presented petitions to Congress praying for the suppression of the foreign slave-trade, and for the adoption of measures tending to emancipation. These petitions caused intense excitement. Congress, after an angry and prolonged debate, resolved that it had no constitutional authority to prohibit the trade in negroes before 1808 (Appendix, p. x) or to interfere with slavery in the States. Three years later (1793) the first law, based on a provision of the Constitution (Appendix, p. xiv), was enacted for the recovery of fugitive slaves. An attempt was next made to prevent the presentation of abolition petitions, on the ground that they would "drive a wedge into the Union" which would split off the Southern States. 582 But it was impossible to stop the discussion of this burning question, which was destined to go on until finally settled by secession and civil war. 258. The first census (1790); the West; anthracite coal; manufactures; the Oregon country. The first census (1790) reported a total population of nearly 4,000,000, including about 700,000 slaves. Nearly the whole of this population was east of the Alleghanies; but pioneers from the States had long been crossing the mountains and making scattered settlements in the western wilderness (§ 137), and Pittsburg (§ 169) was then a thriving town of about two hundred houses. Washington saw the importance of opening water communication with the West, and used every means in his power to accomplish the great work. 583 Through the efforts of Manasseh Cutler, the Ohio Company succeeded in purchasing 5,000,000 acres of Government land, and sent out General Rufus Putnam (§ 207) with a band of emigrants. They began the settlement of Marietta (1788). Late in the same year the building of another group of log huts, farther down the river, marked the beginning of the city of Cincinnati. Speaking of the beautiful Ohio valley, Washington said: "If I was a young man, I know of no country where I should rather fix my habitation." 584 Three years later (1791) anthracite coal was accidentally dis covered at Mauch Chunk Mountain in Pennsylvania (§ 143). The first attempts to use this coal for fuel completely failed, and in Philadelphia it was taken to mend the roads. Later experiments proved that this black stone would burn, and it came slowly into use for manufacturing and heating purposes. With few exceptions the chief industry of the United States was agriculture. Washington in his first message (1790) earn estly recommended the encouragement of manufactures. Hamilton in his famous report on that subject took the ground that, since reciprocity of free trade was not then to be expected, it was the duty of Congress to stimulate the establishment of manufactures by a system of protective duties and bounties; but no action was taken until after the War of 1812.58 585 Commerce was thriving, and every American vessel was in demand. New England shipowners were not only making fortunes in the India trade, but were opening up a traffic in furs between the northern Pacific coast and China. Captain Robert Gray of Boston, one of the pioneers in that trade, first carried the American flag (1790) round the world. Two years later (1792) he was the first white man to enter that great river of the West which he named the Columbia, thereby securing to the United States its original claim to the Oregon country.6 259. The cultivation and manufacture of cotton; the cotton-gin (1793). Before Washington entered office, Tench Coxe, of Philadelphia, urged Southern planters to turn their attention to cotton-raising. In England improved machines for making cotton cloth had created an immense demand for the raw material, which was then obtained from the East and the West Indies. A few bags of cotton had been exported (1784) from Charleston to Liverpool, but planters found rice and tobacco their most profitable crops. Several cotton mills had been built in New England, but their rudely constructed machinery gave little promise of success. Subsequently Samuel Slater, a young Englishman, came to this country, and working from memory alone, set up (1790) for Almy & Brown of Pawtucket, Rhode Island, faithful copies of the best cotton-spinning machines used in the English factories.5 587 The next question was how to obtain an abundant supply of American cotton. The Southern planters were ready to furnish it, provided some quick and efficient means could be found for separating the seed from the fibre. When done by hand, this process was tedious and expensive, as it took a negro an entire day to clean a single pound ready for market. In 1793 Eli Whitney, of Massachusetts, invented the cotton-gin, which would clean a thousand pounds of cotton in a day." His machine wrought an industrial revolution at the South, and produced economic and political results which were felt throughout the Union. 1. It "trebled the value of land" at the South, caused an enormous rise in the price of negroes, and stimulated the rapid settlement of the Gulf States. 2. It made cotton the "king" of Southern staples. In ten years' time we were sup 588 plying our own demands and exporting 50,000 bales besides ; yet this was only the beginning. 3. Cotton culture encouraged the building of a great number of factories at the North, and gave employment to fleets of vessels engaged in the carrying trade. 4. On the other hand, it killed the hope of gradual emancipation, which the "Fathers of the Republic" had cherished, since it interested both Southern and Northern capitalists in the profits of slave labor, and encouraged the flagrant violation of the law prohibiting the continuance of the foreign slavetrade after 1808.589 The result was that Whitney's invention contributed powerfully to make the maintenance and extension of slavery for nearly seventy years the most prominent and the most dangerous question in our political history." 590 260. Fears of disunion; second presidential election.— Meanwhile Washington's first term of office was drawing to a close. He was eager to retire to Mount Vernon. "I would rather," said he, "take my spade in my hand and work for my bread than remain where I am." 591 But Hamilton and Jefferson, though bitter political opponents (§ 256), united in begging him to stand for a second term. Hamilton thought that the Union was not yet "firmly established"; 592 Jefferson feared secession and civil war. He declared in his letters that a "corrupt squadron" of Federalists in the Eastern States had formed a plot to overthrow the Republic, and set up a monarchy on its ruins.533 He wrote to Washington: "The confidence of the whole country is centered in you." "North and South will hang together if they have you to hang on." 504 Moved by these entreaties Washington consented to become a candidate. He was again unanimously elected (1792); John Adams became a second time Vice-President; but a majority of the new House of Representatives were Jeffersonian Republicans. 595 261. News from France; proclamation of neutrality (1793). Shortly after Washington's second inauguration (1793) news arrived that the French Revolutionists had |