to the measure, and added, "and explanations
are always disagreeable." My acquaintance with Fletcher Webster, was
the introduction to a limited acquaintance with his father, and it led
to an act on the part of Mr. Webster which was of signal importance to
me.

Mr. Cushing remained in the House until the loss of the appropriation,
when he left for Washington. President Polk gave him a commission as a
Brigadier-General, and he left for Mexico.

Motley was chairman of the Committee on Education, and as Chairman he
reported a bill to divide a portion of the proceeds of the Maine lands,
among the three colleges of the State. Theretofore they had been added
to the Common School Fund. As a member of the committee, I opposed the
measure, and the bill was lost. The subject is mentioned in Holmes'
Life of Motley, and a lett