cumstances. The more deeply one studies the sources of the history of these six years, the more irresistibly does the recognition of this fact force itself upon the mind, until at last it becomes hard to understand how there can still be unprejudiced men, in both camps and among those who stood anywhere between them as spectators or fellowactors, who see in it nothing but an empty hypothesis. I believe that in this volume I have made a not entirely unimportant contribution to the proof of the allegation made above, a proof which it is my firm conviction will yet be furnished by the investigation of the history of slavery I deliberately say slavery and not slavery question- -in such a shape as to put it forever beyond the possibility of dispute. In my opinion, the volume could become such a contribution, only provided I discussed this period with an exhaustiveness which, spite of my endeavors to treat only of that which is indispensable to the understanding of the subject in hand, may weary many readers. This minute and critical entering into details was all the more necessary, since this period has, in many respects-especially as regards the "finality" question and Know-Nothing ism-partly because of its unrefreshing character and partly because of the tangled and intricate nature of its history-been, in a special degree neglected not only by investigators, but even by party writers. It was, therefore, even more imperative than in the previous yolumes, so..far as space at all permitted, to prove my position from the original sources, verbatim. Otherwise, if we have been only too easy for the representatives of Party views and the pretended impartial with hair-rooted notions, to dispose of my work with a shrug of the shoulders and a few general apodictic assertions, and then, so to speak, pass to the order of the day. I could not limit myself any further in this respect, if the PREFACE. judgment criticism on both sides of the Atlantic has passed on the first three volumes of my work, was.to hold good of this one also, namely, that other investigators will have to reckon with my labors. Those who come after me, however, will have this great advantage: they will be able to represent as established facts what will be looked upon as demonstrated here from the original sources, in as many lines as I have needed pages to furnish unimpeachable evidence of them. THE AUTHOR. CONTENTS. CHAPTER I. DECEPTIVE TRIUMPH OF THE COMPROMISE POLICY.... 1 Introductory Remarks on Changes of Administration. - Craving CHAPTER II. LOPEZ AND KOSSUTH.. 45 The Cuban Filibusters.-The Spanish Ambassador and the Admin- The Parliamentary Situation.-The Finality Question in the Cau- cus and the two Parties.-Foote's Finality Resolution.-The Missis- Substance of the Finality Declaration.-Dilemma Policy of the Southern Whigs.-Foot's Motives and Future.-Intrigues in the Whig Camp.-Webster and Fillmore.-Clingman's Project.-Fillmore the Definitive Candidate of the Southern Whigs.-Opposition to Webster. -Government Patronage.-The Liberals or Seward Whigs.-Scott's Candidacy. His Political antecedents.-His Position on the Slavery Question. - Comparison of the Demoralization of the Two Parties.— Democratic Wealth of Candidates.-Cass, Buchanan, Douglas.-The Baltimore Convention.-Franklin Pierce.-Reasons which recommend him as a Dilemma Candidate.-The Democratic Platform pledges the Party to Slavery.-Foreign Politics in the Platform.-The Whig Na- tional Convention.-Jessup's Motion.-The Southern Resolutions and the Webster Fraction.-The Georgia Delegates.-Bott's Gag Motion.— Adoption of the Finality Resolution.-The Nomination.-Raymond's Dispatch.-Scott and the Platform.-Dissatisfaction with the Results of the Convention.-Daniel Webster's End.-Death of Henry Clay.- Defection of Southern Whigs.-Dissolution of the Whig Party and New Formation of Parties on the Basis of the Slavery Question.— Downfall of the Free-Soil Party.--The Irrepressible Conflict.-Impo- The Whigs and the Election.-The Feeling of the People.—Gid- ding's and the Finality Policy.-Uncle Tom's Cabin.-The Slavocracy |