Missouri was admitted to the
Union as a slave state, but in the rest of the Louisiana Territory
north of the degree of latitude 36 degrees slavery was forbidden
for all time. This was called the Missouri Compromise; compromise
meaning, as you know, that each side gave up something. And in this
way a quarrel between the North and South was avoided for the time
being.
But it was only for the time being, and wise men watched events
with heavy hearts. Among these was the old President Jefferson.
"The question sleeps for the present," he said, "but is not dead."
He felt sure that it would awake again and shatter the Union, and
he thanked God that being an old man he might not live to see it.
In 1821 Monroe was chosen President for a second time and it was
during this second term that he became famous throughout all the
world. He became so through what is known as the Monroe Doctrine.
During the wars with Napoleon the King of Spain had been so crushed
that he was no longer strong enough to govern his colonies. So one
after another the Spanish colonies in America had declared themselves
free and had set up as independent republics. But Spain of course
was anxious to have her colonies back again, and it seemed very
likely that the King would ask some of the other great powers in
Europe to help him to reconquer them. Monroe however determined to
put a stop to wars of conquest between the old world and the new.
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