The Salt Lake tribune. [volume] (Salt Lake City, Utah) 1890-current, 1906-12-23
THE GREAT HISTORY.

Buren's Administration 10 the close "I
that OF Buchanan BY hnoch W2lei
Keener. IL. IL. Printed, foi subscribers
only by George Barrie * sons, fhiid-
delphla.
This volume traces the history Of the
United States from the beginning of
Van Buren, 5 administration to the close
of that OF Buchanan. The general cdi-
tor, Mr.. Guy Carleton Lee, says;
There are few years in our National
history that more properly deserve the
epithet transitional than those be
tween 1897 and 1860. - II is an era of
intense political feeling and of ire
mendous sectional animosities gener-
ated over the contention for and
against the spread of slavery in this
country. Men became Injured to strife,
to bitter feeling. and 10 actual blood
she'd The factional strife, party
clashes, aud massacres in Kansas were
in fact, preliminary skirmishes to the
War of the Rebellion.
The administration Of Van Buren,
was a tame affair indeed compared with
the intense activity and personal feel
ing which entered into and distin-
euisbed the two administrations of
Jackson, whom Van Buren, succeeded,
The country, TO be sure, had a good
deal of rest in way, but there were
tremendous ebbs and flows of popular
feeling, and great uphoavals IN finance
and business. In his administration
also the germ Of the assertive propagan-
da appeared in favor of the extension
of slavery and of the breaking down
OF the Missouri Compromise, whereby
slavery was supposed to be held down
below Mason and Dixon s line. The
spread Of this idea for the extension
of slavery gave birth TO the anti-slav-
cry sentiment which, later on. swept
over the North and which soidified the
South in favor of secession, and gave
rise 10 the assertion that slavery had
as much right in the national territory
and in the national life as had free
dom. On that general line the North
and South divided, parties began to
crumble accordingly. and new align
ments in politics to be formed. The
election of Harrison was. for time.
supposed to divert the antagonisms
from their rsncor. and 70 be the per
cursor of more placid times But Har-
rison s sudden and untimely death gave
the Presidency 10 Tyler. And under
his weak administration the plots began
anew, with tho National Government as
a mere figure head, counting for moth
ing on either side but yielding more or
less to the encroachments of The slav
cry propaganda. The Texas question
brought in new bitterness in the CON
ientions between the North and South, |
but the Mexican war. though holly op- |
energies of the country into new
channel for q time. The administra.
tions of Taylor, Fillmore, and Pierce
were in way preliminary TO the shap-
ing up for the great struggle: the forces
began to align themselves with an ap-
pearance of solidifcation on one side |
Or the other Of the great question. |
Compromises were talked of. but it be. |
,ame more and more difficult 10 arrange |
them. The state of society and eco |
nomIc questions had their force in com |
oelling the taking of sides for or
against on the main question of the |
supremacy of freedom or slavery II |
began to be apparent TO discerning |
nlnds that the country must either sep |
3rate, or that freedom must prevail. |
The compromise of 1850 was an ag-
gravation; before it Congress had adj |
nItted Oregon as a Territory, Wiscon-
sin as State, and then came on the |
great battle over the admission of Cali. |
Torna The fervid debates between
he opposing forces in Congress took |
added bitterness and every effort for
.urther conclliation and compromise |
failed. The South would listen 10 |
nothing, and finally the passage of the |
Fugitive Slave Law drove the North |
INTO an open antagonism that soon |
'rystallzed in the determination that |
slavery must be restricted, and that |
while the Southern States might con |
.lnue TO hold 10 slavery if they chose. |
they must not convert more of the free |
territory of the Nation into slavehold- |
ing States. The Fugitive Slave Law |
was generally resisted, and Douglas S |
action IN forcing the repeal Of the Mis- |
souri, Compromise and opening the Ma |
.ional territory everywhere to slavery |
brought on the contentious in Kansas |
and the conflicts between the free and |
slave elements there. In the meantime |
.he political parties were rapidly being |
tIssolved and new organizatio !
,ally extinct, the anti-slave element of !
The North absorbing most Of the voters |
IF that party and they. with the Free |
Democrats, so called, forming the Re |
publican party. In the conflict over |
the Fugitive Slave Law. the action in |
Wisconsin in setting the fugitive slave,
Glover, free and the declaration of the |
Supreme Court of that State that the !
Fugitive Slave Law was unconstitu |
tlonal, receive rather Inadequate treat |
nent in this volume. The sting Of the |
decision lay in the fact that the court |
placed the freeing Of Glover distinctly |
ana squarely upon the doctrine of State !
rights, a fayorite doctrine in the South. |
but Wisconsin applied in a manner di |
rectly contrary 10 that in which the |
Southern States were accustomed. |
where they applied il TO the sustaining |
or slavery, the Wisconsin decision an, |
piled 1t to the enforcement of freedom.
holding that the United States had mo- |
power to enforce the recognition of |
slaves upon the State Of Wisconsin |
rms was an important decision, which |
was deserving Of fuller treatment than
lhe case is gwen In this volume The
Buchanan administration, its weakness
It's shifty, cvasive policies, come in for |
proper treatment. and the setting Of tbe |
drama for the tremendous war which |
vas then called the "Impendinq Con.
fllct, and the patriotic fervor of The |
people of the North are displayed in all
Al.x,