Political Complexion of Congress.-In the Fifth Congress the Senate of thirty-two members was made up of twenty-one Feder- alists and eleven Democrats; the House, of 105 members, was made up of fifty-one Fed- eralists and fifty-four Democrats. In the Sixth Congress the Senate, of thirty-two members, was made up of nineteen Federal- ists and thirteen Democrats; the House, of 105 members, was made up of fifty-seven Federalists and forty-eight Democrats.
The Sixth Congress, the last to assemble in Philadelphia, met Dec. 2, 1799, and Theodore Sedgwick, of Massachusetts, was elected Speaker of the House. The death of Washington (Dec. 14) was announced to Congress Dec. 19 (page 287), and in his eulogy Henry Lee of Virginia used the memorable phrase, "First in war, first in peace and first in the hearts of his coun- trymen." At this session a gold medal was awarded to Thomas Truxtun, who, in com- mand of the Constellation, had captured the French ship of war L'Insurgente and the frigate La Vengeance. The frigate George Washington carried tribute money from the United States to the Dey of Algiers and was required to carry the Dey's ambassador to Constantinople.
Successor Elected.-When the electoral votes were counted in February it was found that Jefferson and Burr, Democratic- Republican candidates, had each 73 votes: John Adams, Federalist, 65, and C. Pinckney, Federalist, 64, and John Jay, 1. The tie between Jefferson and Burr was sent to the House to decide, and after seven days, in which thirty-six ballots were taken, Jefferson and Burr were elected. Adams, John:
Annual addresses of, 240, 261, 279, 295. Addresses of Senate in reply, 244, 265, 282, 298.
Replies of President, 246, 267, 283, 299.
Addresses of House in reply, 247, 267, 283, 300.
Replies of President, 248, 270, 286, 302.
Liographical sketch of, 217. Constitutional amendment relative to
postponement of meeting of Con- gress suggested by, 240. Death of, announced and honors to be paid memory of, 914. Referred to, 930.
Death of Washington announced by,
Address and replies, 288, 289, 290. Division between people and govern- ment discouraged by, 229. Exequaturs issued consuls of France revoked by, 260.
Finances discussed by, 228, 243, 252, 265, 281, 297.
Foreign policy discussed by, 228. Hostile policy of France discussed by, 262.
Inaugural address of, 218.
Oath of office, notifies Congress of
time and place of taking, 1220. Pardons granted insurgents in Penn- sylvania by, 293. Portrait of, 216.
Peter B. Porter, from May 26, 1828. Secretary of the Navy-
Samuel L. Southard (continued). Attorney-General-
William Wirt (continued). Postmaster-General-
John McLean (continued). Party Affiliation.-Though politics and diplomacy by his father, John Quincy Adams soon manifested independ- ence of political thought and action. He broke with the Federalists when he gave unqualified support to Jefferson on the Louisiana Purchase, and, later, on the em- bargo. Speaking of the Federalists defend- ing the Leopard affair, he said: "This was the cause which alienated me from that day and forever from the councils of the Federalist party." It was not long until he became active in Republican circles, both as a diplomat and as a Cabinet officer. During his administration, he was Whig so far as favoring internal improvements, the national bank, and high tariff on importations. As ex-President, he was elected to Congress (1831) by the anti-Masonic party, but he there maintained a perfectly independent attitude. When he left Congress he sup ported the Abolitionists, and from 1836 until 1845 he was fierce in his denunciation of gag-rule.
John Quincy Adams became Chief Magis- trate by popular choice in an election where personality was concerned more than party affiliation. The election of 1824 was not regulated by Congressional caucus, which had lost its importance with the waning of
EXTENT OF THE UNITED STATES DURING THE ADMINISTRATION OF PRESIDENT J. Q. ADAMS, 1825-1829.
(NOT INCLUDING TERRITORIES)
COPYRIGHT BY BUREAU OF NATIONAL LITERATURE. (INC.)
the Federalists, nor by national convention, which mode of nomination did not originate until formed by the Anti-Masons in 1830.
Vote. The contest was free for all, and narrowed down to four candidates: Adams, Jackson, Crawford, and Clay. Twenty-four States took part in the election, which was held Nov. 2. This is the earliest election in which there appears a record of the popular vote, as most of the electors were chosen by that means. That record shows that Andrew Jackson received 155,872 votes; John Quincy Adams, 105,321; William H. Crawford, 44,282; and Henry Clay, 46,587. The electoral vote, counted on Feb. 9, 1825, gave Andrew Jackson, 99; John Quincy Adams, 84; William H. Crawford, 41; and Henry Clay, 37.
Vote in House.-As no one received a majority, the House proceeded on the same day to elect a President from the three highest candidates. This excluded Clay, the most popular of the candidates in the House. John Quincy Adams was elected by the votes of thirteen States; Jackson received seven, and Crawford four. The electoral college had elected John C. Calhoun Vice- President, with 182 votes. In the electoral college, had three New York men, who were returned as Clay men, voted in accordance with their instructions, Clay would have been one of the three to go to the House, and the result might have been very dif ferent. This was the second time that the House was called upon to choose a Presi dent.
Political Complexion of Congress.-In the Nineteenth Congress (1825-1827) the Senate, of forty-eight members, was made up of thirty-eight Democrats and ten Whigs; and the Ilouse, of 213 members, was made up of seventy-nine Federalists and 134 Demo- crats. In the Twentieth Congress (1827- 1829) the Senate, of forty-eight members, was made up of thirty-seven Federalists and eleven Whigs; and the House. of 213 members, was made up of eighty-five Fed- eralists and 128 Democrats.
John W. Taylor, of New York, was elected Speaker of the House in the Nineteenth Con- gress, which numbered among its members Edward Everett, of Massachusetts, and James K. Polk, of Tennessee.
In 1826 the South American States called a general congress to meet in Panama and invited the United States to be represented (page 884). During the debate on the sub- ject in the Senate John Randolph referred to the association of Adams and Clay as that of the Puritan and the blackleg. A duel followed between Clay and Randolph. The disappearance of William Morgan from Canandaigua, N. Y., Sept. 12, 1826, gave rise to the Anti-Masonic party.
Indian Affairs.-Numerous treaties were made with Indians during Adams' adminis- tration, among them the cession of the lands of most of the tribes inhabiting territory east of the Mississippi River and their re- moval to the Indian Territory. The refusal of the Creeks to be bound by a treaty signed by their chiefs formed the subject of special message by Mr. Adams (page 890).
Tariff.-Two acts relating to the tariff were passed in this administration-that of May 22, 1824, and of May 19. 1828. Speak- ing of the latter in his Fourth Annual Mes- sage (page 980) President Adams said: The tariff of the last session was in its detalls not acceptable to the great interests of any portion of the Union, not even to the interests which it was specially intended to serve. Its object was to balance the burdens upon native industry imposed by the operation of foreign laws, but not to
aggravate the burdens of one section of the Union by the relief afforded to another. But If any of the duties imposed by the act only relieve the manufacturer by aggravating the burden of the planter, let a careful revisal of its provisions, enlight- ened by the practical experience of its ef- fects, be directed to retain those which impart protection to native industry and re- move or supply the place of those which only alleviate one great national interest by the depression of another."
Internal Improvements.-The policy of President Adams differed materially in re- gard to internal improvement from those of his immediate predecessors. In his Inaugural Address (page 864) he said: "To pursue to their consummation those purposes of improvement in our common condition in- stituted or recommended by him [Monroe] will embrace the whole sphere of my obli- gations. To the topic of internal improve- ment emphatically urged by him at his Inauguration, I recur with peculiar satis- faction. It is that from which, I am satis- fied, the unborn millions of our poster- ity who are in future ages to people this continent will derive their most fervent gratitude to the founders of the Union: that in which the beneficent action of its Government will be most deeply felt and acknowledged. The extent and lim- itation of the powers of the General Gov- ernment in relation to this transcenden ly important subject will be settled and ac- knowledged to the common satisfaction of all, and every speculative scruple will be solved by a practical public blessing."
Public Debt.-The public debt of the United States during the administration of President Adams stood as follows: Janu- ary 1, 1826, $81,054,059.99; 1827, $73,- 987,357.20; 1828, $67,475,043.87; 1829, $58,421,413.67.
In his Second Annual Message (page 924) the President says: "It is well for us, however, to be admonished of the necessity of abiding by the maxims of the most vigilant economy, and of resorting to all honorable and useful expedients for pur- suing with steady and inflexible persever- ance the total discharge of the debt." his Third Annual Message (page 952) he says: "The deep solicitude felt by our citizens of all classes throughout the Union for the total discharge of the public debt will apologize for the earnestness with which I deem it my duty to urge this topic upon the consideration of Congress-of rec- ommending to them again the observance of the strictest economy in the application of the public funds."
Finance. In his Fourth Annual Message (page 977), at the close of his administra- tion, President Adams was able to say: "The condition and prospects of the revenue are more favorable than our most sanguing expectations had anticipated." He reported a balance in the Treasury, Jan. 1, 1828, of $5,861,972.83 with a prospect of a balance of over $5,000.000 on the first of the com- ing year. "The receipts for the present year have amounted to near two millions more than was anticipated at the com- mencement of the last session of Congress."
Slavery. "The African Slave Trade." said President Adams in his First Annual Message (page 875), "has long been exclud- ed from the use of our flag, and if some few citizens of our country have continued to set the laws of the Union, as well as those of nature and humanity, at defiance by per- severing in that abominable traffic, it has been only by sheltering themselves under the banners of other nations less earnest for the total extinction of the trade than ours."
But the intensity of feeling with which the President loathed slavery came out in its fullest force when, as ex-President, he re- turned to Congress and, single-handed, fought the pro-slavery forces and brought about the repeal of the "gag-law" which the House tried to enforce against the Abolition. ists.
Adams, John Quincy:
Annual messages of, 865, 916, 944, 973. Astronomical observatory, establish- ment of, recommended by, 789. Biographical sketch of, 857. Commissioner to negotiate treaty with Sweden, nomination of, 254. Death of, announced and honors to be paid memory of, 2477. Election of, notification of, 858. Reply of, 858.
Finances discussed by, 869, 923, 952,
Foreign Policy discussed by, 862, 868, 884, 895, 903, 922, 950. Inaugural address of, 860. Internal Improvements discussed by, 982.
International Congress at Panama discussed by. (See Panama, Isth- mus of.)
Minister plenipotentiary of the United States to the court of Rus- sia at St. Petersburg appointed by President Madison, June 26, 1809, 456.
Oath of office, notifies Congress of time and place of taking, 859. Portrait of, 856. Private secretary of, assaulted while delivering message to Congress, 966. Proclamations of-
Commercial intercourse with Brit- ish colonial ports suspended, 941. Discriminating duties suspended on vessels of- Hanover, 970. Italy, 942.
Facsimile of, opposite 868. Extraordinary session of Senate, 997.
Reward for apprehension of Willis Anderson, 943.
Secretary of State, 604.
Correspondence in regard to claims against France, 834.
State of the Union, discussed by, 865, 916, 944, 978.
Tariff discussed by, 979.
Tribute paid memory of Jefferson and Adams by, 930.
Adamson Law. (See Railroads, Eight- hour Day.)
Addison, The, impressment of seamen from, 2772.
Adelaide, international exhibition at, discussed, 5116.
Adjutant General. ment and Army.) Administration.-This term is generally applied to the President and his Cabinet. The President as chief executive officer of the nation may direct, without consulta- tion, the acts of any departmental chief, guided solely by the Constitution. He is authorized, however, to consult the heads Departments. Washington consulted with his Attorney-General and Secretaries of State, War, and the Treasury. When in 1798 the Navy Department was established, Benjamin Stoddert, its chief executive officer, was admitted to the President's council. The Postmasters-General were not called into council until 1829, during William T. Barry's incumbency. Secre- taries of the Interior, of Agriculture and of Commerce and Labor were invited to seats at the council table immediately upon the establishment of their Departments. Admiral.-The highest rank in the United States Navy. The word is derived from the Arabic amir-al, and means "chief of the." It was early used in England as the title of the commander of the navy. In the United States the rank was first created especially to confer honor upon David G. Farragut.
July 11, 1862, upon recommendation of President Lincoln, Farragut, then referred to courteously but unofficially as Commo- dore, received the thanks of Congress for his distinguished services in capturing New Orleans and opening the lower Mississippi to the Union forces. Upon the reorganization of the navy in the same month he was placed first on the list of rear-admirals. Further successes on the lower Mississippi and in Mobile Bay induced Congress to ex- press the gratitude of the country by creat- ing another and higher grade for Farragut -that of Vice Admiral-in which office he was confirmed Dec. 21, 1864. After the war between the States Congress created the office of Admiral and conferred it upon Far- ragut July 25, 1866. Vice Admiral David D. Porter succeeded to the title in 1870, and upon his death in 1891, the title became ex- tinct. For distinguished services in the bat- tle of Manila Bay, May 1, 1898, George Dewey was promoted by Congress to be Ad- miral of the Navy, a grade above admiral and corresponding to admiral of the fleet in the British navy and a similar one in other navies.
The naval appropriation bill of 1915 con- tained a provision that after June 1 of that year the commanding officer of the Atlantic fleet, the Pacific fleet and the Asiatic fleet, while serving as such, should have the rank of Admiral, and the officer serving as second in command of those fleets should have the rank of Vice Admiral. Under that law Frank F. Fletcher, Thomas B. Howard and Walter Cowles were named as Admirals. The Admiral's flag has a navy blue background, on which four stars are arranged like the points of a diamond in the middle of the pennant. The rank of Admiral in the navy corresponds to that of General in the army; that of Vice Admiral to Lieutenant General, Rear Admiral (first nine class) to Major General and Rear Admiral (second nine class) to Brigadier General.
Admiral, revival of grade of, recom- mended, 6345.
Admiral P. Tordenskiold, The, appro- priation in behalf of owners of, rec- ommended, 3328.
Admission of States.-The Declaration of Independence declares "that these United
Colonies are, and of right ought to be, free and independent States" (page 4). Its adoption on July 4, 1775, created as such the original thirteen States of the Union, viz. Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Mary- land, South Carolina, New Hampshire, Vir- ginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island. Shortly before this date several of the Colonies had modified their original charters and established independent local governments. Oct. 10, 1780, the Continental Congress passed a resolution providing that western territory which might be "ceded to the United States by any par- ticular State shall be disposed of for the common benefit of the United States and be settled and formed into distinct repub lican States, which shall become members of the Federal Union and have the same rights of sovereignty, freedom, and Inde- pendence as the other States"; and in 1789 the Constitution made its provision for the admission of new States (page 24).
Most of the States that have been ad- mitted since the formation of the original Union have achieved statehood from a con- dition of territorial organization prescribed by Congress, although some have not gone through this process. Such territorial or- ganization was first established by Con- gress in July, 1787, when it passed the ordi- nance providing a government for the Northwest Territory (q. v.). The method of direct admission is illustrated by Ver- mont, which was formed out of territory claimed by New York and New Hampshire; Texas, which was annexed; and California, which was admitted soon after the Mexican war, without waiting to be organized as a Territory. The usual steps by which a Territory becomes a State are: (1) A peti- tion to Congress expressing the desire of the people for admission; (2) an enabling act passed by Congress stating the condi- tions of admission; (3) the adoption of a constitution and a form of State govern- ment by a convention of delegates chosen by the people; (4) the ratification of the constitution and the election of State offi- cers by the people; and (5) a proclamation by the President announcing that the Terri- tory has become a State.
The question of the admission of Kansas under a constitution which permitted slav- ery or one which forbade it became a na- tional political question between 1856 and 1859. Pro-slavery and anti-slavery par- tisans sent colonists into the territory to help form a constitution, and the animosi- ties between these became so bitter as to cause riot and bloodshed. (See Kansas; Lecompton Constitution; Wyandotte Con- stitution.)
Provisions for the admission of New Mexico and Arizona into the Union as States were made by Chapter 310 of the acts of the Second Session of the sixty-first Congress, approved June 20, 1910. Con- stitutional conventions were held in both Territories under the provisions of the above-mentioned act. State Constitutions were framed and submitted to the people for ratification and were adopted. The Constitution of Arizona having contained a provision providing for the recall of the judiciary by the electors and the Constitu- tion of New Mexico having contained a clause "attempting to annul and set aside the boundary lines heretofore legally run" between the Territory of New Mexico and the State of Texas, said Constitutions falled to receive the approval of the President and Congress.
At the First Session of the sixty-second Congress, a joint resolution "to admit the
Territories of New Mexico and Arizona upon an equal footing with the original States" was adopted, which admitted both Territories to statehood conditionally; the condition being the elimination of the objec- tionable provisions from the State Consti- tutions adopted by the people of the re- spective Territories. This elimination was finally agreed to. The first state to be joined to the original union of thirteen states was Vermont, in 1791; and the last, Arizona, in 1912.
The following table shows the order and date of admission to the Union of the sev- eral states, as well as the order and date of ratification of the Constitution by the original states:
« 上一頁繼續 » |