TWENTY YEARS OF CONGRESS:

FROM

63543

LINCOLN TO GARFIELD.

WITH A REVIEW OF

THE EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE POLITICAL
REVOLUTION OF 1860.

BY

JAMES G. BLAINE.

VOLUME I.

- NORWICH, CONN.:

THE HENRY BILL PUBLISHING COMPANY.

1884.

COPYRIGHT, 1884,

BY JAMES G. BLAINE.

All rights reserved.

ELECTROTYPED AND PRINTED
BY RAND, AVERY, AND COMPANY,

BOSTON, MASS.

A REVIEW OF THE EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE POLITICAL REVO-

LUTION OF 1860.

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ORIGINAL COMPROMISES BETWEEN THE NORTH AND THE SOUTH EMBODIED IN THE

CONSTITUTION. - EARLY DISSATISFACTION WITH NATIONAL BOUNDARIES. Ac-

QUISITION OF LOUISIANA FROM FRANCE BY PRESIDENT JEFFERSON. BONA-

PARTE'S ACTION AND MOTIVE IN CEDING LOUISIANA. — STATE OF LOUISIANA

ADMITTED TO THE UNION AGAINST OPPOSITION IN THE NORTH. - AGITATION

OF SLAVERY QUESTION IN CONNECTION WITH THE ADMISSION OF MISSOURI TO

THE UNION. THE TWO MISSOURI COMPROMISES OF 1820 AND 1821. ORIGIN

AND DEVELOPMENT OF THE ABOLITION PARTY. - STRUGGLE OVER THE RIGHT

OF PETITION

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CHAPTER II.

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REVIEW OF EVENTS BEFORE 1860 (continued). — EARLY EFFORTS TO ACQUIRE

TEXAS. COURSE OF PRESIDENT TYLER. - MR. CALHOUN APPOINTED SECRE-

TARY OF STATE. HIS SUCCESSFUL MANAGEMENT OF THE TEXAS QUESTION. -

HIS HOSTILITY TO MR. VAN BUREN. — LETTERS OF MR. CLAY AND MR. VAN

BUREN OPPOSING THE ANNEXATION OF TEXAS. MR. CLAY NOMINATED AS

THE WHIG CANDIDATE FOR THE PRESIDENCY IN 1844. VAN BUREN'S NOMINA-

TION DEFEATED. - MR. POLK SELECTED AS THE DEMOCRATIC CANDIDATE.

DISQUIETUDE OF MR. CLAY. HIS CHANGE OF GROUND. - HIS DEFEAT.-

PROLONGED RIVALRY BETWEEN MR. CLAY AND GENERAL JACKSON. — TEXAS

FORMALLY ANNEXED TO THE UNION

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CHAPTER III.

REVIEW (continued). — TRIUMPH OF THE DEMOCRATIC PARTY.-IMPENDING TROU-

BLES WITH MEXICO. - POSITION OF PARTIES. STRUGGLE FOR THE EQUALITY

OF FREE AND SLAVE STATES. - CHARACTER OF THE SOUTHERN LEAders.

THEIR EFFORTS TO CONTROL THE GOVERNMENT. - CONSERVATIVE COURSE OF

SECRETARIES BUCHANAN AND MARCY.- RELUCTANT TO ENGAGE IN WAR WITH

MEXICO. THE OREGON QUESTION, 54°, 40′, or 49°.-CRITICAL RELATIONS

WITH THE BRITISH GOVERNMENT. TREATY OF 1846. CHARACTER OF THE

ADJUSTMENT. OUR PROBABLE LOSS BY UNWISE POLICY OF THE DEMOCRATIC

PARTY

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CHAPTER IV.

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REVIEW (continued). — RELATIONS WITH MEXICO. — GENERAL TAYLOR MARCHES

HIS ARMY TO THE RIO GRANDE. FIRST ENCOUNTER WITH THE MEXICAN

APMY. EXCITEMENT IN THE UNITED STATES.-CONGRESS DECLARES WAR

AGAINST MEXICO.-ILL TEMPER OF THE WHIGS. - DEFEAT OF THE DEMO-

CRATS IN THE CONGRESSIONAL ELECTIONS OF 1846. POLICY OF MR. POLK IN

REGARD TO ACQUISITION OF TERRITORY FROM MEXICO. THREE-MILLION

BILL. THE FAMOUS ANTI-SLAVERY PROVISO MOVED BY DAVID WILMOT.

JOHN QUINCY ADAMS. HIS PUBLIC SERVICE. ROBERT C. WINTHROP

CHOSEN SPEAKER. - TREATY OF GUADALUPE HIDALGO. - PRESIDENTIAL ELEC-

TION OF 1848.- EFFORT OF THE ADMINISTRATION TO MAKE A DEMOCRATIO

HERO OUT OF THE MEXICAN WAR. THOMAS H. BENTON FOR LIEUTENANT-

GENERAL.BILL DEFEATED. NOMINATION OF GENERAL TAYLOR FOR THE

PRESIDENCY BY THE WHIGS.-NOMINATION OF GENERAL CASS BY THE DEMO-

CRATIC PARTY. VAN BUREN REFUSES TO SUPPORT HIM. DEMOCRATIC BOLT

IN NEW YORK. BUFFALO CONVENTION AND THE ORGANIZATION OF THE

FREE-SOIL PARTY. NOMINATION OF VAN BUREN AND CHARLES FRANCIS

ADAMS. MR. CLAY'S DISCONTENT. - MR. WEBSTER'S SPEECH AT MARSHFIeld.

-GENERAL TAYLOR ELEcted. THE BARNBURNERS OF NEW YORK.-CHAR-

ACTER AND PUBLIC SERVICES OF MR. VAN BUREN.

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CHAPTER V.

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REVIEW (continued). — CONTRast between GENERAL TAYLOR AND GENERal Cass.

-THE CABINET OF PRESIDENT TAYLOR. POLITICAL CONDITION OF THE COUN-

TRY. - EFFECT PRODUCED BY THE DISCOVERY OF GOLD IN CALIFORNIA. —

CONVENING OF THIRTY-FIRST CONGRESS. ELECTION OF HOWELL COBB AS

SPEAKER.- PRESIDENT TAYLOR'S MESSAGE. HIS RECOMMENDATIONS DIS-

TASTEFUL TO THE SOUTH.-ILLUSTRIOUS MEMBERSHIP OF THE SENATE. MR.

CLAY AND THE TAYLOR ADMINISTRATION. MR. CALHOUN'S LAST SPEECH IN

THE SENATE. HIS DEATH. HIS CHARACTER AND PUBLIC SERVICES. MR.

WEBSTER'S 7TH OF MARCH SPEECH. ITS EFFECT UPON THE PUBLIC AND

UPON MR. WEBSTER. - MR. CLAY'S COMMITTEE OF THIRTEEN. THE OMNI-

BUS BILL. CONFLICT WITH GENERAL TAYLOR'S ADMINISTRATION.-DEATH

OF THE PRESIDENT. - MR. FILLMORE REVERSES TAYLOR'S POLICY AND SUP-

PORTS THE COMPROMISE MEASURES. DEFEAT OF COMPROMISE BILL.PASS-

AGE OF THE MEASURES SEPARATELY. - MEMORABLE SESSION OF CONGRESS.

WHIG AND DEMOCRATIC PARTIES SUSTAIN THE COMPROMISE MEASURES.

NATIONAL CONVENTIONS.-WHIGS NOMINATE WINFIELD SCOTT OVER FILL-

MORE. MR. CLAY SUPPORTS FILLMORE. MR. WEBSTER'S FRIENDS. - DEMO-

CRATS NOMINATE FRANKLIN PIERCE. CHARACTER OF THE CAMPAIGN.

OVERWHELMING DEFEAT OF SCOTT.-DESTRUCTION OF THE WHIG PARTY.

DEATH OF MR. CLAY. - DEATH OF MR. WEBSTER. THEIR PUBLIC CHARAC-

TERS AND SERVICES COMPARED

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86

CHAPTER VI.

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REVIEW (continued).—THE STRENGTH OF THE DEMOCratic Party IN 1853.- Poru-

LAR STRENGTH NOT SO GREAT AS ELECTORAL STRENGTH. THE NEW PRESI-

DENT'S PLEDGE NOT TO RE-OPEN THE SLAVERY QUESTION. HOW HE FAILED

TO MAINTAIN THAT PLEDGE. THE NORTH-WEST TERRITORY. - ANTI-SLAVERY

RESTRICTION OF THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE. MOVEMENT TO REPEAL IT BY

MR. CLAY'S SUCCESSOR IN THE SENATE. MR. DOUGLAS ADOPTS THE POLICY

OF REPEALING THE RESTRICTION. IT IS MADE AN ADMINISTRATION MEASURE

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