dismembered the Mississippi valley; that the establishment of boundaries would be a constant source of controversy and perhaps war. The treaty was ratified by the Senate, and met with the general approbation of the people. THE MISSOURI QUESTION. During this session a memorial from the legislature of Missouri was introduced by Mr. Scott, a delegate to Congress from that territory, to the effect that Missouri be allowed to form a state government, and be admitted into the Union. This, with a bill complying with the memorial, was referred to the committee of the whole on the state of the Union. When the bill came up before the House, Gen. Tallmadge moved the following proviso: "And provided, that the further introduction of slavery or involuntary servitude be prohibited, except for the punishment of crimes whereof the party shall have been duly convicted; and that all children born within the said state, after the admission thereof into the Union, shall be free at the age of twenty-five years." This marks the beginning of the famous struggle between the free and slave states, and was one of the most difficult constitutional questions the country has ever been called upon to settle. In the debate which followed, those opposing the proviso argued that Congress had no constitutional right to impose restrictions as to slavery upon a state wishing admittance into the Union; that the right to hold slaves was guaranteed to the original states by the constitution, and that the right applied to the new states as well as to the old. It was admitted that Congress had power to regulate or prohibit slavery from the territories as well as make all other needful rules and regulations respecting them; but this right related to the territories only as property; that when organized as states they stood on an equal footing with other states, and Congress had no power to impose restrictions on their local legislation. Those opposed to slavery argued that the term "forever," in the prohibitive clause of the Missouri bill, was not restricted to the territorial condition of the district to which it referred, but meant forever, and that the prohibition, "instead of ceasing with the territorial condition of the district, would extend to any states that might be erected out of it; and upon the question in general, it was maintained that to leave slavery in the old states was a violation of principle, and to permit it in new ones was a violation of the constitution." The bill, as restricted, passed the House but failed in the Senate. Congress adjourned March 3, 1819. Congress met December 6, 1819. At this session MisSixteenth Congress, souri renewed her application, and the First Session. question of slavery immediately stood in the foreground. This time the opponents of the proviso found themselves "materially aided by a new circumstance." Maine, hitherto a district of Massachusetts, made application for admission as a state. The Maine bill was passed by the House. The Senate, having previously united it to the Missouri bill, permitting slavery, passed them both. This was done for the purpose of forcing both bills to stand or fall together. Upon their return to the House the combined bills were rejected. Failing then to agree, a joint committee was appointed from both Houses, which prepared a report to the effect that Missouri should be admitted as a slave state, and that slavery should be prohibited from all territory north of 36° 30', and west of the Mississippi. This report was accepted, and a measure embodying its suggestions passed both Houses in March, 1820, known ever since as the Missouri Compromise. Congress adjourned May 15, 1820. ELECTION OF 1820. As the time of another Presidential election approached, the usual call for a republican nominating caucus was pub lished, but, owing to the meager attendance of representatives, and the general opposition to caucuses, the assembly adjourned sine die. Such a convention was unnecessary, however, as "the people had preordained that Monroe and Tompkins were to be elected." Mr. Monroe received all the electoral votes but one, and Mr. Tompkins a very large majority. The federals, owing to their disorganized condition, presented no candidates. REPUBLICANS UNOPPOSED. With Monroe's first term closes the second era in our political history. Old party distinctions were obliterated and opinions on new issues were in a formative condition. The federal party had ceased to be a national party or to advocate any distinct issues of its own, From this time forward federalism was not an element in politics. (Plate VI.) Congress met November 13, 1820. John W. Taylor, a Sixteenth Congress, loose constructionist, an advocate of a Second Session. S protective tariff and an internal improvement system, and opposed to the extension of slavery, was selected as speaker. His election is a matter of interest as showing how far these ideas had gained an influence in the republican ranks, or at least a faction of them. His election gave great offense to the southern members. The last struggle on the Missouri question came up during this session, when the state submitted its constitution to Congress for approval. It was rejected because of a clause which it contained, forbidding "free negroes and mulattoes from coming to and settling in this state, under any pretext whatever." Congress required that this be so changed as to "guarantee to the citizens of every other state the same rights in Missouri that they enjoyed at home." In June, 1821, the legislature of Missouri accepted the condition, and it became a state. Congress adjourned March 3, 1821, and on the next Monday, March 5, Monroe and Tompkins took the oath of office. During Monroe's first administration five states were admitted into the Union, as follows: Mississippi, 1817; Illinois, 1818; Alabama, 1819; Maine, 1820; and Missouri, 1821. Congress met December 3, 1821. P. P. Barbour, a strict constructionist, was this time elected Seventeenth Congress Speaker of the House. A bill for First Session. the preservation of the Cumberland road was passed, but the President vetoed it, on the ground that, in his opinion, Congress had no constitutional right to pass such a law. In his message, though, he had urged Congress to pass an amendment to the constitution giving it the power to make internal improvements. Efforts were made this session to increase. the tariff, but failed. Congress adjourned May 8, 1822. Congress met December 2, 1822. A renewed attempt was Seventeenth Congress, made to increase the tariff and create Second Session. a national canal system, but both measures were defeated by the strict constructionists. gress adjourned March 3, 1823. Con Congress met December 1, 1823. Henry Clay, now leader Eighteenth Congress, } THE MONROE DOCTRINE. At this time Spain was waging a war against her revolted colonies, and the President, in his message to Congress, December 2, 1823, affirmed as follows: "We owe it to candor and to the amicable relations existing between the United States and the European powers to declare that we should consider any attempt on their part to extend their system to any portion of this hemisphere as dangerous to our peace and safety." This, with the accompanying reasons for the position taken, was a statement of the doctrine that "America is for Americans," and exemplified the policy of Washington—“No entangling alliances." The doctrine was called out by an attempt of the holy alliance to check liberty on both sides of the Atlantic, and to extend a fostering care to the revolted Spanish provinces of Central and South America. When the protest of the United States was joined by England the attempt of the alliance was abandoned. PROTECTIVE TARIFF. Loose constructionist ideas were gradually spreading. Even the President, in his message to this Congress, advocated a more decided leaning toward protection and internal improvements. In every Congress, from 1819 to 1824, bills were introduced for the increase of duties on imports. The tariff of 1816 protected nothing domestic worth speaking of, except coarse cottons. A tariff was now demanded on "such articles of merchandise as come most in competition with American industry." The southern states, though formerly favoring a protective tariff, now voted against it. The navigating and planting states did the same, thinking it would be injurious to their interests; but the grain growing states favored the tariff, in the belief that it would benefit agriculAfter a debate of more than two months Congress adopted the measure known as the Tariff of 1824. This was the all-absorbing question during the session. Clay was the champion of the protective system, and Webster of the opposition. A bill was also passed this session for surveys for a national canal system. Congress adjourned May 27, 1824. ELECTION OF 1824. The friends of William H. Crawford, of Georgia, made an attempt to revive the caucus system of nominating for the presidency, and announced a caucus for that purpose, which met and put Crawford in nomination. This really injured |