at palo alto and recited in the resaka de la palma. at first there was tremendous support for the war. public rallies were held around the country, young men rushed to enlist in the militia. when their own state's militia quotas were filled, they went to neighboring states and enlisted. the public support faded as the war dragged on and the casualty list grew with no end in sight. polk believed the war would last just three months, but national pride would not permit mexico to quit so long as an invader occupied it soil, even as it lost every battle. during the 1846 midterm election, president polk's democratic party lost control of the house of representatives. the reconstituted house launched investigations into the war's origins and its conduct. it demanded reames of documents from the white house, and it passed a resolution declaring the war had been unnecessarily and unconstitutionally begun by the president of the united states. a freshman congressman from illinois, abraham lincoln, said the president cannot be permitted to make