CONTENTS.

CHAPTER I.

Introductory Remarks.-Allusion to the "Irrepressible Conflict" Theory.

-Direct Issue made therewith.-Sectionalism.-Its dangerous Tend-

encies.-Geographical Parties.-Washington's Warning against them.

-Mr. Webster's Remarks upon Sectionalism.-Author's first Acquaint-

ance with Mr. Webster in 1825.—Renewal of that Acquaintance twen-

ty Years thereafter.-Allusions to Mr. Webster's Life and Character.-

Remarks upon his great Ability as a Statesman and Orator.-His ami-

able Qualities in private Life.-Mr. Webster's funeral Notice of his great

Rival, Mr. Calhoun

CHAPTER II.

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.Page 13

Early colonial Settlements in North America.-Character of the People

very nearly identical.- Similitude of Customs, Language, Religion,

Laws, and Mode of Life.-No Conflict of Sentiment then between the

Colonists of the North and South in regard to African Slavery.-Tes-

timony of Mr. Greeley on this Point.-Kindly social and commercial

Intercourse between the Colonists North and South. Their united

Defense of the infant American Settlements against Indian Violence

and the hostile French.-Early Suggestion of a confederate Union be-

tween all the British Colonies in North America.-Strange Interpreta-

tion of a Portion of the Language of the Declaration of Independence.

-Mr. Jefferson's important Statement as to the Action of the Confed-

erate Congress in regard to Slavery at the Time the Declaration was

adopted. Mr. Webster's important Recital of historic Facts connected

with this Subject in his 7th of March Speech

CHAPTER III.

..........

30

Continuation of the same Subject. -Cession of Northwestern Territory by

Virginia and other States in 1784.-Ordinance of 1787.-Federal Con-

vention. Correlative and contemporaneous Action of that Body and

of the Confederate Congress upon the Subject of African Slavery.-No

Conflict worth mentioning then existed between the States of the North

and the South in regard to African Slavery.-Action of Congress upon

Abolition Petitions in 1790.-Congressional Resolution on the Subject

of non-interference with Slavery in the States by the general Govern-

ment for many Years faithfully observed in the North.-Mr. Webster's

uncontradicted Statement on this Subject in the Debate between Mr.

Hayne and himself.-Washington's Administration.-Election of John

Adams; his stormy Administration.—Mr. Jefferson and Mr. Madison,

and Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions of 1798, '9.-Nullification and

Secession growing out of these.-John C. Calhoun.-Confederate Con-

stitution professedly based upon the absolute Sovereignty of the States.

-This Principle shamefully abandoned by the Confederate Government

itself. Successive Administrations of Mr. Jefferson, Mr. Madison, and

Mr. Monroe.-Rise of the Missouri Question, and violent Agitation con-

sequent thereupon.-Wise and salutary Compromise of that Question.

-Remarks upon the Value of legislative Compromises in general, with

Mr. Calhoun's Views of the same........

CHAPTER IV.

Page 40

Happy Cessation of Excitement after the Adoption of the Missouri Com-

promise.-Era of good Feeling during the Remainder of Mr. Monroe's

Administration.-Presidential Contest of 1824.-Mr. Adams's Elec-

tion by the House of Representatives to the Presidency.-Inaugural

Speech of Mr. Adams.-Interesting Scene in the White House on the

Occasion of President Monroe's taking Leave of his Friends to return

to his private Home in Virginia.-Intense Excitement growing out of

Mr. Adams's Election, but without any Intermixture of sectional Feel-

ing.-Violent and illiberal Opposition to his Administration.-Defeat

of Mr. Adams for Re-election in 1828, and Elevation of General An-

drew Jackson in his Stead.-Rise of Nullification in South Carolina in

1832.-General Jackson's Proclamation against South Carolina.—Mr.

Clay's successful Scheme of Pacification, known as the Compromise

Tariff Bill.-Origin of Abolition Societies in 1835.-Minute historical

Account of these Societies given in Mr. Greeley's "American Conflict."

-Mr. Webster's striking Remarks upon these Societies in his 7th of

March Speech.-Author declines any special Notice of the Presenta-

CONTENTS.

tion of Abolition Petitions, and the excited Discussions growing out of

the same.-Notice of the Acquisition of Texas with the general Con-

sent 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 offi-

cial Colleague. Serious political Disagreements between them.—

Sketch of President Davis's Character, with some Notice of his Histo-

ry.-Session of the United States Senate commencing in December,

1847. Mr. Dickinson's Non-intervention Resolution, and Mr. Cal--

houn's extreme Opposition to it.-Curious colloquial Scene in the Sen-

ate.-General Cass's Nicholson Letter.-Complimentary Notice of Gen-

eral Cass .........
......... Page 58

CHAPTER V.

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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 Balti-

more 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 Reso-

lution. Declaration, as early as 1843, by Messrs. Adams, Slade, Gid-

dings, 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. Cal-

houn

78

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 Prop-

osition 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 there-

from.-General Taylor's Administration.-Violent Excitement begin-

ning to rage both North and South upon the Slavery Question, and in

Connection with the Admission of California.-Unfortunate non-ac-

tion 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 Califor-

nian Admission.-Efforts of the Author to defeat this Scheme of self-

ish 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 re-

markable 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 carn-

est Instance.-Short Sketch of Colonel Benton's public Character, and

Delineation of his intellectual Qualities........

CHAPTER VII.

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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 Patri-

ots 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. Ben-

ton attempts to inveigle him into a false Position in regard to the Meas-

ure 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 Cham-

pion of the famous Omnibus Scheme.—His magnanimous waver of cer-

tain abstract Opinions with a View to general Conciliation.-First meet-

ing 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.-Emi-

nently patriotic Conduct of Mr. Webster on this Occasion.-Resolution

finally carried. - Mr. Clay appointed Chairman thereof, who speed-

ily brings in his Report, upon which an animated Discussion oc-

Page 113

curs

CHAPTER VIII.

Great Compromise Struggle of 1850.—Mr. Clay and Mr. Webster the prin-

cipal 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.-Em-

phatic 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 Shar-

key's Life and Character..........

CHAPTER IX.

129

Omnibus Bill under Consideration.-Strenuous Opposition of General

Taylor's Administration to its Adoption.-Last Appearance of Presi-

dent Taylor in Public on the 4th of July, 1850, at Monument Square,

in Washington City, and touching Scene which occurred there.-Gen-

eral 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 Ex-

pulsion from New Mexico by the Military of Texan Settlers.-Mr.

Clay's heroic Remonstrance against this coercive Policy, which he re-