he was not engaged in, or present at the attack, he was acquitted. This conflict between the federal and State authority led to the passage by Congress of a law requiring similar offences to be tried before the United States courts.

In the midst of the Canadian controversy a quarrel sprang up between the State of Maine and the British province of New Brunswick, concerning the northeast boundary of the United States. Both parties prepared for a conflict, but the president sent General Scott to the scene of danger, and he, by his moderation and firmness, succeeded in maintaining peace until the matter could be settled by treaty.

The war with the Seminole Indians in Florida continued through the

whole of this administration. The capture and death of Osceola, which we have related, though a severe blow to his followers, did not dishearten them. On the 25th of December, 1838, Colonel Zachary Taylor inflicted a severe defeat upon the Indians at Lake Okeechobee. The war was at length brought to an end in 1842, but not until it had lasted seven years, and had cost many valuable lives and the enormous sum of nearly forty million dollars. The Seminoles were subdued, and were removed from Florida to new homes beyond the Mississippi.

The Missouri Compromise did not quiet the agitation of the slavery question. It gave to the country only a momentary respite. The Antislavery or Abolition party had now become one of the recognized political organizations of the country. Its avowed object was the abolition of

slavery in every State in which it existed. It was argued in opposition to their principles that the constitution recognized and protected slavery in the States in which it existed; but they met this assertion by the bold declaration that they would continue their agitation until they had destroyed either slavery or the Union. They did not wish to live under a constitution which protected slavery, and which one of their principal leaders denounced as "a covenant with death, and an agreement with hell." The body embraced the extreme Anti-slavery men of the north. Among its adversaries were some of the sincerest opponents of slavery, who hoped to accomplish their ends by constitutional means and by the influences of a better and more enlightened public opinion, and who deprecated and opposed the violence of the extreme Abolitionists. The leader of the ultra party in Congress was John Quincy Adams, who had been returned to the House of Representatives from Massachusetts in 1831. Memorials were presented to Congress praying the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia, and gave rise to exciting debates in that body, which affected the whole country profoundly, and did much to widen the breach between the Northern and Southern States. This agitation continued through the whole of Mr. Van Buren's term of office. Early in the session of 1838-39, Mr. Atherton, of New Hampshire, offered a series of resolutions expressing the relations of the general government towards the States, and declaring the inability of Congress to interfere with slavery in those States in which it already existed, or in the District of Columbia, or the Territories. These resolutions were adopted by the House by decisive majorities, and were regarded by Mr. Clay and by the leading public men of the country as effectually dis-* posing of the troublesome question as far as the general government was concerned. The resolutions were as follows:

"Resolved, That this government is a government of limited powers, and that by the constitution of the United States, Congress has no jurisdiction whatever over the institution of slavery in the several States of the confederacy."

The vote upon this resolution stood: 196 for it, and 6 against it.

The second resolution was in these words:

"Resolved, That petitions for the abolition of slavery in the District of Columbia and the Territories of the United States, and against the removal of slaves from one State to another, are a part of a plan of operations set on foot to affect the institution of slavery in the Southern States, and thus indirectly to destroy that institution within their limits."

On this resolution the vote stood: 136 for it, and 65 against it.

The third resolution was in these words:

"Resolved, That Congress has no right to do that indirectly which it cannot do directly;

and that the agitation of the subject of slavery in the District of Columbia, or the Territo ries, as a means, and with a view, of disturbing or overthrowing that institution in the several States, is against the true spirit and meaning of the constitution, an infringement of the rights of the States affected, and a breach of the public faith upon which they entered into the confederacy."

The vote on this resolution was: 164 in favor of it, and 40 against it.

The fourth of this series was in these words:

"Resolved, That the constitution rests on the broad principle of equality among the members of this confederacy, and that Congress, in the exercise of its acknowledged powers, has no right to discriminate between the institutions of one portion of the States and another, with a view of abolishing the one and promoting the other."

The vote on this resolution was: 174 in favor of it, and 24 against it. The fifth and last of Mr. Atherton's resolutions was in these words: "Resolved, That all attempts on the part of Congress to abolish slavery in the District of Columbia, or the Territories, or to prohibit the removal of slaves from State to State, or to discriminate between the institutions of one portion of the confederacy and another, with the view aforesaid, are in violation of the constitution, destructive of the fundamental principle on which the union of these States rests, and beyond the jurisdiction of Congress; and that every petition, memorial, resolution, proposition, or paper, touching or relating in any way, or to any extent whatever, to slavery, as aforesaid, or the abolition thereof, shall, on the presentation thereof, without any further action thereon, be laid upon the table, without being debated, printed, or referred."

The vote on the first branch of this resolution was, 146 in favor, and 52 against it; on the second branch of the resolution the vote stood, 126 for it, and 78 against it.

As we shall see, this declaration of Congress was far from quieting the agitation upon this troublesome question. The slavery conflict had in reality just begun.

In the fall of 1840 the presidential election was held. Mr. Van Buren and Vice-President Johnson were nominated for re-election by the Democratic party, and the Whigs supported General William Henry Harrison, of Ohio, for president, and John Tyler, of Virginia, for vicepresident. The financial distress of the country had been but slightly relieved, and was generally attributed by the people to the interference of the government with the currency. This feeling made the Democratic nominees exceedingly unpopular, and the political campaign, which was one of the most exciting ever conducted in this country, resulted in the election of Harrison and Tyler by overwhelming majorities.

In 1840 the sixth census showed the population of the United States to be 17,069,453

CHAPTER XXXVI.

THE ADMINISTRATIONS OF WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON AND JOHN TYLER.

An Extra Session of Congress Summoned-Death of President Harrison-John Tyler becomes President of the United States-Meeting of Congress-The Bankrupt LawPresident Tyler Vetoes the Bills to Revive the United States Bank-His Quarrel with his Party-The "Tyler Whigs"-The Tariff of 1842-The Treaty of Washington-The United States will not Tolerate the Exercise of the Right of Search-Dorr's Rebellion -The Mormons-Invention of the Electric Telegraph-Explosion on the "Princeton" -Efforts to Secure the Annexation of Texas-Early History of Texas-The Texan War of Independence-Battle of San Jacinto-Texan Independence Established-Texas Applies for Admission into the Union-Opposition to the Measure-Significance of the Vote at the Presidential Election-James K. Polk Elected President-Texas admitted into the Union-Iowa and Florida become States.

N the 4th of March, 1841, William Henry Harrison was inaugurated president of the United States at Washington in the presence of an immense concourse of citizens from all parts of the Union. He was in his sixty-ninth year, and had spent forty years of his life in the public service. His services during the Indian hostilities which preceded the war of 1812-15, and his exploits during that war, have been related. He had served as governor of Indiana Territory, and had been both a member

of Congress and a senator of the United States. He was a man of pure life and earnest character, and the certainty of a change of policy in the measures of the federal government had caused the people of the country to look forward to his administration with hope and confidence. He began by calling to seats in his cabinet men of prominence and ability. At the head of the cabinet he placed Daniel Webster, as secretary of state. The president issued a proclamation convening Congress in special session on the 31st of May, 1841. He was not destined to fulfil the hopes of his friends, however. He was suddenly seized with pneumonia, and died on the 4th of April, 1841-just one month after his inauguration.

WILLIAM HENRY HARRISON.

It was the first time that a president of the United States had died in office, and a gloom was cast over the nation by the sad event. The mourning of the people was sincere, for in General Harrison the nation lost a faithful, upright, and able citizen. He had spent forty years in prominent public positions, and had discharged every duty confided to him with ability and integrity, and went to his grave a poor man.

"Brave old Cincinnatus! he left but his plow."

Upon the assembling of Congress, that body, "out of consideration of his expenses in removing to the seat of government, and the limited means he had left behind," appropriated the equivalent of one year's presidential salary-twenty-five thousand dollars-to Mrs. Harrison. According to the terms of the constitution, upon the death of General

Harrison, the office of president of the United States devolved upon the vice-president, John Tyler, of Virginia. Mr. Tyler was not in the city of Washington at the time of the death of his predecessor, but repaired to that city without loss of time, upon being notified of the need of his presence, and on the 6th of April took the oath of office before Judge Cranch, chief justice of the District of Columbia. Mr. Tyler was in his fifty-second year, and had served as governor of Virginia, and as representative and senator in Congress from that State. On the 9th of April President Tyler issued an address to the people of the United States, in which there was no indication of a departure from the policy announced in the inaugural of General Harrison. He retained the cabinet ministers of his predecessors in their respective positions.

JOHN TYLER.

On the 31st of May the Twenty-seventh Congress convened in extra session. It was known as the "Whig Congress," as a large majority of its members were of that party. Had this party remained united they could have controlled the action of Congress to suit themselves, but as we shall see the policy of the executive soon divided them. The first act of this Congress was to repeal the sub-treasury bill which had been passed in 1840. The effects of the commercial crisis had involved thousands of merchants in hopeless bankruptcy, and under the old laws they had no means of recovering their lost position, as they were crushed down by their debts. Neither their creditors nor the country at large derived any