tion of Abolition Petitions, and the excited Discussions growing out of the same.e.-Notice of the Acquisition of Texas with the general Consent of the American People.-Breaking out of the Mexican War, and Presentation of the Wilmot Proviso in the Midst thereof.-Author's Election to the United States Senate, with Jefferson Davis as his official Colleague. -Serious political Disagreements between them. Sketch of President Davis's Character, with some Notice of his History.-Session of the United States Senate commencing in December, 1847. — Mr. Dickinson's Non-intervention Resolution, and Mr. Calhoun's extreme Opposition to it.-Curious colloquial Scene in the Senate.-General Cass's Nicholson Letter.-Complimentary Notice of General Cass ...Page 58

CHAPTER V.

Proceedings upon the Wilmot Proviso during the Congressional Session of 1847, ’8.—Mr. Clayton's Compromise Bill, and its unfortunate Defeat in the House of Representatives.-General Cass as the Presidential Candidate of the Democratic Party in 1848. The Contest between himself and General Taylor by no means of a sectional Character.Election of the latter.-Appearance of William L. Yancey at the Baltimore Convention of 1848, and the prompt Rejection by that Body of his celebrated Protection Proposition. - Unfortunate Division of the Strength of the Democratic Party in 1848 between the Hunkers and Barnburners, resulting in the Nomination of Martin Van Buren and Charles Francis Adams by the Buffalo Convention.—Mr. Gott's Resolution. Declaration, as early as 1843, by Messrs. Adams, Slade, Giddings, and others in Favor of dissolving the Federal Union in the Event of the Annexation of Texas.-Inflammatory Address issued by these Gentlemen. Author's first acquaintance with John Quincy Adams and his accomplished Lady. — Commendatory Notice of his Life and Character. Parallel between John Quincy Adams and John C. Calhoun

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CHAPTER VI.

Session of Congress closing on the 3d of March, 1849.-Important Test Question raised by Mr. Douglas, of Illinois, in Connection with the Oregon Bill, which was then pending.-Defeat of Mr. Douglas's Proposition by the unexpected but effective Interposition of Mr. Wm. H.

Seward, who had not yet taken his Seat as a Senator from New York. -Mr. Seward at that Time opposed to all Compromise of the Slavery Question Extract from a memorable Speech of his, delivered in the United States Senate in the Year 1850, having Relation to this Subject. -Mr. Seward's Cleveland Speech in 1848.-Important Extracts therefrom.-General Taylor's Administration.-Violent Excitement beginning to rage both North and South upon the Slavery Question, and in Connection with the Admission of California.-Unfortunate non-action Policy of General Taylor's Administration.-Alarming Condition of the Country.-Election of Messrs. Gwin and Fremont United States Senators from California.—Attempt of Colonel Thomas H. Benton to revive his decaying Popularity by becoming the Champion of Californian Admission.-Efforts of the Author to defeat this Scheme of selfish Ambition. - Retrospect of Colonel Benton's Attempt, about the Close of Mr. Polk's Administration, to bring about the Rescission of the Treaty with Mexico, by which all the territorial Domain recently acquired would have been lost to the United States but for the Defeat of that Attempt.—Signal Defeat of this unpatriotic Scheme, and remarkable Particulars connected therewith not heretofore divulged.Colonel Benton deprived in Democratic Caucus of the Chairmanship of the Committee of Foreign Affairs in the Senate on the Motion of the Author, after a two-days' Struggle, by a Majority of one Vote only.— Mr. Benton's extraordinary Attack on Mr. Calhoun and Others in his public Speech delivered in Missouri in the Summer of 1848, and Mr. Calhoun's overwhelming Response thereto, drawn up at Author's earnest Instance.—Short Sketch of Colonel Benton's public Character, and Delineation of his intellectual Qualities........

CHAPTER VII.

Page 94

Review of General Taylor's non-action Policy.—Painful and exciting Rumors in regard to the Instrumentalities employed by him to carry that Policy into Operation.-Intense Alarm awakened among Patriots as to the Fate of the Country. — Mr. Clay leaves his own Home, and comes to Washington upon a Mission of Pacification.-He is met upon his arrival there with general Cordiality and Respect.-Mr. Benton attempts to inveigle him into a false Position in regard to the Measure of admitting California, and is for a time successful.—Mr. Clay's Programme of Adjustment, and the "five bleeding Wounds."-This

Gentleman severs his Alliance with Mr. Benton, and becomes the Champion of the famous Omnibus Scheme.-His magnanimous waver of certain abstract Opinions with a View to general Conciliation.-First meeting of the Nashville Convention.-Great Excitement consequent upon its Proceedings.-Anti-slavery Movements about the same Period, and Mr. Seward's anti-compromise Speech.-Resolution introduced by the Author, several weeks before, for the raising of the famous Committee of Thirteen, finally pushed to a Vote at the Instance of Mr. Cass.-Eminently patriotic Conduct of Mr. Webster on this Occasion.-Resolution finally carried. — Mr. Clay appointed Chairman thereof, who speedily brings in his Report, upon which an animated Discussion oc

curs

CHAPTER VIII.

Page 113

Great Compromise Struggle of 1850.—Mr. Clay and Mr. Webster the principal Figures in the Picture. - Mr. Webster's 7th of March Speech, and its prodigious Effect upon the Public Mind.-Striking Extracts therefrom.-Mr. Calhoun's last Speech in the Senate, in which he urges that the Admission of California shall be made a test Question.-Emphatic Protest by the Author to this Portion of the Speech, and painful Altercation with Mr. Calhoun in Reference to the disputed Point.Proceedings of the Nashville Convention.—Wise and patriotic Conduct of Judge Sharkey, the President thereof, which prevents immediate Mischief.-Judge Sharkey arrives in Washington, and is offered the Department of War, which he declines.-Some Account of Judge Sharkey's Life and Character.....

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CHAPTER IX.

Omnibus Bill under Consideration.-Strenuous Opposition of General Taylor's Administration to its Adoption.-Last Appearance of President Taylor in Public on the 4th of July, 1850, at Monument Square, in Washington City, and touching Scene which occurred there.-General Taylor's Decease a few Days thereafter.-Mr. Webster's eloquent Funeral Notice of him.-Mr. Fillmore's Inauguration as President, and efficient Support of the Compromise Measures.-Official Order found on General Taylor's Table after his Decease, ordering the forcible Expulsion from New Mexico by the Military of Texan Settlers.-Mr. Clay's heroic Remonstrance against this coercive Policy, which he re

garded as needlessly endangering the Union.-Fierce Opposition to the Compromise Measures on the Part both of Extremists of the North and Extremists of the South.-Terrible Struggle over the Omnibus Bill in the Senate, which is finally broken into Fragments mainly by the Indiscretion of its own Friends, but the integral Portions of which finally pass both Houses.-The Country quieted under the Influence of this Measure.-Sage and firm Conduct of President Fillmore in causing the Compromise Enactments to be every where faithfully executed.-Celebrated Rescue Case in Massachusetts, and interesting Proceedings in Congress in Connection therewith.

CHAPTER X.

Page 148

Country completely restored to Quiet under the Compromise Measures, except in several of the Southern States.—Exciting Contest in Georgia and Mississippi in 1850, '1, upon the Disunion Issue, in both of which States the Union Cause is finally triumphant.-South Carolina, failing to obtain co-operative Aid, at last subsides into a State of Quietude.The Election of Mr. Pierce to the Presidency as an avowed Supporter of the Finality Principle, who calls Mr. Davis to the Department of War, and the Slavery Agitation is at once renewed. — Mr. Pierce's gross Infidelity to his Pledges, by whose Indiscretion and Misconduct the Conflict of sectional Factions is again revived.-Mr. Douglas unfortunately yields to the Counsels addressed to him from various Quarters, and introduces the Kansas-Nebraska Bill.-Sectional Excitement greatly increased and intensified by that Measure.-Notice of the Decease of Mr. Clay and Mr. Webster, and of their commanding intellectual Powers and interesting Traits of Character......... 169

CHAPTER XI.

Excited Struggle in Congress over the Kansas-Nebraska Bill.-Manly but ineffectual Opposition to that Bill in Congress.-Regret expressed at the Disappearance from the public Scene of Mr. Clay, Mr. Webster, and Mr. Calhoun.-Confident Opinion expressed as to what would have been Mr. Calhoun's Course had he survived up to our Times.-Fearful awakening of sectional Excitement both in the South and in the North under the Influence of the Kansas-Nebraska Bill.-Multiplied Scenes of Blood and Violence in the Territory of Kansas.—Mr. Pierce and his Cabinet lose the Confidence of all Men of true Nationality of Sentiment.

-Mr. Pierce defeated in the Cincinnati Democratic Convention by Mr. Buchanan, who is afterward elected to the Presidency by a plurality Vote over Fremont and Fillmore.—Mr. Buchanan delivers an Inaugural Address as President, replete with national Sentiment, which attracts to him the Support of the American Party, and his Administration grows overwhelmingly popular.-He afterward treacherously violates all his Promises to the Country under the Threats of Southern Secession Leaders, and his Administration suddenly becomes both odious and contemptible.-The Democratic Party of the North completely crushed and broken down by the fatal Lecompton Issue, and the way surely paved for the Election of a Republican President in 1860.-Review of the State of Parties at that Period.-Some Notice of the American Party and its particular Tenets.-Great Mistake of the Southern People in not yielding their Support to Mr. Fillmore in 1856.-Some Notice of the Republican Candidates for President and Vice-President in 1856, and of certain curious Scenes which took place during the short period of General Fremont's official Connection with that Body. -Sketch of General Baker, one of the earliest Victims of the War, and a recital of certain romantic Occurrences connected with his Residence in California and Oregon.—Signal Triumph of his extraordinary oratorical Powers over popular Excitement and Prejudice.................... Page 192

CHAPTER XII.

Some farther Notice of the "Irrepressible Conflict" Theory.-Analysis of the Condition of Parties at the Time of Mr. Buchanan's Inauguration.-Statement of the Election Results during the first Year of his Administration. · Historic Recital of some important Facts which occurred during the Summer of 1857, anterior to Mr. Buchanan's succumbing to the Dictation of the Secession Leaders.-Efforts to reanimate his Courage made at that Period, all of which signally failed.— Recital of Particulars connected with the Lecompton Struggle in Congress. Some Scenes, both amusing and painful, which at that time had their progress in Washington.-Remarkable banqueting Scene, in which Mr. Seward bore the principal Part.-Last Interview between Mr. Buchanan and the Author, in which some startling Revelations were made.....

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