The year 1852 was marked by intense excitement consequent on the political campaign which terminated in the fall in the presidential election. The Democratic party made a strong and successful effort to recover its lost power, and nominated Franklin Pierce, of New Hampshire, for president, and William R. King, of Alabama, for vice-president. The Whig party nominated General Winfield Scott for president, and William A. Graham, of North Carolina, for vice-president. The Anti-slavery party put in nomination John P. Hale, of New Hampshire, and George W. Julian, of Indiana. The election resulted in the choice of the candidates of the Democratic party by an overwhelming majority. The Antislavery party on this occasion polled but 155,825 votes, or a little more than half of the strength it had shown at the previous election.

Mr. King, the vice-president elect, did not long survive his triumph. His health had been delicate for many years, and he was obliged to pass the winter succeeding the election in Cuba. Being unable to return home, he took the oath of office before the American consul, at Havana, on the 4th of March, 1853. He then returned to the United States, and died at his home in Alabama on the 18th of April, 1853.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

THE ADMINISTRATION OF FRANKLIN PIERCE.

Dispute with Mexico-The Gadsden Purchase-Surveys for a Pacific Railway-The Japan Expedition-Treaty with Japan-The Koszta Affair-The "Black Warrior" seized by the Cuban Officials-The "Ostend Conference "-Dismissal of the British Minister-The Kansas-Nebraska Bill-History of the Bill-Its Passage by CongressHistory of the Struggle in Kansas-Conflict between the Pro-Slavery and Free Soil Settlers-Lawrence Sacked-Civil War-The Presidential Campaign of 1856-James Buchanan elected President of the United States-Rapid increase of the Republican Party.

RESIDENT PIERCE took the oath of office at the capitol at Washington on the 4th of March, 1853, in the presence of an immense throng. He was in his forty-ninth year, and had won an enviable name by his previous services to the country. He was a native of New Hampshire, and had represented that State for four years in the lower House of Congress, and for nearly a full term in the Senate of the United States. He had also served with distinction during the Mexican war as briga

dier-general. He placed William L. Marcy, of New York, at the head of his cabinet as secretary of state.

The first question of importance the new president was called upon to settle grew out of a dispute with Mexico concerning the boundary between that country and the Territory of New Mexico. At the time of the treaty of Guadaloupe Hidalgo the maps were so imperfect that the boundary line had not been drawn with sufficient exactness. Both countries claimed the Mesilla valley, which was said to be very fertile, but which was more important to the United States as affording what was generally regarded as the most practicable route to California. Santa Anna was now president of the Mexican republic again, and sent a force of Mexican troops to occupy the region in dispute. The matter was settled by nego

FRANKLIN PIERCE.

tiation, however, and the United States obtained the Mesilla vailey and the free navigation of the Gulf of California and of the Colorado to the American frontier. For these concessions the federal government paid Mexico the sum of ten millions of dollars. The district thus acquired was known as the "Gadsden Purchase," and was subsequently erected into the Territory of Arizona.

The necessity of more rapid and certain communication with California had brought the nation to regard a railway between the Mississippi and the Pacific as a necessity, and as such an undertaking was considered beyond the resources of a private corporation, it was believed that it should be built by the general government, or at least that the general government should bear a part of the expense. The year 1853 witnessed the first steps towards the construction of this great work. Two expeditions were despatched under the orders of the war department to explore the best routes for a Pacific railway.

The acquisition of California brought the United States into new relations with the nations of the eastern world, as it secured for them a base upon the Pacific from which a direct trade could be conducted with China and Japan. The empire of Japan, however, was closed to foreigners, and it was very desirable to open commercial relations with it. Towards the close of Mr. Fillmore's term of office, Commodore Perry, a brother of the hero of Lake Erie, was despatched to China with a fleet of seven war steamers to negotiate a treaty with the Japanese government. He arrived in the bay of Jeddo in the summer of 1853. The natives were greatly astonished at the appearance of his steamers, the first that had ever been. seen in those waters, and at his boldness in venturing into their harbors. The Japanese officials ordered him to depart, but he refused, and insisted on seeing the emperor, and making known to him the object of his friendly visit. They at length decided to lay the matter before the emperor, who consented to grant an interview to the commodore, and named the 14th of July for that purpose. On the day appointed the commodore landed, accompanied by a strong body of marines. He was received with great ceremony by the Japanese, and delivered the president's letter, to which an answer was promised. The answer of the emperor was submitted to him several months later, and was favorable. A treaty was concluded between the United States and Japan, by which the former were allowed to trade in two specified ports-Simodi and Hokadadi. American citizens were permitted to reside at these ports, and consuls were accepted for them. Thus the United States had the honor of being the first to open the rich markets of the island empire to the commerce of the civilized world. Since then the relations between the

two countries have steadily grown more cordial, and Japan has shown a remarkable rapidity and facility for adopting the civilization of the

west.

In July, 1853, occurred an event which did much to increase the respect for our navy among the powers of the world. Martin Koszta, a Hungarian, who had taken the preliminary steps to be naturalized in the United States, happening to be in Smyrna, in Asia Minor, on business, was seized as a rebel and a refugee by order of the Austrian consul-general, and taken on board an Austrian brig. The United States sloop-of-war "St. Louis," Captain Ingraham, was lying in the harbor at the time, and Ingraham was appealed to for protection for Koszta. He at once demanded his release as an American citizen. The demand was refused by the authorities, and Ingraham at once called his crew to quarters and threatened to fire upon the Austrian ship if Koszta was not immediately released. The Austrians at once surrendered their prisoner, and he was placed in custody of the French consul to await the action of the government of the United States. The matter was settled by negotiation between this country and Austria, and Koszta was released. Austria addressed to the government at Washington a remonstrance against the conduct of Captain Ingraham, but his course was warmly applauded by his countrymen and by disinterested persons in Europe.

In February, 1854, the American merchant steamer "Black Warrior" was seized by the Spanish authorities at Havana, on the pretext that she had evaded or violated some uncertain revenue law, and the ship and her cargo were declared confiscated. This action of the Havana officials was regarded in the United States as unjust, and aroused a great deal of feeling against the Spaniards, and gave a sudden impetus to the national sentiment in favor of the acquisition of Cuba. The affair of the "Black Warrior" was satisfactorily settled by the Spanish government.

While the feeling aroused by the affair was at its height a conference of some of the American ministers in Europe, including Mr. Buchanan, minister to England, Mr. Mason, minister to France, and Mr. Soulé, minister to Spain, and some others, was held at Ostend, in Belgium, and a circular was adopted recommending the acquisition of Cuba by the United States. This measure attracted much attention, and elicited considerable European criticism of the alleged ambitious designs of the United States. Mr. Soulé, on his return to Madrid, was stopped at Calais by order of the emperor of the French, who had personal reasons for disliking him. The emperor, however, reconsidered his action, and allowed Soulé to pass through France to the Spanish frontier.

In 1855 Great Britain, France, Sardinia, and Turkey being engaged in

a war with Russia, the agents of the British government undertook to enlist recruits for their army within the limits of the United States in defiance of the neutrality laws of this country. The matter being brought to the attention of the United States government, it was found that the British minister at Washington and the British consuls in some of the principal cities of the Union had encouraged, if they had not authorized, these enlistments. The government of the United States thereupon called the attention of Great Britain to the conduct of her minister, and requested her to recall him. The queen declined to comply with this request, and the minister and the consuls were promptly dismissed by the president. The matter caused considerable irritation in England for a while, but the good sense of the English people at length perceived the propriety of the course of the American government, and cordial relations were re-established between the two countries.

The most important measure of Mr. Pierce's administration was the bill to organize the Territories of Kansas and Nebraska. The region embraced in these Territories formed a part of the Louisiana purchase, and extended from the borders of Missouri, Iowa, and Minnesota to the summit of the Rocky mountains, and from the parallel of 36° 30′ north latitude to the border of British America. The whole region by the terms of the Missouri Compromise had been secured to free labor by the exclusion of slavery. Until the year 1850 this vast area was called by the general and somewhat indefinite name of the "Platte Country," from the Platte river, which flows through it. Little was known concerning it save that it was a region of great fertility. It was mainly occupied by the reservations of the Indian tribes, which had been removed from the other States to make way for the whites. Across it swept the grand trails of the overland route to Utah and the Pacific. The people of the New England States were very anxious that the Indian reservations which covered the eastern part should be bought up by the general government and the country thrown open to emigration. Petitions to this effect were presented to the Thirty-second Congress, but no action was taken upon them until December, 1852, when Mr. Hall, of Missouri, introduced a bill into the House to organize the "Territory of Platte." It was referred to the Committee on Territories, which in February, 1853, reported a bill organizing the "Territory of Nebraska." The bill was opposed in the House of Representatives by the full strength of the south, and in the Senate the only southern senators who voted for it were those from Missouri. The Missouri Compromise, as has been stated, secured the entire Nebraska region to free labor; but notwithstanding this the southern members of Congress were resolved to oppose the