Captain Wilkes. Mason and Slidell were taken off and conveyed to Boston, where they were imprisoned in Fort Warren. This action of Wilkes met with hearty support among the people of the North. England, however, felt outraged, demanded reparation for the insult to her flag, and commenced preparations for hostilities. Secretary of State Seward saw the inconsistency of our maintaining the right of search which, when exercised by Great Britain, had been a leading cause for the War of 1812. He therefore apologized for Wilkes' unauthorized action, and Mason and Slidell were set at liberty and sailed for England early in January, 1862. Though Wilkes' action was disavowed by the executive government for diplomatic and State reasons, Wilkes received a vote of thanks from the House of Representatives, and in 1862 was made a Commodore and placed first on the list. Seward's statesmanship had delivered the United States from what promised to be a serious difficulty. The immemorial doctrine of the United States as to neutral vessels was adhered to, Great Britain herself was now committed to the same position, a foreign war was prevented, and the hopes of the Confederates for such an outcome of the dispute were disappointed.

Tripartite Treaty.-In consequence of the filibustering expeditions of Lopez to Cuba in 1850 and 1851 (see Filibusters), France and England believed, or pretended to believe, that the United States were meditating the conquest of Cuba, though our government had disavowed any such intention and had acted in accordance with such disavowal. In 1852 France and Great Britain proposed that the United States should join them in a tripartite treaty, by which each government should pledge itself forever not to attempt the acquisition of Cuba and to discountenance any nation's making such an attempt. Edward Everett, then Secretary of State, replied with an able paper in December, 1852. He disclaimed any such intention on the part of the United States as was suspected, but asserted, in accordance with the Monroe doctrine, that the question was purely

an American one in which our government would not see with indifference any foreign interference.

Triple-Headed Monster.-A nickname applied to the Constitution while it was before the people for ratification, in allusion to its division of the government into executive, legislative and judicial branches.

Tripoli, War With.-(See Barbary Pirates.)

Trusts. A corporation derives certain benefits from the State and is in turn subject to certain State control. To avoid this State control, and in order thus to enable the largest firms and corporations in any particular trade to combine, and by combined action to limit production and raise prices while killing off the competition any outsider may dare to offer, what are known as trusts, have been devised. A trust is merely the combination for the above purposes of the large interests in any branch of trade. There is no incorporation. There is an agreement between the parties; the profits of all are divided in certain ascertained proportions, and the public can not from any sensible sign know whether or not such a combination exists. Secrecy and irresponsibility are its objects.

Tub Conspiracy.-During John Adams' administration the Federalists were, or pretended to be, afraid of plots against the government, on the part of the French agents in America. In 1799 the department of State pretended to have information of the departure for the United States of secret agents of France, having in their possession documents dangerous to our peace. The vessel was boarded immediately on its arrival at Charleston, South Carolina, four men and a woman, passengers on board, were arrested as the spies, and two tubs, in a false bottom of which the papers were said to be hidden, were seized. The passengers turned out to be no spies and the papers were not compromising. (See Tailor's Plot.)

Turner's, Nat, Rebellion.-(See Nat Turner's Rebellion.)

Tweed Ring.-In 1857 an act was passed by the Legislature of New York, allowing every voter in New

York City to put the names of but six supervisors on his ballot, although twelve were to be elected. The practical result of this was the election of the six supervisors nominated by the Republicans and of the six nominated by the Democrats. Nomination by the machine was made equivalent to an election. In the next year their terms were extended to six years. Of this board of supervisors William M. Tweed was the leading spirit; he was four times its president. The board was the nucleus of a political ring that controlled legislation at Albany, concerning the city of New York, and the votes in the city itself. The Republican part of the ring busied themselves with the former object, the Demo-. cratic with the latter. This combination, controlling all local offices, plundered the city at its will; in April, 1870, an act was passed, conferring on the mayor, the comptroller, the commissioner of parks and the commissioner of public works, the practical control of city affairs. In the last named official were combined the duties of the former street commissioners and Croton water department officials; he was to be appointed by the mayor; the term of office was four years, and it was provided that the only method of removal was by impeachment by the mayor and trial before all of the six judges of Common Pleas. As was anticipated, Tweed was at once appointed to the office. Of about $12,000,000 of plunder, it is estimated that $3,800,000 was taken in 1869; $880,000 in 1870, before the passage of the above act; $6,250,000 in 1870, after the passage of the act, and $323,000 in 1871. The enormous sums of money controlled by the ring gave it for a time almost unlimited power. Tweed, as the head of Tammany and leader of the ring, was "boss" of the city-absolute in power. The tax-payers seemed powerless, but the disclosures of a clerk in the comptroller's office enabled the Times to make an exposé showing the enormity of the frauds, and in September, 1871, a mass meeting was held, a committee of twenty, headed by H. G. Stebbins as chairman, was appointed, and, with Charles O'Conor to represent the people, the ring was proceeded against.

Connolly, the comptroller, resigned and was arrested; when released on $500,000 bail he went to Europe. Sweeney, the Park Commissioner, resigned and fled. The prosecution of A. Oakey Hall, the Mayor, was abandoned after two mistrials. Tweed himself was tried and a disagreement resulted; on a second trial he was convicted and sentenced to a fine and twelve years imprisonment. His sentence being cumulative, was, on appeal, held to be illegal. He was discharged (1875), but immediately re-arrested on a criminal charge, and also in a civil suit for over $6,500,000. Soon after, he managed to escape from custody and reached Spain. He was delivered up in 1876 and placed on Blackwell's Island. A verdict for the full amount was given in the civil suit, but only a small part was collected. He died April 12, 1878.

Twenty-first Rule of the House of Representatives, between 1840 and 1844, was intended to prevent the introduction of petitions on the subject of slavery. (See Gag Laws.)

Twenty-four Hour Rule. (See Neutrality.)

Twisting the British Lion's Tail.-There are in this country a great many Irishmen. Their sympathies are naturally with Ireland in the attempt of the latter to extort Home Rule from England, and any demonstration on the part of this country that can in any way be deemed hostile to England, is welcomed by them. In order to curry favor with this vote, it is the practice of some Congressmen to abuse England at every opportunity in Congressional debates. England is usually typified as a lion, and so the operation is popularly called as above.

Tyler, John, was born in Charles County, Virginia. March 29, 1790, and died in Richmond, Virginia, January 17, 1862. He was a lawyer and a graduate of William and Mary College. From 1811 to 1816 he served in the State Legislature; from 1816 to 1821 in the House. of Representatives; from 1823 to 1825 again in the State Legislature, and as Governor from 1825 to 1827. From 1827 to 1836 he was United States Senator.

He was originally a Republican (Democratic-Republican), but was elected Senator as a National Republican. Although a believer in the extreme State rights doctrine, he yet remained with the Whigs when Calhoun and his followers went back to the Democratic party, and resigned his seat in the Senate rather than obey the instructions of the Legislature of his State to vote for the motion expunging from the Journal the resolution censuring President Jackson. (See Censures of the President by Congress.) In 1838 he was elected as a Whig to the Virginia Legislature, and the Whig national convention of 1840 nominated him for Vice-President, to conciliate the Clay faction, which had been sorely disappointed at Harrison's nomination. On Harrison's death, a month after assuming office, Tyler became President. A quarrel between the President and the bulk of his party broke out almost immediately on the subject of Bank of the United States. His views differed widely from those of the Whigs, and his supporters in Congress were known as the Corporal's Guard. The principal event of his administration was the annexation of Texas. (See Annexations III.) At the expiration of his term Tyler retired to private life, but reappeared as the president of the Peace Conference in 1861. On the failure of its efforts he joined the Confederacy and became a member of the Confederate Congress.

Uncle Abe was a familiar appellation of Abraham Lincoln.

Uncle Sam is a familiar phrase used to designate the United States, just as John Bull is used to represent England. In cartoons Uncle Sam is drawn as a tall, spare man, with a thin, straggling beard, dressed in a swallowtail coat of blue with white stars, and a pair of red and white stripped trousers with straps; he has long outgrown his clothing and the straps have stretched halfway up his leg; on his head is a white, cylindrical shaped hat, of the kind vulgarly known as stove-pipe. He is usually represented as whittling a stick of wood. This latter is said to be a characteristic of New Englanders and the whole figure, in fact, is that of the typical New England