Page 66 - Cooke's Peak - Pasaron Por Aqui

resulting from the establishment of the Initial Point far upstream from El Paso del Norte, and misatten- tion to commission business, would have been avoided.
Having failed to entice Emory, the then lame-duck President next offered the post of Boundary Com- missioner to a fellow party member, defeated ex- Senator Ambrose H. Sevier. However, before the Senate could act on his confirmation, Sevier died on December 31, 1848. Polk again turned to a defeated colleague, John B. Weller of Ohio, who accepted the
position and was subsequently confirmed by the Senate. Much less trouble was encountered in securing someone to fulfill the office of United States Surveyor, which went to a highly qualified civil engineer, Andrew Belcher Gray.
Commissioner Weller’s party of 39 left for San Diego in February 1849 to meet with their counter- parts from Mexico. They used the three-stage steamer route that incorporated an intervening land trek across Panama. Unfortunately, they en- countered the initial surge of the gold rush and, despite all efforts, it took them until June 1 to reach their destination. Even with the delays, however, they reached San Diego more than a month ahead
of their Mexican counterparts. When the Mexican Boundary Commission finally arrived, it was headed by General Pedro Garcia Conde, a combat veteran of the recent war, who was also an able politician and a professional engineer.3
Partisan jealousy continued to haunt the American commission. The incoming politicians were upset with Polk’s lame-duck appointments and felt that he should have waited for the new administration to make the selections. Secretary of State John M. Clayton failed in his attempt to cut off the funds for the Commission, but succeeded in forcing the ap- pointment of John Charles Fremont to replace Boundary Commissioner Weller. Fremont readily accepted the position but, after discussing the as- sociated problems with Weller, who was still bliss- fully unaware of the Washington political circumstances, decided that he wanted nothing to do with the Commission and resigned before officially
taking over.
Despite Fremont’s actions, Weller was removed in
December 1849 to be replaced temporarily by Emory, who also managed to be relieved later. Due to disruptions, including military desertions caused by the gold fever, the Commission held its last meet-
ing on February 15, 1850, and agreed to meet in El Paso del Norte on the first Monday of November
The Joint Boundary Commission
52
4 meantime, on June 15, John Russell In the
1850.
Bartlett was appointed the new Boundary Commis-
5 sioner.
Bartlett not only lacked suitable experience for the
job but also filled the Commission staff with political
cronies and went so far as to place his brother,
George, in charge of the expedition’s commissary.
Bartlett also outfitted a special carriage that he used
to travel all over the Southwest and Mexico. It was
“well supplied with Colt’s and Sharp s rifles, Colt s
pistols, a double-barreled shot gun, lots of ammuni-
tion, a spyglass, and a number of small but useful 6
tools.”
While Commissioner Bartlett was gathering the
necessary men, supplies, and equipment, diverse political issues concerning the method of settling the territory recently acquired from Mexico, most notably whether its citizens would be allowed to have slaves, joined other controversies to produce the
7
Bartlett’s actions in the Southwest would also spark accusations of northern political bias that would end in his disgrace for failing to establish a boundary that would retain
Cooke’s Wagon Road and for expending so much money in the fruitless attempts.
Bartlett proceeded ahead of most of his party to reach El Paso del Norte almost on time for the appointed November 1850 meeting. However, he need not have hurried because, once again, the Mexican Commission was late and did not reach
o thereuntilthefirstofDecember. Whilehewaited
for his own men and the Mexicans, Bartlett was
entertained lavishly by the local residents on both
9
sidesoftheborder. Later,usingtheJamesWiley
Magoffin house, in which he had received quarters, Bartlett threw an ostentatious party for many American and Mexican officials, including army of- ficers. There was considerable female company, and special chandeliers were fashioned of barrel hoops and sardine tins so that each fixture held a
10
dozen candles.
was a danger in crossing the river after dark, the party lasted all night, and the guests departed at 8
11
o’clock the next morning.
Bartlett described El Paso del Norte (present-day
Ciudad Juarez), on the Mexican side of the river, as having about 5,000 people. On the American side there were but a few houses divided into three set-
Great Compromise of 1850.
At least partially because there