The Republican journal. [volume] (Belfast, Me.) 1829-current, 1869-10-14

Pierce's first Congress assembled, and in the
January following, Mr.. Douglas, as Chair
man of the Committee on Territories, intro
duced a bill tor the organization of the two
territories of Kansas and Nebraska BY this
bill, the Missouri Compromise act, excluding
slavery from this region, was repealed, and
| IN despite of the eXertions of the ant-slavcry
members of Congress- the bill became a law
and received the signature Of the President
ON the LIST day of May. In 1854 the reciprocity
treaty was negotiated between Great Britain
and the United States; and the treaty with
Japan, negotiated by Com. Perry, was rati-
fed. Two important bills-one providing
for appropriations for the repair and compile
ton OF certain public works, and the other
| appropriating 100000 900 acres of public
lands to the States, for the relief of the in
| digem insane-were vetoed by the President
In the spring OF 1854 the Commandment of
lireytown took place and in the following
year Walker undertook his tilibuster invasion
OF Nicaragua. In 1855 the French spoliation
bill was vetoed. During the winter and
spring Of 1855 circumstances occurred to dis
| turb the harmonious relations existing be
tween this country and Great Britain, grow
ing out of the enlistment here of recruits for
the British army in the Crimea. The recall
of Mr. Champion, the British Minister, was
demanded, and refused; and the President
finally dismissed the Minister and the British
Consuls at New York, Philadelphia and Gin
cinnati, because of their completely in the vi
olation of the neutrality laws. The matter
was finally settled, however, in a peaceable
manner The last two years Of the Presi-
dents administration were disturbed by the
civil discords in Kansas. On the 9th of Jan
uary, 1856, the President sent a message to
| Congress in which he represented the formal
| ton of L free State government in Kansas as
an act of rebellion, and justified the princi-
| pies OF the Kansas n ebraska act In June
| OF the same year the National Democratic
| Convention met at Cincinnati to nominate
| presidential candidate, and Mr. Buchanan
| was nominated on the seventeenth ballot.
Before the adjournment Of Congress in Au-
gust following, the House of Representatives
made an amendment to the army appropriate
ton bill, providing that no part of the army
should be employed to enforce the laws made
by the territorial legislature of Kansas, unit
Congress should have decided that il was II
valid Legislative assembly; the Senate re
fused 20 concur, and adjourned without max
ING any provision for the army. The Presi-
dent Immediately called IN extra session to
convene on the 2lst of August, when the
army bill was passed without any proviso,
and Congress adjourned 1t convened again
on December first, and the session closed on
the Sd of March, and on the following day
the administration of President Pierce came
to a CLOSE. Mr.. Pierce soon after visited the
island of Madeira, and travelled extensively
in Europe On the 2lst Of April, 1861, he
made speech to Il mass meeting in Concord,
n. H., in which he declared himself in favor
of the Union against the Southern Confedcr |
acy, and urging the people to give the admin
istratiOu n cordial and earnest SUPPORT Since |
that time he has taken no active part in pub
lie discussions, his political history belonging
almost entirely to the era preceding the late