for the Canvass of 1848-Free Soil Party-The Presidential Election- Polk's Administration - The Oregon Question - References - Plat- TAYLOR AND FILLMORE'S ADMINISTRATIONS. Taylor's Policy-Squatter Sovereignty--Government for the Mexican Ces- sion-Omnibus Bill-Compromise Measures of 1850-Death of Presi- dent Taylor-Fillmore's Accession and Secession-Silver Gray Party— The American Party - Election of 1852- Dissolution of the Whig The President's Political Views-Kansas-Nebraska Bill-Territorial Leg- islature-Topeka Constitution-Kansas War-Assault Upon Charles Buchanan's Policy-Dred Scott Case-Designs of the Slave Power-Pur- chase of Cuba-Filibustering Expeditions-American Slave Trade- The Struggle in Kansas-The Lincoln and Douglas Debate-The Homestead Bill-John Brown's Insurrection-The Covode Investiga- tion-The National Democratic Convention at Charleston-Constitu- tional Union Convention-Republican National Convention-Presi- dential Election of 1860-Secession-The Confederate States of Amer- ica-The Crittenden Compromise-The Peace Convention-References-- South Carolina Declaration of Independence-Platforms..Pages 306-347 Inauguration-Inaugural Address-Lincoln's Cabinet-Attempted Ad- Emancipation Proclamation-Draft Riot in New York-The National Bank Law-The Thirteenth Amendment-Reconstruction-Convention of Radical Men-Republican National Convention-The Democratic National Convention-Presidential Election of 1864-- References- LINCOLN'S AND JOHNSON'S ADMINISTRATION. Lincoln's Second Inauguration-Assassination of Lincoln-Johnson's Ac- cession-Reconstruction-Johnson's Policy of Reconstruction-The Black Codes-The Reconstruction Committee-Johnson's Break with the Republicans-The Second Freedmen's Bureau Bill-The Civil Rights Bill-The Fourteenth Amendment -Third Freedmen's Bureau Bill-Republican Address-Limiting the President's Power-The Re- construction Bill—Tenure-of-Office Act-Attempted Removal of Sec- retary Stanton-Impeachment Trial-Republican National Conven- tion-The Democratic National Convention-Presidential Election of Grant's Inaugural Address-Ku-Klux-Klan-Decision of the Supreme Court on the Reconstruction Acts of Congress-Readmission of States- Enforcement of the Fifteenth Amendment-Guarding the Ballot-Box- Legality of Greenbacks-Amendatory Enforcement Act-Civil Service Reform-The Alabama Claims-Force Bill-The Amnesty Bill-Lib- eral Republican National Convention-Republican National Conven- tion-Democratic National Convention-Straight-Out Democratic Con- vention-Temperance National Convention-Labor Reform National Convention-Presidential Election of 1872-Credit Mobilier Investiga- tion-Garfield's Connection with the Credit Mobilier-The Salary Grab-Returning Boards -- The Morton Amendment-General Grant's Second Inaugural-The Currency Bill-The Grangers-The Tidal Wave-The White League-The Supplementary Civil Rights Bill- The Kellogg Government-The Wheeler Compromise-Resumption of Specie Payments-The Whisky Ring-Impeachment of Belknap-In- dependent (Greenback) National Convention-Republican National Convention-Democratic National Convention-The Prohibition Na- tional Convention-Presidential Election of 1876-Electoral Commis- sion Act-References-Platforms............. The President's Conciliatory Policy-The Stalwarts-Civil Service Re- Garfield's Inaugural Address-Extra Session of the Senate-"Stalwarts" and "Half-breeds "-"Regulars" and "Independents"-The "Conti- nentals" and the "Wolfe Men"-The Re-Adjusters-The Assassina- tion of President Garfield-Arthur's Accession-Boss Rule-The Star AMERICAN POLITICS. CHAPTER I. LOCAL COLONIAL POLITICS. 1607-1776. LOCAL SELF-GOVERNMENT. A system of local self-government was in operation among the Anglo-Saxons during the period of their history as a distinct people. Their subjugation by the Normans in 1066 modified the system, but did not destroy it. The people slowly acquired power and gradually obtained important accessions from the crown, three of which, the Magna Charta, the Petition of Right, and the Bill of Rights, have been styled the bulwarks of English liberty. These have shaped the destiny of America. The English colonists who founded the thirteen original colonies during the one hundred and twenty-six years following the settlement of Jamestown, brought with them the idea of local self-government, under which they had lived in the parent country. They occupied the coast from Florida to Nova Scotia, and lived under such governments as circumstances required. Some of the colonies in their incipient stages, such as Plymouth and Rhode Island, were pure de mocracies; but when the growth of population prevented this, the form of government became representative. English sovereigns established over the colonies three kinds of government—the charter, the proprietary, and the royal. This was done, in some instances, at the date of settlement; in others, at a later period. Under these forms, the thirteen colonies became permanent, each independent of the others, and managing its own affairs. Every colony had matters connected with its management, in which the people were interested, and about which they would express their opinion. The discussion of these things developed a local politics, and served to educate the people in the most desirable forms of government and the best modes of civil administration. The colonial governments were similar, in that each had a governor and a general assembly, consisting of a council, which constituted the upper house, and a lower house elected by the people. Though these things were common, there were differences in their organization. CHARTER GOVERNMENTS. The charter governments were those modeled according to the provisions of the charters granted by the British crown. A charter served as a constitution to the colony that possessed it, and allowed the people to be represented in the government, a matter upon which the colonists insisted, claiming they should enjoy all the rights and privileges of Englishmen. The demand for representation was so great that every colony had a colonial legislature modeled after that of the parent country. The local political questions under charter governments usually involved matters pertaining to citizenship, religious toleration, and the right of suffrage. In Massachusetts, Roger Williams and his earnest followers were denied the right of citizenship, Quakers were persecuted, and no person could |