of a new principle in dealing with slavery in the
territories, which, although it did not apply to the same territory, was
antagonistic to the Missouri Compromise of 1820. The sequel was the
repeal of the Missouri Compromise in the Kansas-Nebraska Bill of 1854.
Fourthly, the enforcement of the fugitive slave law aroused a feeling of
bitterness in the North which helped eventually to bring on the war, and
helped to make it, when it came, quite as much an anti-slavery crusade
as a struggle for the preservation of the Union. Finally, although Clay
for his support of the compromises and Seward and Chase for their
opposition have gained in reputation, Webster has been selected as the
special target for hostile criticism. The Compromise Measures are
sometimes spoken of collectively as the Omnibus Bill, owing to their
having been grouped originally--when first reported (May 8) to the
Senate--into one bill.

The best account of the above Compromises is to be found in J. F.
Rhodes, _History of the United States from the Compromise of 1850_,
vol. i. (New York, 1896). (W. R. S.*)

COMPSA (mod. _Conza_), an ancient city of the Hirpini, near the sources
of the Aufidus, on the boundary of Lucania and not far from that of
Apulia, on a ridge 1998 ft. above sea-level. It was betrayed to Hannibal
in 216 B.C. after the defeat of Cannae, but recaptured two years later.
It was probably occupied by Sulla in 89 B.C., and was the scene of the
death of T. Annius Milo in 48 B.C. Most authorities (cf. Hulsen in
Pauly-Wissowa, _Realencyclopadie_, Stuttgart, 1901, iv. 797) refer Caes.
_Bell. civ._ iii. 22, and Plin. _Hist. Nat._ ii. 147, to this place,
supposing the MSS. to be corrupt. The usual identification of the site
of Milo's death with Cassano on the Gulf of Taranto must therefore be
rejected. In imperial times, as inscriptions show, it was a
_municipium_, but it lay far from any of the main high-roads. There are
no important ancient remains.

COMPTON, HENRY (1632-1713), English divine, was the sixth and youngest
son of the second earl of Northampton. He was educated at Queen's
College, Oxford, and then travelled in Europe. After the restoration of
Charles II. he became cornet in a regiment of horse, but soon quitted
the army for the church. After a further period of study at Cambridge
and again at Oxford, he held various livings. He was made bishop of
Oxford in 1674, and in the following year was translated to the s