The Leon reporter. (Leon, Iowa) 1887-1930, 1912-02-08

volume. and the history OF 1t Is told IN
Folks various addresses and messages.
The treaty OF Guadalupe Hidalgo
brought the war to close in 1913. by
the terms Of which treaty Mexico sold
for $18,OOO,OOO that territory which
now comprises California, Nevada,
most Of Arizona, New Mexico and
tab and a part Of Colorado and fixed
the boundary of Texas at the Rio
Grande.
The Wilmot proviso was an attempt
to exclude slavery from any territories
to be acquired from Mexico. While
this proviso failed of passage, it gave
forecast of the bitter war that was
soon to settle the slavery question in
the United States.
The election in 1S49 resulted in vic
tory for the Mexican war hero, Gener-
al Zachary Taylor.
Taylor was Wing, but his popular
success was due largely to his military
record.
Taylor recommended a protective
tariff for the protection Of home indus
tries and for the insurance of good
wages for labor. Taylor's term was
cut short by DEATH
Fillmore's recital of the history OF
his time is Of extraordinary impor-
lance because the country was on the
eve Of its greatest crisis. Fillmore
rather leaned toward the slavery doc
trine and signed the fugitive slave act
and other compromise measures, which
lost him the favor Of the Wing party
in the north The Fillmore fugitive
slave proclamation is partially repro
duced in facsimile. This proclamation
is as Interesting as fiction when looked
back upon across the bloody chasm OF
the war which reversed its fat.
President Fillmore adduced ph1lo-
sophical arguments in favor Of tariff
for revenue which might properly
amount to protective tariff.
Fillmore advocated internal Improve
ments and recommended that some
means be found Of opening line OF
communication between the valley OF
the Mississippi and the Pacific on ac-
count of the unprecedented growth Of
! our territories on the Pacific in wealth
and population and the consequent in
crease of their social and commercial
| relations with the Atlantic states
The Clayton Bulwer treaty with Eng
land was agreed to, the terms Of which
| have been somewhat in dispute recent
| " because it dealt with the then pro-
posed Nicaraguan canal, but, broadly
interpreted would be effective as to
the Panama canal which was discuss
ed in the newspapers recently as to
whether the United States has the
right to police and control the Panama
canal without an infraction OF the
! Clayton Buwer treaty.
\ Among the illustrations in the FilI-
more period of history which tighten
up the work and give it tinge of ro-
nance is the cartoon entitled "Ridicule'
Of Jenny Linds Popularity In $780,
| Louis Kossuth, the great Hungarian
leader in the European struggle for
) liberty. was in 1851 aided to escape
from Turkey by the United States gov
eminent and visited America, being
heralded as a great emancipation. Ref
erence to this historical event. throw
ing a side light on foreign history, is
} given in the encyclopedia index vol
ume.
The Gadsden purchase was arranged
by treaty with Mexico during Pierce's
administration and added considerable
territory to the United States.
Pierce declared unreservedly his con-
viction that slavery was constitutional
and upheld the fugitive slave act he
denounced bitterly the slavery agita-
ton.
An echo Of the slavery agitation is
noted in the Ostend manifesto, which
was a recommendation to the presi-
dent Of the representatives Of our min
listers to Spain, France and Great Brit
ain, the latter being James Buchanan.
sent from Ostend, Belgium, Oct. 9,
1854; to the effect that the United
States should offer Spain $12O,O00,0OO.
for Cuba and. in event Of SPANS re-
fusal to sell, the United States would
be justified in taking forcible possess
sion Of Cuba rather than see it "Afri-
canized" But President Pierce did not
think it prudent to act upon this rec
ommendation, and Pierre Soule. our
minister to Spain, resigned in disgust
an interesting bit Of history both as to
slavery and our subsequent relations
with Cuba. In the campaign of 1856
the Republican party was born and