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Missouri compromise. According to this famous agreement Missouri was admitted as a Slave State, while slavery was forbidden in any States thereafter to be formed north of latitude 36° 30'.

This compromise preserved peace between the sections until 1850, when the discovery of gold in California, and the consequent rapid settlement of that territory, entailed the necessity of adding it to the Union as a State. Again party spirit ran high, and open threats of dissolution of the Union, unless California was made a Slave State, were uttered. Another compromise again prevented a rupture. This, known as the "Omnibus Bill," admitted California as a Free State, forbade the slave trade in the District of Columbia, and required the arrest and return of escaped slaves by the Northern States.

But no compromise could satisfy party spirit for any length of time, but tended rather, more and more, to whet the appetite for the coming struggle. In the North there arose the party of the Abolitionists, frankly demanding the total and unconditional suppression of slavery, and rallying under its banners all who pretended to be regarded as liberals in the country. To them were opposed the Democrats, including all the Southern politicians in whose hands the chief power was at that time concentrated. With the increasing bitterness of party feeling the arrogance of the South became all the more intensified, the cry went forth that "Cotton was King," and that his power should be recognised as supreme in the land.

Matters became further complicated by the prominence assumed in the year 1854 by the so-called "Knownothings," who would have nothing to do with the old political factions, but proclaimed the doctrine of union at all costs. But this party soon disappeared from the

arena.

In the contest raised by this burning question of the

abolition of slavery, all the civilised world was naturally arrayed on the side of the North. During the interval between December 1860 and May 1861, the Southern States of South Carolina, Mississippi, Florida, Alabama, Georgia, Louisiana, Texas, Virginia, Arkansas, and North Carolina, withdrew from the Union, constituted themselves into a confederacy under a rival president, and boldly accepted battle from the far more powerful Northern States. During the protracted and sanguinary civil war that ensued, fortune inclined at first towards the South, which, though fewer in numbers, had the advantage of a disciplined army commanded by skilful leaders. The struggle was fought out to the bitter end, and the South yielded only when its resources were completely exhausted, and when it had no more troops to send into the field.

During this war, slavery, the one bone of contention, was abolished by a proclamation from President Lincoln, as a necessary war measure. Thus the South, in their vain attempt to protect their "peculiar institution," afforded its opponents the opportunity and the power to free the country from this foul stain.

9. Reconstruction of the Union.

The Southern States having been conquered and thus restored to the Union, there remained the difficult task of rebuilding the States and of reconciling the white population to the situation of affairs. An almost universal amnesty was declared, both whites and blacks were given the right of suffrage, and the recently rebellious States were readmitted to the Union. In spite of this generous treatment on the part of the Government, the rebellious spirit still exists, and only awaits opportunity to break forth again. By putting the ballot into the hands of the ignorant negroes, the situation was very much complicated.

For several years after the war these people, led by white immigrants from the north, many of whom were unscrupulous demagogues, or worse, held the controlling power in most of these States, and ignorant government and the grossest corruption ran riot in the South, already impoverished by the war. Finally, the whites, driven almost to desperation by this course of misrule, accomplished by force and terrorising what they could not do by the ballot, and succeeded in getting control of the State governments, which they now hold to the benefit of the whites and the injury of the blacks.

Meanwhile the whole country has gone through a great industrial collapse, from which it is but now emerging, a collapse the causes of which are easily traceable to the late war. This war, producing an enormous market, stimulated production to an unprecedented degree,—a production which went on at an accelerated pace after the war was ended, and the market which it afforded was closed. The great rise in prices, attendant on the war, was not succeeded at its close by a corresponding fall consequently the Americans could not compete in foreign markets. Hence arose a condition of over-production and glutted markets, which could only be relieved by one of two things: a reduction of production, or an opening of new markets. That the former method of cure is now unconsciously being resorted to, the armies of unemployed workmen testify; and the large and rapidly increasing balance of trade, in favour of the United States, shows that the latter is also assisting in its cure. That this method of treatment is correct, is shown by the gradual and steady revival of business in all parts of the country.

As is natural, the depression in business leaving many, especially of the lower labouring classes, without means of earning their bread, has afforded unscrupulous and

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ignorant demagogues opportunity to play upon the passions of the lower classes, by charging misgovernment, political corruption, etc., upon the party in power. This cry was quickly taken up by the democrats, who have used it persistently in their struggle to regain control of the Government, which they have not had since 1861.

CHAPTER XII.

EXTENT AND POPULATION.

1. Boundaries and Extent.

It

THE domain of the United States lies between the 25th and 49th parallels, and stretches right across the northern continent, from the Atlantic to the Pacific seaboard. is bounded northward by British Columbia, Saskatchewan, Manitoba, Lakes Superior, Huron, Erie, and Ontario, the River St. Lawrence, and the Province of Quebec; eastward by New Brunswick and the Atlantic Ocean; on the south by Florida Channel, the Gulf of Mexico, and the Mexican Republic; on the west by the Pacific Ocean. The border or frontier lines are about 8700, that of the lakes about 870, and of the coast 5100 miles in extent; while the greatest distance, north and south, is about 1560; east and west, 2850 miles.

The Union consists at present of thirty-eight States, eight Territories, and the District of Columbia, whose political organisation will engage our attention farther on. The general physical aspect of this vast domain has already been described in the chapters devoted to the physical geography of North America. The more im

portant details respecting the several States are reserved for the tables appended to this section.

2. Population.

Within the limits of the Union there resided a popu

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