nightly meetings of large numbers of mem- | brs from the slave States, led by Mr. Calhoun, to consider the state of things between the North and the South. They appointed committees who prepared an address to the people. It was in this condition of things, that President Taylor expressed his opinion, in his message, of the remedies required. California, New Mexico and Utah, had been left without governments. For California, he recommended that having a sufficient population and having framed a constitution, she be admitted as a State into the Union; and for New Mexico and Utah, without mixing the slavery question with their territorial governments, they be left to ripen into States, and settle the slavery question for themselves in their State constitutions.

from any of the United States at the option of their owner.

Mr. Clay in reply, said: "Coming from a slave State, as I do, I owe it to myself, I owe it to truth, I owe it to the subject, to say that no earthly power could induce me to vote for a specific measure for the introduction of slavery where it had not before existed, either south or north of that line. * If the citizens of those territories choose to establish slavery, and if they come here with constitutions establishing slavery, I am for admitting them with such provisions in their constitutions; but then it will be their own work, and not ours, and their posterity will have to reproach them, and not us, for forming constitutions allowing the institution of slavery to exist among them."

Mr. Seward of New York, proposed a With a view to meet the wishes of all renewal of the Wilmot Proviso, in the folparties, and arrive at some definite and lowing resolution: "Neither slavery nor permanent adjustment of the slavery ques- involuntary servitude, otherwise than by tion, Mr. Clay early in the session in- conviction for crime, shall ever be allowed troduced compromise resolutions which in either of said territories of Utah and were practically a tacking together of the New Mexico;" but his resolution was reseveral bills then on the calendar, provid-jected in the Senate by a vote of 23 yeas to ing for the admission of California-the 33 nays. Following this, Mr. Calhoun territorial government for Utah and New Mexico the settlement of the Texas boundary-slavery in the District of Columbia --and for a fugitive slave law. It was seriously and earnestly opposed by many, as being a concession to the spirit of disability of a dissolution of the Union, and union-a capitulation under threat of secession; and as likely to become the source of more contentions than it proposed to quiet.

had read for him in the Senate, by his friend James M. Mason of Virginia, his last speech. It embodied the points covered by the address to the people, prepared by him the previous year; the prob

presenting a case to justify it. The tenor of the speech is shown by the following extracts from it: "I have, Senators, believed from the first, that the agitation of the subThe resolutions were referred to a special ject of slavery would, if not prevented by committee, who promptly reported a bill some timely and effective measure, end in embracing the comprehensive plan of com- disunion. Entertaining this opinion, I promise which Mr. Clay proposed. Among have, on all proper occasions, endeavored to the resolutions offered, was the following: call the attention of each of the two great "Resolved, that as slavery does not exist parties which divide the country to adopt by law and is not likely to be introduced some measure to prevent so great a disasinto any of the territory acquired by the ter, but without success. The agitation has United States from the Republic of Mexi- been permitted to proceed, with almost no co, it is inexpedient for Congress to pro- attempt to resist it, until it has reached a vide by law either for its introduction into period when it can no longer be disguised or exclusion from any part of the said ter- or denied that the Union is in danger. ritory; and that appropriate territorial You have had forced upon you the greatgovernments ought to be established by est and gravest question that can ever Congress in all of the said territory, and come under your consideration: How can assigned as the boundaries of the proposed the Union be preserved? * State of California, without the adoption Instead of being weaker, all the elements of any restriction or condition on the sub-in favor of agitation are stronger now than ject of slavery." Mr. Jefferson Davis of they were in 1835, when it first commenced, Mississippi, objected that the measure gave while all the elements of influence on the nothing to the South in the settlement of part of the South are weaker. Unless the question; and he required the exten- something decisive is done, I again ask sion of the Missouri compromise line to what is to stop this agitation, before the the Pacific Ocean as the least that he great and final object at which it aims-would be willing to take, with the specific the abolition of slavery in the States-is recognition of the right to hold slaves in consummated? Is it, then, not certain that the territory below that line; and that, be- if something decisive is not now done to fore such territories are admitted into the arrest it, the South will be forced to choose Union as States, slaves may be taken there between abolition and secession? Indeed

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as events are now moving, it will not re-fever from exposure to the hot sun at a celequire the South to secede to dissolve the bration of Independence Day, from which Union. * * * * If the agitation goes he died four days afterwards. He was a on, nothing will be left to hold the States man of irreproachable private character, together except force." He answered the undoubted patriotism, and established requestion, How can the Union be saved? putation for judgment and firmness. His with which his speech opened, by suggest- brief career showed no deficiency of poliing. "To provide for the insertion of a tical wisdom nor want of political training. provision in the constitution, by an amend- His administration was beset with difficulment, which will restore to the South in ties, with momentous questions pending, substance the power she possessed of pro- and he met the crisis with firmness and tecting herself, before the equilibrium be- determination, resolved to maintain the tween the sections was destroyed by the Federal Union at all hazards. His first action of the government." He did not and only annual message, the leading state of what the amendment should con- points of which have been stated, evinces sist, but later on, it was ascertained from a spirit to do what was right among all the reliable sources that his idea was a dual States. His death was a public calamity. executive-one President from the free, No man could have been more devoted to and one from the slave States, the consent the Union nor more opposed to the slavery of both of whom should be required to all agitation; and his position as a Southern acts of Congress before they become laws. man and a slaveholder-his military repuThis speech of Mr. Calhoun's, is import- tation, and his election by a majority of ant as explaining many of his previous ac- the people as well as of the States, would tions; and as furnishing a guide to those have given him a power in the settlement who ten years afterwards attempted to of the pending questions of the day which carry out practically the suggestions no President without these qualifications thrown out by him. could have possessed.

Mr. Clay's compromise bill was rejected. It was evident that no compromise of any kind whatever on the subject of slavery, under any one of its aspects separately, much less under all put together, could possibly be made. There was no spirit of concession manifested. The numerous measures put together in Mr. Clay's bill were disconnected and separated. Each measure received a separate and independent consideration, and with a result which showed the injustice of the attempted conjunction; for no two of them were passed by the same vote, even of the members of the committee which had even unanimously reported favorably upon them as a whole.

In accordance with the Constitution, the office of President thus devolved upon the Vice-President, Mr. Millard Fillmore, who was duly inaugurated July 10, 1850. The new cabinet, with Daniel Webster as Secretary of State, was duly appointed and confirmed by the Senate.

The bill for the admission of California as a State in the Union, was called up in the Senate and sought to be amended by extending the Missouri Compromise line through it, to the Pacific Ocean, so as to authorize slavery in the State below that line. The amendment was introduced and pressed by Southern friends of the late Mr. Calhoun, and made a test question. It was lost, and the bill passed by a twothird vote; whereupon ten Southern Senators offered a written protest, the concluding clause of which was: "We dissent from this bill, and solemnly protest against its passage, because in sanctioning measures so contrary to former precedents, to obvious policy, to the spirit and intent of the constitution of the United States, for the purpose of excluding the slaveholding States from the territory thus to be erected into a State, this government in effect declares that the exclusion of slavery from the territory of the United States is an object so high and important as to justify a disregard not only of all the principles of sound policy, but also of the constitution itself. Against this conclusion we must now and for ever protest, as it is destructive of the safety and liberties of those whose rights have been committed to our In July of this year an event took place care, fatal to the peace and equality of the which threw a gloom over the country. States which we represent, and must lead, The President, General Taylor, contracted aif persisted in, to the dissolution of that

Mr. Calhoun died in the spring of 1850; before the separate bill for the admission of California was taken up. His death took place at Washington, he having reached the age of 68 years. A eulogy upon him was delivered in the Senate by his colleague, Mr. Butler, of South Carolina. Mr. Calhoun was the first great advocate of the doctrine of secession. He was the author of the nullification doctrine, and an advocate of the extreme doctrine of States Rights. He was an eloquent speaker-a man of strong intellect. His speeches were plain, strong, concise, sometimes impassioned, and always severe. Daniel Webster said of him, that "he had the basis, the indispensable basis of all high characters, and that was unspotted integrity, unimpeached honor and char

acter!"

confederacy, in which the slaveholding appearance in national politics in 1840, when States have never sought more than a presidential ticket was nominated by a equality, and in which they will not be party then formed favoring the abolition of content to remain with less." On objec- slavery; it had a very slight following tion being made, followed by debate, the which was increased ten-fold at the elecSenate refused to receive the protest, or tion of 1844 when the same party again permit it to be entered on the Journal. put a ticket in the field with James G. The bill went to the House of Representa- Birney of Michigan, as its candidate for tives, was readily passed, and promptly the Presidency; who received 62,140 votes. approved by the President. Thus was The efforts of the leaders of that faction virtually accomplished the abrogation of were continued, and persisted in to such the Missouri compromise line; and the ex- an extent, that when in 1848 it nominated tension or non-extension of slavery was a ticket with Gerritt Smith for President, then made to form a foundation for future against the Democratic candidate, Martin political parties. Van Buren, the former received 296,232 The year 1850 was prolific with disunion votes. In the presidential contest of 1852 movements in the Southern States. The the abolition party again nominated a Senators who had joined with Mr. Calhoun | ticket, with John P. Hale as its candidate in the address to the people, in 1849, for President, and polled 157,926 votes. united with their adherents in establishing This large following was increased from at Washington a newspaper entitled "The time to time, until uniting with a new Southern Press," devoted to the agitation party then formed, called the Republican of the slavery question; to presenting the party, which latter adopted a platform enadvantages of disunion, and the organi- dorsing the views and sentiments of the zation of a confederacy of Southern abolitionists, the great and decisive battle States to be called the "United States for the principles involved, was fought in South." Its constant aim was to influence the ensuing presidential contest of 1556; the South against the North, and advoca- when the candidate of the Republican ted concert of action by the States of the party, John C. Fremont, supported by the former section. It was aided in its efforts entire abolition party, polled 1,341,812 by newspapers published in the South, votes. The first national platform of the more especially in South Carolina and Abolition party, upon which it went into Mississippi. A disunion convention was actually held, in Nashville, Tennessee, and invited the assembly of a Southern Congress. Two States, South Carolina and Mississippi responded to the appeal; passed laws to carry it into effect, and the former went so far as to elect its quota of Representatives to the proposed new Southern Congress. These occurrences are referred to as showing the spirit that prevailed, and the extraordinary and unjustifiable means used by the leaders to mislead and exasperate the people. The assembling of a Southern "Congress" was a turning point in the progress of disunion. Georgia refused to join; and her weight as a great Southern State was sufficient to cause the failure of the scheme. But the seeds of discord were sown, and had taken root, only to spring up at a future time when circumstances should be more favorable to the accomplishment of the object.

Although the Congress of the United States had in 1790 and again in 1836 formally declared the policy of the government to be non-interference with the States in respect to the matter of slavery within the limits of the respective States, the subject continued to be agitated in consequence of petitions to Congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, which was under the exclusive control of the federal government; and of movements throughout the United States to limit, and finally abolish it. The subject first made its

the contest of 1840, favored the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and Territories; the inter-state slave trade, and a general opposition to slavery to the full extent of constitutional power.

Following the discussion of the subject of slavery, in the Senate and House of Representatives, brought about by the presentation of petitions and memorials, and the passage of the resolutions in 1836 rejecting such petitions, the question was again raised by the presentation in the House, by Mr. Slade of Vermont, on the 20th December 1837, of two memorials praying the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and moving that they be referred to a select committee. Great excitement prevailed in the chamber, and of the many attempts by the Southern members an adjournment was had. The next day a resolution was offered that thereafter all such petitions and memorials touching the abolition of slavery should, when presented, be laid on the table; which resolution was adopted by a large vote. During the 24th Congress, the Senate pursued the course of laying on the table the motion to receive all abolition petitions; and both Houses during the 25th Congress continued the same course of conduct; when finally on the 25th of January 1840, the House adopted by a vote of 114 to 108, an amendment to the rules, called the 21st Rule, which provided:-"that no petition, memorial or resolution, or other paper, pray

ever."

ing the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, or any state or territory, or the slave-trade between the States or territories of the United States, in which it now exists, shall be received by this House, or entertained in any way whatThis rule was afterwards, on the 3d of December, 1814, rescinded by the House, on motion of Mr. J. Quincy Adams, by a vote of 108 to 80; and a motion to re-instate it, on the 1st of December 1845, was rejected by a vote of 84 to 121. Within five years afterwards-on the 17th September 1850,-the Congress of the United States enacted a law, which was approved by the President, abolishing slavery in the District of Columbia.

The first political parties in the United States, from the establishment of the federal government and for many years afterwards, were denominated Federalists and Democrats, or Democratic Republicans. The former was an anti-alien party. The✓ latter was made up to a large extent of naturalized foreigners; refugees from England, Ireland and Scotland, driven from home for hostility to the government or for attachment to France. Naturally, aliens sought alliance with the Democratic party, which favored the war against Great Britain. The early party contests were based on the naturalization laws; the first of which, approved March 26, 1790, required only two years' residence in this On the 25th of February, 1850, there country; a few years afterwards the time was presented in the House of Representa- was extended to five years; and in 1798 tives, two petitions from citizens of Penn- the Federalists taking advantage of the sylvania and Delaware, setting forth that war fever against France, and then being slavery, and the constitution which per- in power, extended the time to fourteen mits it, violates the Divine law; is incon-years. (See Alien and Sedition Laws of sistent with republican principles; that 1798). its existence has brought evil upon the cratic victory of 1800, brought the period country; and that no union can exist with back to five years in 1802, and re-inforced States which tolerate that institution; and the Democratic party. The city of New asking that some plan be devised for the York, especially, from time to time became immediate, peaceful dissolution of the filled with foreigners; thus naturalized; Union. The House refused to receive and brought into the Democratic ranks; and consider the petitions; as did also the crowded out native Federalists from conSenate when the same petitions were pre-trol of the city government, and to meet sented the same month.

Jefferson's election and Demo

this condition of affairs, the first attempt The presidential election of 1852 was the at a Native American organization was last campaign in which the Whig party made. Beginning in 1835; ending in appeared in National politics. It nomi- failure in election of Mayor in 1837, it was nated a ticket with General Winfield Scott revived in April, 1844, when the Native as its candidate for President. His oppo- American organization carried New York nent on the Democratic ticket was General city for its Mayoralty candidate by a good Franklin Pierce. A third ticket was placed majority. The success of the movement in the field by the Abolition party, with there, caused it to spread to New Jersey John P. Hale as its candidate for Presi- and Pennsylvania. In Philadelphia, it was dent. The platform and declaration of desperately opposed by the Democratic, principles of the Whig party was in sub- Irish and Roman Catholic element, and so stance a ratification and endorsement of furiously, that it resulted in riots, in which the several measures embraced in Mr. two Romish Churches were burned and Clay's compromise resolutions of the pre-destroyed. The adherents of the Amerivious session of Congress, before referred can organization were not confined to to; and the policy of a revenue for the Federalists or Whigs, but largely of native economical administration of the govern- Democrats; and the Whigs openly voted ment, to be derived mainly from duties on with Democratic Natives in order to secure imports, and by these means to afford pro- their vote for Henry Clay for the Presitection to American industry. The main dency; but when in November, 1844, New plank of the platform of the Abolition York and Philadelphia both gave Native party (or Independent Democrats, as they majorities, and so sapped the Whig vote, were called) was for the non-extension and that both places gave majorities for the gradual extinction of slavery. The Demo- Democratic Presidential electors, the cratic party equally adhered to the com- Whigs drew off. In 1845, at the April promise measure. The election resulted election in New York, the natives were in the choice of Franklin Pierce, by a defeated, and the new party disappeared popular vote of 1,601,474, and 254 electoral there. As a result of the autumn election votes, against a popular aggregate vote of of 1844, the 29th Congress, which organ1,542,403 (of which the abolitionists polled ized in December, 1845, had six Native 157,926) and 42 electoral votes, for the Representatives; four from New York and Whig and Abolition candidates. Mr. two from Pennsylvania. In the 30th ConPierce was duly inaugurated as President, gress, Pennsylvania had one. Thereafter March 4, 1853. for some years, with the exception of a