Rensselaer Semi-Weekly Republican, Volume 36, Number 56, Rensselaer, Jasper County, 4 March 1904 — THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN [ARTICLE+ILLUSTRATION]

THE WEEKLY HISTORIAN

One Hundred Years Ago. Commodore Preble’s United States squadron operating against Tripoli was increased to eleven ships. The powers of northern Europe began planning opposition to Napoleon, because of rumors that he would soon'her "pHy claimed emperor. The Emperor of Hayti offered a rewind of. S4O for the return of every native of the island residing in the United States. Congress appointed a committee to revise the laws against kidnaping, which hud become a common offense in the East. ' The French army was concentrated at Bordeaux for an invasion of England. The capital of Louisiana territory was removed by .Congress from New Orleans to Donaidsville. Seventy-five Year* Ago. The Virginia Legislature passed a resolution condemning the first high tariff bill as unconstitutional The clipper brig Silas Richards reached New York in nineteen days from Liverpool. A groat anfi-Mnsonic meeting was held at Hartford, Conn., which later merged into a political crusade against that order. New York was suffering from a coal famine, there being no railroads at that time, while water transportation was stopped by ice. Burninh signed a peace treaty with England ceding the latter a large amount of territory, with an indemnity of £f,000,000. A United - States mail route to Key West was established through the newly acquired Florida territory.

fifty Years Ago. Tlie Czar of Russia issued a proclamation calling the empire to‘arms against the Turks. Spain was declared in a state of siege because of tlie Interference of Queen Christina. Nitie American seamen were released from* prison by Spanish government officials at Havana, Cuba, through fear of war witli tlie United States. Tlie Rock Island Railroad was completed from Chicago to the Mississippi river. f orty Years Ago. Senator Samuel C. Fomeroy of Kansas published his famous circular accusing President Lincoln of trying to perpetuate liis administration by use of his official position, declaring his re-election "impossible,” and proposing Secretary Salmon P. Chase as tlie Republican candidate. Plans were made for tlie first Chicago Board of Trade building, subscriptions being offered by A. E. Kent, Murry Nelson, Stephen Clary, Col. It. M. Hough, H. H. Forsyth and other members. Art emus Ward, the famous American humorist, and his agent. Dr. Kingston, were captured by Indians while traveling overland to Salt Lake City. In tlie United States Senate debate on tlie bill making Gen. U. S. Grant com-mander-in-chief. Fessenden declared Halleck a better military leader than Grant, while John Sherman thought every general as successful as Grant should be a lieutenant general.

Thirty Years Ago. Victoria C. Woodliull’s lecture on "Reformation or Revolution —Which T’ advertised at Kingsbury Music Hall, Chicago, was prevented by the police. A rebellion started at Nagasaki, Japan, and foreign residents began fleeing from the city. A new British cabinet was forme ! with Disraeli as premier and the Marquis of Salisbury ns Secretary for India. Curl Schurz made his famous speech in the United States Senate against the proposed currency inflation. John Sherman of Ohio presented to tho United States Senate a petition signed by 200 Chicago business men asking for the resumption of specie payment and protesting ngainst the proposed inflation of the currency. A pension of SI,OOO yearly was granted by Queen Victoria to the children of Dr. Livingstone, the missionary and explorer, who recently had died in Africa. Twenty Years Ago. The city of Toknr was surrendered to El Malidi's rebel army. A financial panic occurred in Cuba, the Bank of Catalina fulling for $2,000,000. while sugar was quoted at the lowest price on record, and gold at 231. Tho Hussian government was asked by Great Britain to explain its encroachment on tire Indian frontier, and announcement was made in London that Kandahar would be immediately seixed. Gladstone's Egyptian policy was upheld in the British commons by a vote of 311 to 292. The bodies of Commander De Long and other victims of the Jeannette arctic expedition arrived at New York from the Lena delta. The British Soudan expedition landed at Triukitat, 4|300 strong. Ten Year* Ago. Gov. Willlsm McKinley delivered an address at the Union League Clob'n Washington's birthday celebration in Chicago.