The Ottawa free trader. [volume] (Ottawa, Ill.) 1843-1916, 1888-10-27
CALHOUN.
CLAY.
WEBSTER.
BENTON.


possible event to excite or embarrass the
government and the people was crowded into
the time of that one session. Kossuth fired
the American people to frenzied sympathy
with the Hungarians. Lopez invaded Cuba,
was driven away, and returned in 1851 with
. band Of American fllibusters. They trere
captured and condemned-those who were
not shot-to a life of labor in the mines; and
this led to peculiar complications, till Queen
Isabella pardoned all the survivors There
were constant rumors of other expeditions
against Cuba, Mexico and South America.
A convention of fire eaters" met at Nash
vile and discussed dissolution Of the Union.
There was much talk of the Gulf and South
Atlantic states withdrawing from the Union,
combining with the countries south of them,
and thus forming golden circle" around
the Gulf Of Mexico And while congress de-
bated what to do with California rush Of
gold seekers took the matter out of their
hands. The region jumped at once from
conquered province to state, with no terri
torial childhood, and Senators w. NJ. Gwinn
and John c. Fremont took their official seats
but few days before the close Of q session
which had opened ten months before with an
inquiry as to whether California hsd a gov
eminent. -
The first session of the Thirty first congress
began Dec 3, lS49, and ended Sept. 80, 1850,
and, except in the few closing weeks, was
one continuous and angry storm of debate.
The Twenty ninth and Thirtieth congresses
had been stormy enough; for the first dealt
with the Mexican war, and the second with
tho close of it and resulting complications.
President and senate were Democratic, but
the house, elected in 1916. was Wing, and
chose Robert c. Winthrop speaker over
Linn Boyd, of Kentucky. Owing to the di-
vision between the houses, the whole terri
torial question was passed over to the Thirty
first congress, and the whole of 1S49 previous
to its assembling was distracted with news
paper articles and popular discussions on the
Wilmot proviso, the old Missouri compro-
mise line and kindred matters.
In this temper the Thirtyfirst congress
met, and was at once precipitated into an
angry contest over the speakership. Thepar-
ties stood: Democrats ll2; Wings, l05; Free
Sellers, Is. For three weeks the members
balloted once day or oftener, and devoted
the rest of the time to furiously sectional
speeches The Wings supported the last
speaker, Mr.. Winthrop; the Democrats,
Howell Cobb, of Georgia; but neither had
majority. On the 22d of December the men,
bers decided to allow a plurality to elect, and
Mr.. Cobb was at once chosen. On the oath
President Taylors message was received, and
astonished the nation. 1t not only evinced
far higher talent than the country had given
him credit for, and familiar knowledge Of
the disputed questions not exceeded by that
of any congressman but was very short and
plain, containing affecting appeals for the
Tv,in ba pay,f
almost far enough to satisfy the Free Soilers
1t was plain that he would favor the early
admission of California as free state.
A months debate followed, with many
propositions of novel nature-one by Sena-
tor Henry Foote, of Mississippi, to form the
state of Jacinto out Of q part of Texas. Jan.
%, 1850, Henry Clay brought in his noted
.'eigkt resolutions" the first form of the
celebrated omnibus bill" and foreshadowing
the compromise which finally became law.
His speech of Feb. 5 on these resolutions
read to the peop.e like a gospel of peace and
union, and popular opinion soon showed
itself strong in his favor On the 18th OF
February the president sent in the constitu-
ton adopted by California, which was de-
bated with unusual acrimony. On the 14th
of March John G. Calhoun rose in the senate
for his last speech, but was so weak that he
had it read by Senator James N. Mason, of
Virginia. 1t clearly indicated dissolution
of the Union as the only hope for peace to
the south; but ere the angry denunciations OF
the people reached Washington he was too
feeble to hear them. He died on the 3lst Of
March, after nearly forty years of continuous
political service
On the eth of March Daniel Webster msds