Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1905-12-30

| 'snolIation claims subject almost as re-
mote in the average mind today as the cru
sades, dare say, but then OF burning ln'ei
est.
I'm the middle of January France de-
clined to pay us our just dues except on
terms incompatible with the honor ana IN
dependence of the United States. as ths
President phrased It in his massage to
Congress. The result was a suspension OF
diplomatic intercourse between the two
countries. and war was feared by the thnio
but there was no war and the claims were
fully paid within a month from the date
of the presidential message.
January l. 1916, ushered III the year dur
ing which the dispute between Great BRIT
ain and the United States was fought out
and the forty-nnth parallel of latitude
adopted as our northern boundary west of
Lake Superior to Vancouver Island.
A Passing Cloud.
There was some warm talk about pos
sible war over this 'Fifty-four, forty. or
fight was the popular cry-and l remem-
Der it fairly well even if I was then only
a lad OF ten, given more to raising Ned and
getting thrashed in school than to keeping
track of important events. But that cloud
passed.
Texas had just been admitted to the
Union after having established her indie
pendence from Mexico and there were ap-
prehensions Of a war with Mexico, appre-
tensions which became realities before the
year was very old, Mexico declaring war in
March.
There was a big tariff fight IN Congress
which resulted in a tariff revolution and
before the session closed the 'Wilmpt pro-
viso' was originated. II was added to a
bill apprOpriating 100000 to close a treaty
of peace with Mexico, but had to do with
the extension of slavery in newly admitted
states; the whole country being stirred up
over slavery Just then as 1t never had been
before. 1t wasn't passed, but the war with
Mexico lasted more than the year out, Ere
mont's historic occupation of California on
behalf of Uncle Sam coming along incident
ally.
You probably will remember that we
won that war hands down. and may won
der that any one worried about it, but lots
member very well If was only ten years
old.
Forebodings of the Civil War
by 1856 many OF the problems that
had seemed so serious ten years earlier
had faded away. but the slavery problem
was looming moro portentousIy every day.
The beginning of the year found the ap-
prehensive ones talking gloomily about the
Walker hlibustering expedition to Nicara-
qua, but 1t never had much influence upon
the United States, serious as 1t was to in
dividuals and large business interests
Bleeding Kansas had been the scene
Of stirring events in 1855, and New Year
day found her in sad state, for her soil
was the theater Of the contests between
the slavery and the anti-slavery interests
preliminary to the civil war
"All through the year the contest ragged
and the entire country was In a turmoil
for 1855 was a presidential year and the
question of free soil became the para
mount one in national politics. Fremont,
the Pathfinder who had occupied Califor-
MIA, was nominated by the new republican
party, and Buchanan, who was elected, by
the democrats. The sectional differences
which later were settled at the cost of
rivers of blood grew worse all through
the year.
Ten years later, January, 1866. I was
thirty years old. The great struggle be-
tween north and south had been fought to
a finish. Lincoln had been assassinated.
Johnson sat in the White House In his
stead Reconstruction days were coming
and the civil rights bill, in behalf Of the
negroes. which Johnson was to veto in
March, was being prepared. I need only
mention some of the problems that were