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This barbarian in 1812 made Mr. Lear, the American consul, pay him twenty-seven thousand dollars to insure the safety of himself and family and a few American residents. As it was a choice between giving the money and going into slavery, the bribe was paid. Then the Dey thought it a good time for him to renew his demand for tribute, while our navy was so occupied with Great Britain that it could give him

no attention.

PRESIDENT JACKSON.

He let loose his pirates, therefore, with orders to collect the tribute. But peace you know soon came, and in March, 1815, war was declared against Algiers. Commodore Decatur and Commodore Bainbridge were sent to the Mediterranean with two squadrons to bring the Dey to his senses. These brave leaders lost no time in performing their task. On the 17th of June, Decatur captured the frigate of the Algerine admiral. Two days later he took another frigate, and shortly after appeared before the city of Algiers. He demanded the instant surrender of every American prisoner, full

repayment for all property destroyed and the positive yielding of future claims for tribute. The Dey, having learned of the capture of his vessels, saw that he must submit to the terms of the conqueror. He begged that the United States would continue paying him tribute even if it was only a little gunpowder. Decatur replied that the only form in which that could be done was from his cannon, in which case it would be accompanied by solid shot.

The Dey submitted, making the treaty on the quarter-deck of Decatur's ship. Not only that, but the Pasha of Tunis was made to pay forty-six thousand dollars for the American vessels he had allowed the English to capture in his harbor during the war. The Pasha of Tripoli was compelled to do the same, and, before the close of the summer, the Barbary States were humbled to the dust, and nothing more was ever heard about collecting tribute from Christian nations.

The closing years of Madison's administration saw many other important events. Treaties of peace were made with the Choctaws, Chickasaws, Cherokees and other Indian tribes, by which we gained much territory. Indiana was admitted into the Union on the 11th of December, 1816. It was the smallest of the Western States, its area. being about thirty-six thousand square miles, while its population was ninety-eight thousand. The region at one time was a part of New France, and a number of trading-posts were fixed there during those early days.

It was about this time that the Colonization Society of the United States was formed. The negro has been a disturbing element in our country for many years. In more than one quarter there was a prejudice against him as strong as there is to-day against the Chinese. It seemed to a large number of good people that the best way of bringing quiet was to send the free negroes back to Africa. Of course all could not be placed on ships and sent off, but they were encouraged to emigrate to Africa, the country from which they originally came.

If you will look on the map of the Dark Continent, as Africa is often called, you will notice a tract of country bordering on the Gulf of Guinea, and marked Liberia, with a capital named Monrovia. Liberia was selected by the Colonization Society as the place to which the free negroes should be sent. Its capital was named in honor of President Monroe. A republican form of government was established in Monrovia, and enough emigrants went thither to organize a flourishing negro state. It still exists, but, of course, can never realize the object that brought it into existence.

The war had almost destroyed the federal party. In the fall of 1816 it brought forward Rufus King as its candidate for the presidency, while the democrats supported James Monroe of Virginia. The latter was elected by a large majority, and Daniel Tompkins of New York became vice-president. Indeed, the only vote against Monroe in the electoral college was that of New Hampshire.

IF

CHAPTER XXV.

MONROE'S ADMINISTRATION. 1817-1825.

F you will notice the birth-place of the first half dozen presidents of the United States you will understand why Virginia is called the "Mother of Presidents." Washington, Jefferson, Madison and Monroe were born there. Virginia at that time was the leading state in the Union. She was really the South. She was stronger than the democratic party in the North, which, uniting with her, was able to carry her candidates into office.

James Monroe was born in 1758, and was educated at William and Mary's College. He fought as a lieutenant at Trenton during the Revolution, and was also at Brandywine, Germantown, and Monmouth. He left the army after the battle of Monmouth, in 1778, rejoining it when his state was invaded in 1781. He studied law under Jefferson, and when only twenty-five years old, was elected a delegate to the Continental Congress, having served before that in the Virginia legislature. While minister plenipotentiary to France, in 1794, he offended the administration, and was recalled. From 1799 to 1802, he was governor of Virginia, and was then sent by Jefferson to negotiate the purchase of Louisiana. In 1811, he was again elected governor of Virginia, and during the same year, was appointed by Madison his secretary of state. He was also secretary of war at the same time, and, there being no money in the treasury, he pledged his own means in order to secure the defense of New Orleans. He was a man of integrity, and, although without any special genius, was devoted to the interests of his country, whose development during his administration far surpassed that of any administration in its previous history.

The administration of Monroe began on the 4th of March, 1817. His cabinet included John Quincy Adams, secretary of state; William H. Crawford, secretary of the treasury; John C. Calhoun, secretary of war; Benjamin Crowninshield, secretary of the navy; and William Wirt, attorney-general.

Shortly after the inauguration of Monroe, he made a tour of three months, extending from Detroit to Maine. Jefferson did not like such proceedings, because he thought they looked too monarchical, but Monroe could very well plead the example of Washington.

At the time Monroe began his rule, the manufactures of our country were at a low ebb. This was because of the competition of British goods. Labor was cheap in Great Britain, where a great deal of machinery was used. Goods were sent to this country and sold at such low prices that the Americans could buy them for less than they could make them. You must not forget that during the colonial period England would not allow

the colonies to manufacture any thing. You remember it was said that we had no right to make even a horse-shoe nail.

textile fabrics; but labor was dear, capital scarce, and machinery beyond reach. The embargo of 1807, it may be said, forced the Americans to depend upon themselves, so far as manufactures were concerned. Of course there were some failures

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at the beginning, but surprising progress was made. The value of native manufactured goods in 1810 was $170,000,000, and four years later it was increased to $200,000,000. Then, after the close of the war with England, we were flooded with productions of Great Britain and other European countries. This caused much distress, until Congress imposed a tax on manufactured goods brought into this country. This tax, as you will readily see, compelled the imported goods to be sold at a higher price than before, and gave the Americans a chance to make the same kind of goods, and get a price that afforded a living.

The question of free trade or protection has interested our country for a hundred years. Some people insist that there should be no duty, or tax, or tariff on any goods brought from a foreign country. Others are equally positive that we would be ruined unless we had such protection, for living and labor are so much cheaper in Europe that our laboring men could not earn enough money to live, unless they received protection.

However, I have no thought of discussing this question, and only seek to have you understand it. During the administration of Monroe, which is sometimes called the Golden Age of our history, there was much legislation by Congress in favor of protection, and our prosperity was great. You will be impressed with this, when some facts are given, hereafter, in their proper place.

The most important public event during the early years of Monroe's administration was the Seminole war. The Seminoles were a warlike tribe of Indians living in Florida, which at that time belonged to Spain. Their language is quite similar to the Spanish, and they were treacherous and vindictive. The everglades of Florida afforded them a hiding-place where it was almost impossible to track them. Negro slaves escaped into the swamps and joined the Seminoles and the few remaining Creeks. These mongrel people were very vicious and committed many depredations along the frontiers of Georgia and Alabama.

No doubt they had some excuse. The Creeks believed they had been cheated out of their lands, and the runaway negroes naturally felt a hatred of those who had been their masters. It is fair to believe also that the United States looked with longing eyes upon Florida and regarded as intruders the Spaniards who had given help to England during the late war.

General Gaines was sent to quell the uprisings among the Seminoles and Creeks, and to drive every red-man from the territory ceded by the Creeks to the United States. He was not only unable to perform the task, but he was in a dangerous position. General Jackson was dispatched to his aid. That fiery officer always determined to succeed, no matter what course was necessary. He raised a large force of Tennessee horsemen, in addition to the regulars with which he was supplied, and with his usual vigor, overran the Indian territory. His "official" orders were not to enter Florida except in pursuit of the enemy, but such orders were meant to enable our government to answer any protest from Spain. In his message to Congress, President Monroe said that where the authority of Spain ceased to exist, there the United States had the right to pursue the enemy on the principle of self-defense. The only points over which