and that the people of each territory would settle the matter for themselves. As the first settlers were often called "Squatters," this plan received the name of " Squatter Sovereignty." The indignation aroused in the North was very great, as all this land, which Franklin Pierce was born at Hillsborough, New Hampshire, November 23d, 1804. After he was graduated from Bowdoin he studied law, and was admitted to the bar in 1827. Here he took high rank. Mr. Pierce served in the House from 1833 to 1835, and in the Senate from 1837 to 1843. At the outbreak of the war with Mexico, he enlisted as a volunteer, but was soon raised to the rank of colonel, and later to that of brigadier-general. Pierce was a zealous Democrat, and belonged to the proslavery wing of that party. He died October 8th, 1869. seemed in danger of being made into slave States, had, by the Missouri Compromise, been set apart for freedom. Movements were at once made in both North and South to send settlers into the new territory. As the Territory of Kansas lay to the south of Nebraska, its soil seemed better suited for slavery, and here the struggle began. 523. The Emigrant Aid Society. - The first to arrive in Kansas was a band of slaveholders from just across the border of the neighboring State of Missouri. They made a settlement at Atchison, which became the headquarters of the slavery party. A little later the Emigrant Aid Society was formed in New England, and help was given to any Northerner willing to migrate to the new territory. When the time for the first elections came on, great excitement naturally arose, and many of the inhabitants of Missouri came into Kansas simply to vote, and then returned to their homes. By means of such frauds a proslavery legislature was elected, and for a time the Free-State party lost its opportunity. Stephen A. Douglas. (From a negative in the possession of the U. S. Government.) made another attempt to keep slavery from the State, and held a convention which formed a constitution and applied to Congress for admission as a free State. The House of Representatives at Washington voted to admit the State of Kansas with this Topeka Con stitution, but the Senate refused to concur. The territory was thus left to its own resources, and a civil war began which continued for several years. Murders and assassinations became frequent, towns were attacked and burned or pillaged, and a period of terror ensued. The wrong-doing was not confined to one party, though the proslavery party was perhaps the more violent in its attacks. In 1857 the Free-State faction obtained a majority of the territorial legislature, and, though the border warfare still continued, the cause of slavery was destroyed in Kansas forever. Stephen Arnold Douglas, the author of the doctrine of "Squatter Sovereignty," was born in Vermont in 1813. In 1834 he was admitted to the Illinois bar, and at once received political preferment. In 1843 he was elected to Congress, and took active part in the measures which secured to the United States Oregon and Texas. He was an ardent Unionist, and in 1861 denounced secession as criminal. He was an eloquent orator, his most noted speeches being made in his contest with Lincoln. He died June 3d, 1861. 525. The Anti-Nebraska Party. - An effect of the Kansas-Nebraska Act which had not been expected by its friends was the formation of a strong party to resist the encroachments of slavery. At first it consisted only of those elements of the existing parties opposed to the act. The opponents of the Nebraska Bill were those who had been Northern Whigs and Democrats and members of the Free-Soil party. Their success in the elections of 1854 resulted in the formation soon after of a national party, which presented a candidate for President at the election of 1856. Charles Sumner. 526. Charles Sumner. During the struggle which took place in Congress at the time of the civil war in Kansas, Charles Sumner, Senator from Massachusetts, made several strong and bitter speeches against the slavery party. One of those who was especially mentioned, but who was absent at the time, was Senator Butler, of South Carolina. A day or two later, his nephew, Preston S. Brooks, a representative, entered the Senate-chamber, and approaching Senator Sumner from behind, suddenly began beating him on the head (From a negative in the possession of the U. S. Government.) with a thick cane which he carried. This unprovoked attack, which seriously and almost fatally injured the Senator, caused great indignation at the North. Massachusetts re-elected Mr. Sumner, although he was unable for several years to take his seat in the Senate. Brooks resigned his position, but his district unanimously re-elected him to Congress. Charles Sumner, for twenty-four years senator from Massachusetts, was born at Boston, January 6th, 1811. He was graduated from Harvard UniverIsity in 1830, and four years later was admitted to the bar. In 1850 he was sent to the Senate, where he remained until his death, March 11th, 1874. He was one of the great leaders among the Free-Soilers, and one of the founders of the Republican party. Mr. Sumner held very pronounced views on the policy of reconstruction. His re-election to the United States Senate in 1856, at a time when he was compelled to travel for his health, showed the estimation in which he was held at home. 527. Commodore Perry. In contrast with this internal struggle was the effort made by Commodore Perry to open the ports of Japan to American commerce. That country had not, for centuries, allowed any foreigners to enter the territory, and therefore had been almost unknown to the civilized world. The Japanese, with a civilization peculiar to themselves, considered all other nations little more than dreaded barbarians. Perry entered their ports with a fleet of steamers, and succeeded in convincing the people that he and his men, at least, were not barbarians; and he obtained from the government concessions which resulted a few years later in the formation of a treaty with the United States permitting our vessels to trade in their ports. Martin Koszta. Since the War of 1812, England has not exercised her so-called "right of search and impressment," and thus has tacitly acknowledged the justice of the position of the United States. During Pierce's administration, another claim of the United States was made, granted, and forever settled in her favor. A Hungarian, Martin Koszta by name, had fled to the United States, and had taken out his first naturalization papers. Later, while in the harbor of Smyrna, a Turkish city, he was arrested and confined on an Austrian man-of-war. Captain Ingraham, of the American navy, threatened to cannonade the Austrian frigate unless the American citizen was set free. After some considerable official intercourse the demand was granted, and Koszta was permitted to return to the United States. By common consent, since that time, naturalized citizens have been granted in foreign countries all the rights of native Americans. 528. Presidential Election. A fear that the foreign element would obtain. a controlling position in politics resulted in the formation of an American party. This was commonly called the "KnowNothing" party, and was based on the principle that no foreigner should be elected to office. It nominated exPresident Fillmore for President, but in the election was only able to carry Maryland. The Republican party formed by the opponents of the Kansas-Nebraska Act was |