Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1

Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1
(of 2), by

James Gillespie Blaine This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at
no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it,
give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg
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Title: Twenty Years of Congress, Vol. 1 (of 2) From Lincoln to
Garfield, with a Review of the Events Which Led to the Political
Revolution of 1860
Author: James Gillespie Blaine
Release Date: April 17, 2007 [EBook #21128]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK TWENTY
YEARS OF CONGRESS ***

Produced by Ed Ferris

Transcriber's note:
Right-hand-page heads have been set right-justified before the
appropriate paragraphs.

Footnotes are at the end of the chapter. Asterisks have been added to
show where the notes occur in the text (unless at end of chapter). Four
notes from the Errata to Vol. I (in Vol. II) have been added, and the
other corrections indicated there made.
The statistical tables in the Appendices have been rearranged for .TXT
format, using long lines when required and joining tables split across
pages.
Lines set as caps and small caps have been transcribed as upper-and-
lower-case (except some table headings).
The typographic fist is transcribed by the right guillamet (»).
LoC call number: E661.B6 v.1
2nd proof completed Apr. 11th, 2007. Errata corrected Apr. 13th.
Submitted Apr. 13th.
[Frontispiece: v1.jpg]
[Signature] James G. Blaine
TWENTY YEARS OF CONGRESS: FROM 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.
CONTENTS OF VOLUME I.
CHAPTER I.
A REVIEW OF THE EVENTS WHICH LED TO THE POLITICAL
REVOLUTION OF 1860. Original Compromises between the North
and the South embodied in the Constitution.--Early Dissatisfaction with
National Boundaries. --Acquisition of Louisiana from France by
President Jefferson.-- Bonaparte's Action and Motive in ceding
Louisiana.--State of Louisiana admitted to the Union against
Opposition in the North.-- Agitation of the 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.
CHAPTER II.
Review of events before 1860 (continued).--Early Efforts to acquire
Texas.--Course of President Tyler.--Mr. Calhoun appointed Secretary
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 President in 1844.--Van Buren's Nomination
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.
CHAPTER III.
Review (continued).--Triumph of the Democratic Party.--Impending
Troubles 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.
CHAPTER IV.
Review (continued).--Relations with Mexico.--General Taylor marches
his Army to the Rio Grande.--First Encounter with the Mexican
Army.--Excitement in the United States.--Congress declares War
against Mexico.--Ill Temper of the Whigs.--Defeat of the Democrats 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 Election of
1848.--Effort of the Administration to make a Democratic 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 Democratic 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.--Character and Public
Services of Mr. Van Buren.
CHAPTER V.
Review (continued).--Contrast between General Taylor and General
Cass.--The Cabinet of President Taylor.--Political Condition of the
Country.--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
Distasteful 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 Omnibus Bill.--
Conflict with General Taylor's Administration.--Death of the
President.--Mr. Fillmore reverses Taylor's Policy and supports the
Compromise