office, as required by the Constitution, on that day, the 10th, at 12 o'clock.

Mr. Fillmore designated as his cabinet advisers, Daniel Webster, of Mass., Secretary of State; Thomas Corwin, of Ohio, Secretary of the Treasury; C. M. Conrad, of La., Secretary of War; W. A. Graham, of N. C., Secretary of the Navy; A. H. H. Stuart, of Va., Secretary of the Interior; N. K. Hall, of N. Y., PostmasterGeneral; and J. J. Crittenden, of Ky., Attorney-General.

Mr. King, of Alabama, was chosen President of the Senate, pro tem.

On the 6th of August, President Fillmore transmitted to Congress a Message, announcing that Gov. Bell of Texas had notified the Government of his determination to extend the authority and jurisdiction of Texas over all New Mexico, east of the Rio Grande. The President considered himself bound to resist this pretension, by force if necessary. He regarded the appointment of commissioners of minor importance; but intimated that— "The Government of the United States would be justified, in my opinion, in allowing an indemnity to Texas, not unreasonable and extravagant, but fair, liberal, and awarded in a just spirit of accommodation."

He urged the importance of the settlement of the boundary question, prior to the adjournment of Congress. On the 10th of August, the Texas boundary bill passed the Senate; 30 to 20. The bill providing for the organization of the Territory of New Mexico passed; ayes 27, nays 10. In the House these two bills were put into one, and passed, 107 to 97.

The bill for the admission of California, passed the Senate; 34 to 18: the House; 150 to 56.

The fugitive slave bill, after a long and able debate, which a want of space alone prevents us from quoting,

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passed the Senate by a vote of 27 to 12. The previous question was applied in the House, and the bill driven through, without debate, 109 to 75.

For the bill providing for the abolition of the slavetrade in the District of Columbia, Mr. Seward moved a substitute, abolishing slavery itself-lost; ayes 5, noes 46. The original bill then passed; 33 to 19. On reaching the House it was sanctioned by that body; 124 to 59.

Thus were the various parts of the "Omnibus Bill" passed in separate and distinct acts. These measures combined are known as the "Compromises of 1850."

Few other acts of general importance became laws during this Congress. Among these few, the most important, perhaps, was the one reducing postage to three cents, prepaid, under 3,000 miles; not prepaid, the rates were five cents; over 3,000 miles, these rates were doubled.

The Compromises of 1850 were regarded as a final settlement of the vexed questions which had so greatly embarrassed the action of Congress, and agitated the whole country. The leaders of the two great parties acquiesced in this adjustment. The rocks of Scylla and the mad waters of Charybdis were passed, a calm and peaceful sea lay beyond. Vain delusion; the seeds which were destined to ripen in the dissolution of existing parties were already broad-cast through the land.

Henceforth a history of parties is mainly a record of the contests long waged, and still continuing, between Freedom and Slavery.

CAMPAIGN OF 1852.

The Presidential contest of 1852 was at hand.

The Democratic National Convention was held at Baltimore, June 1, 1852. The two-thirds rule was again

adopted. Greater harmony prevailed than in the last preceding convention, but no less difficulty attended the selection of a candidate.

On the first ballot, Gen. Cass received 117 votes; James Buchanan 93; S. A. Douglas 20; W. L. Marcy 27. Thirty-three successive ballots were thrown without effecting a nomination. The delegation from Virginia, on the 5th, threw their ballots for Franklin Pierce, who, on the 49th ballot, was duly nominated as the Democratic candidate for President.

William R. King, of Alabama, was nominated for Vice-President.

The National Convention of Whigs met at the same place on the 16th of June. President Fillmore, Daniel Webster, and Gen. Scott, were candidates for nomination, and, after a persistent contest of four days, Gen. Scott was nominated. The first ballot stood, Fillmore 132; Scott 131; Webster 29. On the 53d and last, Gen. Scott received a majority, 159; Fillmore 112; Webster 21. Wm. A. Graham, of North Carolina, received the nomination for Vice-President.

Prior to proceeding to ballot for candidates, a platform of principles was adopted, 227 to 60.

The Whig platform declared: 1. The Government of the United States should be confined to the exercise of powers expressly granted by the Constitution. 2. State and General Government should be exercised in their legitimate sphere, and the Union watched over as "the palladium of our liberties." 3. Our relations with foreign governments should conform to the principles set forth in Washington's Farewell Address. 4. The people should obey the Constitution and the laws of the land. 5. Strict economy should characterize the action of the National Government, and American industry should be protected.

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6. Favored internal improvements. 7. Harmony of Federal and State governments. 8. "The series of acts of the 31st Congress, commonly known as the Compromise or Adjustment, (the act for the recovery of fugitives from labor included,) are received and acquiesced in by the Whigs of the United States as a final settlement, in principle and substance, of the subjects to which they relate; and so far as these acts are concerned, we will maintain them, and insist on their strict enforcement, until time and experience shall demonstrate the necessity of further legislation to guard against the evasion of the laws on the one hand, and the abuse of their power on the other, not impairing their present efficiency to carry out the requirements of the Constitution; and we deprecate all further agitation of the questions thus settled, as dangerous to our peace, and will discountenance all efforts to continue or renew such agitation, whenever, wherever, or however made, and we will maintain this settlement as essential to the nationality of the Whig party and the integrity of the Union."

Touching the questions which soon came to be the controlling element in our National politics, the Democrats

"Resolved, That Congress has no power under the Constitution to interfere with or control the domestic institutions of the several States, and that such States are the sole and proper judges of every thing appertaining to their own affairs, not prohibited by the Constitution; that all efforts of the Abolitionists and others, made to induce Congress to interfere with questions of slavery, or to take incipient steps in relation thereto, are calculated to lead to the most alarming and dangerous consequences; and that all such efforts have an inevitable tendency to diminish the happiness of the people, and endanger the stability

and permanence of the Union, and ought not to be countenanced by any friend of our political institutions.

"That the foregoing proposition covers, and was intended to embrace the whole subject of slavery agitation in Congress; and, therefore, the Democratic party of the Union, standing on this national platform, will abide by and adhere to a faithful execution of the acts known as the Compromise measures settled by the last Congress, 'the act for reclaiming fugitives from service or labor' included; which act, being designed to carry out an express provision of the Constitution, cannot, with fidelity thereto, be repealed, or so changed as to destroy or impair its efficiency.

"That the Democratic party will resist all attempts at renewing, in Congress, or out of it, the agitation of the slavery question, under whatever shape or color the attempt be made.”

It will be observed that the two parties took essentially the same position respecting the question of slavery. The resolutions adopted by the Whigs were said to have been dictated by Southern delegates. It is certain that they were opposed by many Northern members of the Convention, and reluctantly acquiesced in by many

more.

At first, the almost entire vote of the Southern delegates was given to Mr. Fillmore, and their support was only secured to Gen. Scott, by reading a letter from him wherein he expressed a willingness to accept a nomination on the platform which had been adopted.

The "Free Democracy" met in National Convention at Pittsburg, in August, and nominated John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, and G. W. Julian, of Indiana, for President and Vice-President of the United States. A declaration of principles was adopted, in favor of Free Soil,