THE administration of Andrew Johnson was not a tranquil one. Holding views as to the policy to be pursued in the re-organization of the late rebellious states, different from those of the majority in Congress, many of the measures passed by that body received his veto. The president appointed provisional governors for seven of the Southern states, and the same year (1865) conventions in five of them ratified the constitutional amendment as to slavery, formed constitutions for their respective states, and ordered the election of representatives to Congress. These elections mostly resulted in returning to office men who had taken a leading part in the rebellion. Congress refused, under the powers granted it to "judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members," to admit them. It judged that they were not qualified to take their seats as legislators, by reason of the animosity which they had exhibited to the general government.

Upon the appointment of a committee of fifteen, known as the "Reconstruction Committee," authorized to inquire into the condition of the states lately in rebellion, and whether any of such were entitled to representation in Congress, the president openly expressed his opposition. He believed that

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the representatives should be admitted without question. Later in the year 1866, when the president made a journey to Chicago to be present at some public ceremonies, he lost no opportunity for declaring his opinions upon the subject of reconstruction, and arraigned members of Congress by name for the part they had taken in the measures which had been adopted. All the members of his cabinet, except Stanton, the secretary of war, resigned.

In the 2d month (February), 1868, the president ordered Secretary Stanton also to surrender his office, and directed Ad. jutant-General Lorenzo Thomas to take his place. Stanton refused to comply. On the following day, the House of Representatives, believing the action of the president to be in violation of the law, resolved, by a large majority, "that Andrew Johnson, president of the United States, be impeached of high crimes and misdemeanors." Accordingly, articles of impeachment were presented to the House. They charged the president with making inflammatory and odious speeches during his journey from Washington to Chicago; with declaring that Congress was not a constitutional body; and with endeavoring to prevent the execution of laws which it had passed.

The Senate, according to the provisions of the constitution, was organized as a jury for the trial of the president, and Chief-Justice CHASE presided. The president's counsel asked. for delay, and ten days were granted. The examination of witnesses was then proceeded with, and the arguments of counsel followed. The trial lasted more than two months, closing with a vote of 35 in favor of impeachment, and 19 for acquittal. As the vote lacked 1 of the requisite majority of two-thirds, the president was acquitted.

Soon after the close of the impeachment trial, a 14th amendment to the constitution having passed Congress, was ratified by a sufficient number of the states, and became a law. Seven

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of the recently re-organized states also ratified it, and, Congress having approved of their respective state constitutions, their senators and representatives were admitted into the National Legislature. The Fourteenth Amendment provides that "No state shall make or enforce any law which shall abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens of the United States; nor shall any state deprive any person of life, liberty or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equa. protection of the laws." This measure was especially intended to secure the freedmen in their rights as citizens. It declares "that representation shall be apportioned among the several states according to their respective numbers, counting the whole number of persons in each state." It gave to Congress the power to remove the political disabilities of any who were lately in rebellion, and also affirmed the validity of the National Debt, while it declared the debt incurred by the South to be void and illegal.

The territory of ALASKA, formerly known as Russian America, containing an area of about 400,000 square miles, was purchased from the Russian government in 1867, for the sum of $7,200,000. The climate of the country, except in the southern part, is too rigorous to admit of very successful agriculture, but the rock formations are believed to be rich in mineral wealth, while the seal fisheries are of considerable value. It cannot be said, however, that our acquisition of the territory of Alaska has proved a beneficial change to the few thousand Indians who comprise the population of that country.

In a report submitted to Congress (1872) upon "Fatal obstacles to the Christian civilization of the Indians," the Medical Director of Alaska, at Sitka, testifies that "a greater mistake could not have been made than stationing troops in their midst. Whiskey has been sold in the streets by government officials at public auctions, and examples of drunkenness are set before them almost daily, so that in fact the principal teaching they at present are receiving is that drunkenness and debauchery are held by us, not as

criminal and unbecoming a Christian people, but as indications of our advanced and superior civilization. These Indians are a civil and well-behaved people; they do not want bayonets to keep them in subjection, but they do want honest, faithful, and Christian workers among them; those that will care for them, teach and instruct them in useful arts, and that they are responsible beings."

Another one witnesses as follows: "The accounts I have received from time to time, of the conduct of the soldiers in the Indian camps of the coast of Alaska, are truly shocking. If the United States government did but know half, I am sure they would shrink from being identified with such abominations, and the cause of so much misery."

Nebraska was admitted into the Union, the 37th state, in 1867. In the same year there was passed a general Bankrupt Law, which was amended in 1874, and is still in force.

GRANT'S ADMINISTRATION. THE FREEDMEN. EDUCATION. The election of 1868 resulted in the choice of General Ulysses S. Grant, of Illinois, for president, and SCHUYLER COLFAX, of Indiana, for vice-president. In 1872, Grant was re-elected president, while HENRY WILSON, of Massachusetts, was chosen to the second office. During the first years of Grant's administration, political affairs in the South did not exhibit the improvement which, by many, had been anticipated. Unfortunately, many of those from the North, who, immediately after the war, were placed in office at the South, were men quite unfit for those responsible positions, where integrity and impartiality were especially required. On the other hand, there were numerous cases of harsh treatment both to persons from the North and to the recently enfranchised bondsmen. Murders by masked men of a secret order, called Ku-Klux, were of frequent occurrence in some quarters. In 1871 there occurred a great fire at Chicago. The loss of property was estimated at 200 million dollars; 18,000 houses were burned; 200 persons perished, and many thou

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sands were left homeless. Much sympathy for the sufferers by the dreadful calamity, was manifested throughout this country and in Great Britain. About the same time, fires were prevalent in the forest regions of Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin and other states. A number of villages were burnt to the ground, numerous lives were lost, and the suffering and pecuniary distress were great. Contributions for their relief also, were forwarded from all parts of the land.

The terrible distress caused by the failure of the potato crop in Ireland, in 1848, moved the American people, the very slaves even, to deep sympathy. Substantial assurances of the reality of this feeling were sent over in the shape of shiploads of food. Upon the occasion of the devastating inundations in France, in 1856, the English people were deeply stirred by the harrowing recitals of suffering and loss, and sent generous offerings to the afflicted people.

Says Burritt, in commenting upon the moral influence of national calamities: "The earthquake that engulphed Lisbon thrilled the civilized world with a fellow-feeling in the great catastrophe, and, like Moses' rod at Horeb, smote the rock-ribbed boundaries of jealous nations and set them running with rivulets of benevolence toward the suffering city."

A general Amnesty Bill, in favor of those who had borne an active part in the rebellion, was passed by Congress, in 1872. COLORADO was admitted into the Union in 1875. In the latter part of the same year Vice-President Wilson died.

In the year 1870, Congress passed the 15th Amendment to the constitution. It enacts that (Section 1) "The right of citizens of the United States to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any state, on account of race, color, or previous condition of servitude." (Section 2) "The Congress shall have power to enforce, by appropriate legislation, the provisions of this article." All citizens of