. Appleton's cyclopaedia of American biography . bid for the politicians could not reject it and retaintheir influence at home. Northern politicians whoopposed it gave up all hope of national preferment,which then seemed to depend on southern defeat of the bill seemed likely to sever anddestroy the Democratic organization, a resultwhich many believed would lead to civil war andthe dissolution of the Union. Borne onward bythe aggressive spirit of slavery, by political ambi-tion, by the force of party discipline, and the dreadof sectional discord, the bill was pas
. Appleton's cyclopaedia of American biography . bid for the politicians could not reject it and retaintheir influence at home. Northern politicians whoopposed it gave up all hope of national preferment,which then seemed to depend on southern defeat of the bill seemed likely to sever anddestroy the Democratic organization, a resultwhich many believed would lead to civil war andthe dissolution of the Union. Borne onward bythe aggressive spirit of slavery, by political ambi-tion, by the force of party discipline, and the dreadof sectional discord, the bill was passed by con-gress, and on 31 May received the signature of thepresident. Slavery had won, but there never wasa more costly victory. The remainder of Piercesterm was embittered by civil war in Kaiisa- andthe disasters of his party in the free states. In1854, with a Democratic majority in both housesof ilir New Hampshire legislature, the influenceof the national administration could not secure theelection of a Democratic U. S. senator, and at the. next election in 1855 the Democracy lost controlof the state. The repeal of the .Missouri compro-mise was soon followed by organized efforts in thefree states to fill Kansas with anti-slavery such movements the south responded by armedinvasions. On 30 March. 1855, a territorial legis-lature was elected in Kansas by armed bands fromMissouri, who crossed the border to vote and thenreturned to their homes. That initiative gave tothe pro-slavery men a tech-nical advantage, which theDemocratic leaders wereswift to recognize. The pro-slavery legislature thus el -t -fd met at Pawnee on 2 July,1855, and enacted an intol-erant and oppressive slave-code, which was mainly atranscript of the laws ofMissouri. The free-state set-tlers thereupon called a con-stitutional convention, whichmet on 23 Oct., 1855, andframed a state constitution,which was adopted by thepeople by a vote of 1,731 to46. A general assembly wasthen elei-ted under siu-h
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