UNITED STATES OF AMERICA (ante). The tenth decennial census gives the population of the United States as 50,152,866; divided as to sex into 25,520,582 males, and 24,632,284 females, the proportion being 96,519 females to 100,000 males; whereas the proportion in 1870 was 97,801 to 100,000. The center of population was found to be, in 1880, at a point 8 m. w. by s. of Cincinnati, having moved 58 m. westward since the last preceding census. The exact geographical location of this point was in lat. 39° 04' 08"; long. 84 39' 40". For events in the history of the United States preceding the close of the war of the rebellion, see UNITED STATES, ante; and REBELLION, WAR OF TICE. After the war the important duty of reconstructing the governments of the states recently in rebellion became the most important question before the national govern ment. Here a difference grew up between pres. Johnson and congress, the president having proclaimed a policy in the settlement of the southern question, which was obnoxious to the republican leaders in both houses of congress. The president, having recognized loyal governments as existing in the states of Virginia, Tennessee, Arkanas, and Louisiana, appointed provisional governors for the other lately seceded states, with the power to call conventions for the purpose of establishing permanent governments. His policy was to recognize governments so organized; and to restore the states in question to their rights under the constitution, whenever they should have repealed their several ordinances of secession, repudiated the confederate debt, and ratified the thir teenth amendment to the constitution, adopted in 1865, forever putting an end to slavery in the United States. This plan was unsatisfactory to congress, which passed in 1867 three acts, known as "the reconstruction acts," under which the southern states were divided into military districts, and placed under the military authority of the United States: while it became necessary for the states recently in rebellion, in order to regain their status among the other states, to ratify both the thirteenth and fourteenth -amendments to the constitution; the latter of which gave the right of suffrage to the negro; denied to those persons previously in rebellion against the United States the right to hold office under the national or state governments; and repudiated the confederate debt. The bitter struggle between the president and congress continued during the remainder of his administration, and culminated in the resolution of the house of repre sentatives, passed Feb. 24, 1868, to impeach the president "of high crimes and mis demeanors." The immediate occasion of the passage of this resolution was the course of pres. Johnson in violating the "tenure-of-office act," as it was termed, which made requisite the consent of the senate to removals from office by the president, and which was particularly intended to interfere with and prevent his removal of Mr. Stanton from the position of secretary of war. The senate formed itself into a high court of impeach ment; and, Mar. 23, 1868, the chief-justice presiding, proceeded to try Andrew Johnson on eleven articles of impeachment. The result was his acquittal, and the retirement of Mr. Stanton from the office of secretary of war. It was not until 1868 that the states of Arkansas, Alabama, Florida, North and South Carolina, Georgia, and Louisiana were readmitted into the union.
The nominations for president and vice-president in 1868 were Ulysses S. Grant of Illinois, and Schuyler Colfax of Indiana, on the part of the republicans; and Horatio. Seymour of New ork, and Francis P. Blair, jr., of Missouri, on the part of the democrats. The republican candidates were elected, and gen. Grant was inaugurated March 4, 1869. Feb. 25 of this year, a joint resolution of congress proposed the 15th amendment to the constitution, which finally established and defined the right of suffrage in its application to persons of color. This. amendment was ratified by Virginia in 1869; and by Missis sippi and Texas in 1870; and these states were readmitted to the union. One of the most important events of pres. Grant's administration was the meeting of the joint high commission, appointed to consider the Alabama case, and which concluded the " treaty of Washington, so called, ratified by the U. S. senate, May 24, 1871. The commis
sion met in Washington city, and the treaty provided that a tribunal of arbitration should be constituted, to consist of one member from Great Britain, one from the United States, and one each from Switzerland, Italy, and Brazil. The function of this tribunal was to decide on the Alabama claims, being the claims of the United States against the British government for damages on account of the damage done to American commerce by the Alabama and other confederate cruisers, fitted out in British ports. The Alabama commission met at Geneva, in Switzerland, Dec. 15, 1871, and after a presentation of the cases of the two governments adjourned to meet again June 15, 1872. At the latter (late, accordingly, the sessions were renewed, and at the 32d of these, Sept. 14, the decision was announced, that " the tribunal, by a majority of four voices to one, awards to the United States a sum of $15,500,000 in gold, as the indemnity to be paid by Great Britain to the United States for the satisfaction of all the claims referred to the consider ation of the tribunal:" the dissenting voice was that of the representative of Great Britain. Among other notable occurrences during this administration were the comple tion of the Union and Central Pacific railroads. 1869; providing a continuous line of railway from the Missouri to the Pacific, and completing the trans-continental system. Ont of the connection of the government with the construction of these roads, arose the Credit Mobilier scandal, which involved the reputation of a number of prominent mem bers of congress. The outrages of the white population of the southern states upon the freedmen, particularly in regard to the exercise by the latter of their newly-acquired right of suffrage, attracted public attention, 1868-72, until the investigation by congress, and consequent legislation, had made such outrages difficult. See Ku KLUX KLAN. The movement by the U. S. government in the direction of the acquisition of Saint Domingo was another incident of pres. Grant's first administration which may be regarded as important. See SAINT DOMINGO. The presidential election of 1872 devel oped a tendency toward the formation of new party lines, out of which grew the so called "liberal-republican" party, which met in convention hi Cincinnati and nominated Horace Greeley for president; a nomination which was ratified by the democratic con vention—except a section of "bolters" who nominated Charles O'Conor of New York, on a purely democratic platform. The republicans met in convention at Philadelphia, and nominated Ulysses S. Grant for a second term; with Henry Wilson of Massachusetts for vice-president. The latter ticket received the electoral vote of 29 states, 286 votes, and was declared elected. A melancholy result of this campaign was the death of Horace Greeley, which was occasioned by the excitement of a severe party struggle, combined with the bitter disappointment occasioned by his defeat. In 1872 began, on the n.w. frontier, the Indian fight known as the Modoc war, and continued into 1873. See. MoDocs. Trouble with Spain was near occurring in this latter year, through the act of the Spanish steamer Tornado, in capturing the Virgintus, on Oct. 31, a vessel sailing on the high seas, under the American flag. The Virginias was engaged in transporting men and arms for the insurgents in Cuba, and had 170 men on board, including the crew; these were all taken prisoners, and 58 of them, including capt. Fry, commanding the Virginias, and gen. Ryan. an American, were summarily shot. The affair created great excitement throughout the United States, and was only peaceably settled after much negotiation, and while actual preparations for war were being made on both sides. The remainder of gen. Grant's administration was marked by no special event, excepting the celebration of the centennial of American independence, May 10, 1876, in Philadelphia, by an international exposition of arts, manufactures, and products. See CENTENNIAL.