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'raiOniai-k 01.1r.011;
ItlpEEctrOF HON. CHAS: SU3IIIIER
4 i n ' s t the'reptalkf the MisSILO Colitpro , ;
,mist, in the.qnited States Senate, Feprua
'n/241854.1'1' - - ••• .
• - -, ....• ;
;
R. PRESIDENT .. . -1, • ' -. • ... A ii ,
I approaCh this discussion with awe. l'The
nighty question with untold imues,_whf,ch it
1 i
i volves, : oppresses me. .„.Like a porte4tious
C oud, sureharged-withiriesistable storm and
rein, it seems to fill' the whole z heaven ma-
lying me .poinfully , Conscious *how uneiqu I 1.,
am to the OcChsion=how. unequal,, allis'
•a 1 that 1 tan say; to all thatll feel. -
In delix-ering my sentiments here . to-4 I
s all speak frankly---aceording Itb myr on
li
victions, without oOneealmerit or resew e:—
Tut if anything felrfroin - the Senator (from
„I linois, .[Mr. Docor.Asa in .6 - )ening-thip. dis
cussion, which might seem to challenge a
, ,
personal contest, I &Sire that I may 110 n
t upon.it. - Let not- a Word or a toncil ass
ny lips to direct „attention, for . a wionkfit,.
NM the transcendent theme, by the:s.ide .of
vhich _Senators - and • Presidents
_arel but
dwarfs. I Would riot, forget - those amelaities
vhich belong-to this, place, and r. l l.re -re
calculated to temper the antagonism d! de
-1 ate ; nor can I cease to remember atid: to
fOl, that, amidst all'Aiversities of (Spit:doh, we,
.re the, representatives' of thirty-one sisler re-.
üb T li b e e s' i , - ( knit. sti o to n v pr t s h
onstitUtiner that Plural. Unit, which' m'e 'ill
I
mhraCe by the endearing- name . of 'country. -
.
s e e r o b te y d i4 fo i . ° y l o u i b ir l . e c .. ol( a le li r d - ' ,l
. lion is not surpassed in grandeur - 1) , any;,!
ii .
Ilia ,as occurred in our natibnal 14tory'..
1
s c ace ery t a, lie lye! L e t t e i c t la a r s a s t t i l o rn n es o g f
. ig l a n n d t e i p e en p d T e o n p c44*
A. Ileum. we simply'consider the extent4fter-1
r tory it concerns, or the pliblic.fait)i, cif' - na-, ,
i onal polity which it' aftects,l or that lirgher.
question—that ' Question' of Questions, as far
above Others as Liberty' is aboye. the • i cornH l
mon things of. life-which-it opens -anew- !for l
judgement. •• , , I : !
; , -- ; t ,
It concerns an immens region,- 11,argerl
than the original thirteen' S ates, vying a i ri - eii- j
t nt With all.the existing Fr,..e. States, stiptCh- 1 ,
,j ,
i g over:prairie, field, and forest—interlaced
by silver streams, skirted by protecting,-ropun- '
tiins,.and constituting the heart of the Niorth
merman continent—only a ratta gmlllli4 14.1
•4 . cie add. than three great European countries I
" Combined —ltaly, Spain.• anal V.... , , ,,, . .41... ail
which, in succession ; has
has
over .the 1
World. This territory has already beentlili-e- I
red, on this door, to thcocrarden,of GO.— i
The similitude is found, not merelYin itslpre2--. I
eat 'pure and virg\n eharacter,-but in its ac,
t Ml geographical - situation, Occupng cen
tral spaces on- this -hemisphere, which, in
their general relations, I may well compare \,
with that early Asiatic home.' We ar°.lold
teat.
Southward through Eden went a river larkre ;
o v here we. have a stream. which'--is - Larger
than the EuphrateS. - And - here tOo;•arnfidalj,
he smiling 'products 'of nature, _lay-jshed 1!)y .
the hand of God„is the goodly tree.of Libery;
•
P lanted'p by our fathers, which, without 4aor
ration, or MI/ iMarrination,-mar be likened
t •
to,.- . .
. The tree of life. ' . 4 1 -'
- High eminent; blooming ambrosial finit.•
Of vegetable gold. • .•
it is with regariftOthis . territory,.that .you
are now called to, exercise the liglicistirfune
non Of the. lawgiver; by . es.tablishing[thosp
1
ules o'f.i;o)ity : whieli will determine_ alts 4,
- tire character: As the twig is bent the
. tree,
.( •
• inclines-; and the influences impressed upon,
the early days..of an .empire—like• those upon
:. chil&—are of inconceivable inwortance to o
its future weal of woe. r . The bill now ibefore i
i f s, proposes to organize nod' equip tto'newi
ttnritorial establishments, with governoi.. R see
k,
retarieis:, legislative; councils, legislators, judg
s-,s, mar••hals, and the whole machinery! of civ
i, society. Such. a measure 'at anyi time,
. yould deserve the most icarefu6,atteqon.
- riur at the present, moment, it .justly lexcitc4,
1
- peculiar interest,.from thgeffort made—on
retences unsustained 'by. facts—in violation
i o .a r t e h n e a rs tit,
t a o nd .op o e f n t thi he s e j a m ri m y
..
against Slavery. by . a i rpostive..
embodied in - the Act Of COgre-0.,
i i : r o cin n ho ' iwb to itgi S ou l nar a , v dem e e m db .
d .
I(
fle's li ole c im o o r uu d r ing to existing law, :this ! n rr :i.is i en to er r ei- ;
. approved March ,61,12,,-1820, - preparatory . to:
he adinission of Missouri into the ,Unibn, as
..
sister : ier state, and in the following 'iexplieif
w. . „ • -
"SEC.-8. Be it further enacted, That :,infail. Ter- .
holy ceded by France to the United iSt' 64 - s, / under
. lir name of Lonisana,which Hies north of-thirty-six
• egrec s and thirty. minutes of north _latitude, not
neluded 'within the limits of the State icOntem- i
plated by this act, SLAVEF.Y A•ND-',VIVOLVSTA;r4YI
irEvrryßE, otherwise thean as the .IMnisfunen.t. of ,
grimes. SHALL BE,' .A.EI) IS ItEREBV, FOIEVER
a.
PROHIBIit" .-.- ~' •• ! I
It is now proposed tb set aside llis prdbi
lition-, but there 'seems...M.l"e a singular inji
c ecision as to the Way in . which lie, deed.
- 'shall be done. ' From the:time:of its. first, in. ,
• I
Tothit . ti o . n, in the report4lle-Cornroittee on -
rri
' etories, the proposition 'as assnmeddif- 1
.event sliiipes; and, it prornises . to assume! it's
navy as Proteus; now one thing'in rorm,and
- vow, another; ridw, like a r i ser, _and - then
ike a flame; but, in every form -•and-shape,
! L clentical in substance; with but one end and'-
- .lm—its. be-all arid' end-all—the - Overtliiou
•f the PrOhibition of,Slavery. • ; - ! '
i ,
At first, it proposed S:imply to .declare; t i hat,
,
he States formed -out of thisTerritorY sho l uld
e admitted into the Union, "with or with
lavery," and 'it did not directly assume 4,1)
' ,ouch this prohibition. For some reaSOn'this
: Iwas not satisfactory, and then it, was predio
- propOsed to declare, that prohibi
tionthe-.in the Missouri act "was superseded by
~ tlieinliie.ipl es of the legislation of 1850, coin
, moldy
.ettlied the Compromise .Measures, and :
is
.inoperative" bevel, :declared . But this
would not do; and it .is now propos'ed to de . -
dare, that the. p r ;l• t •• -• al) • I • .1
tent with the eing - i inconsis- 1
prit ' ic i i i ple tl9M s oi - 'non-intrvention
by Congress, with Slavery its, the s r tates .. and ,
Territories,.as r' ecognized the IgislatiOn
of 1850, commonly Called !th - CC o rp' pron3iSe
?il4... , •isures, is hereby declared inoperative and
void." -
1 .
. All this is to be done otr' preterc e t, fours
, fled upon the: Slavery enactments of IRSO •
,
s - d , liing, with minnied aiirlacityand cuntirir
' t , '
IY indirection to c tid direction oui" . Now
''',r, I..ain not here to speal in , behalf of those'
. iri:,:sure:s, or to lean. ife a*- way - upon their
' "•'''''. Relating to different - _st ib ieet_ncit,-
. - • Illned in - . differettt l a! , .ts, - -wh;oh - ;r,-
.
. ..
. . .
Yai ed sticcessWely, at diffe'rent times, and by
different votes some persens.• Noting for, one
measure, and_ ifune ; Yoting----for -itnother,end
,very few voting for all, they cannot be regar
ded as.a unit,
.4rilbodying conditions of.dom
pa3t, or' comprf9i4e,. if pleaSe, adopted
equally,byalt. partles, and, therefore, obliga
to rip all Paffies.!. 134 since this".broken
series of meastfres lin • been-adduced as an
apology.akl, the - propositi'on now heap us, I
desire to . saY,Aliati Stich -s:they are; they caw:
net,hy . any' effort a. ir erpretation, by any
distorting wand of
_i)owe,-,i by any perverse
alchemy, be transmuted 'Wu a repeal of that
.original
_prohibi tiou f of
.Slit Very. .. . •
. OU this -hea,4 - thero • are several points to
which 'I vvouldFi merely call attention, and
-then passon,li I.Piqt , The Slavery- enact- ,
rnentS of 1350 ,did not pretend, itr terms,. t
to u ch, much 14s to ;change. the , condition - of
the Louisaim Territory Which was already
,
fixed by 'ConOssional . enactment tp
ly acted- upon b "newly-aeqUired 28 "
fl a e Condition which was.nocareadY fixed
by pon g ressid4l etractmttlTlio two tran
sactions related - - toidif).' rent subject-matters.
S'Ocondiy;"The:l etiamments do
.not directly
t,t! ch the . sUbjqe,t 2 Of Slavery, _ during the tt.r
riterial exi_sterfOe.ofititalr: and' New Mexico ;
but they,,provide - prospectively '
• that,. when
admitted. as States; ,they•ilall be; received.,
"With' or witho!ut - Slavery. `Here certainly
can be i no e4tiliriai. 'of an act of CongreSs
WliichdireCtlfcotieerns a: Territory 'during
it's .Territaria4
.t.risfence. m easures
: Daring
all the - disc i iissibit of these measures in ( I _'•on
_gess, and rift4wards before the.,people, hand
through the public I press, at. the North ,and
SOuth alike, tiO pevion was, heard to intimate
that the prohilition of Shu'eryin the Mis'sou
ri• Act was ini an ,
y way disturbed. And;
_fourthly: 'The iacts 'themselves contain a for
mal provision, that - ''nothing herd'- contain
ed 'shall be!censtrudd .to :impair . or qualify
anything" in - a .certain article of the teSolu
lions annexing Texas, wherein it is expieSsly.
dialared, Iliat. in teOitory north • of the Miss
ouri ('Omprornis.e line' ' ."Sl4ery, or inVOlunta
ry serNitude, except', for crime, 'hall be \pro
-I;ibited2" - -• . !
..' 'But J do not dWell on these-things, • 'These
1 •
pretences hare been already- amply - refuted by
Senatf,tis 'who have preceded me: lt is clear,
beyond fill. contradiction, that the prohibition
of SlaVery iir.this territory has not been Su
perseded or i t any way contravened by the
:SlaYery'rect of 185:0. Tht: pionosltlon
. 1 . :.,-
, 1
fore,: t As. therefore - original in its charac
ter ~ ,,....1 .1. ~,,,,.. r 2.. __ , ey . . •
la ion;;` and it r . nuA,. aecoidingly, be judged
11' its:rnerits, as an !original proposition.
Here let .it: he reMemhered;. that the. friends
of Freedom are • n\o( opiih ; to' any charge of
acr,greSsion'..l They: !"are. now standing on the
defaSi Ve,-z-.. nuardin , -;:the early intreyclunents
•
thrown up : by our7fitthers. : No Proix - Isitoirto
abolish Slavery anywhere, isnow, - before N'OU j
tint, on the contrary, a proppsition to abolish
Freedom: The term Aboliti?nist, which is-so
often applied in reproach, 'justly! belongs;. on
' oceasiorkto bith
.who ; would .overthrow
well*stablislied landmat I:. ,- lie is, indeed
AtOlitionist of slavery ; let him be _called,
sir, an AbolitiOnistibf-Freedorn. !For myself,
whether\with rnani or fc;w,.iny place is taken.
Even if -ablrne, my . -fi•eble arm shall not be wan-
ting as a bar agailist this outrage.
. i ,1
On two - -Oistinet• ground's, "both 1
against the deed," z le4).,v arraign' it; Tirst,in .:,.
the name of 'Puhlic' Hi th,;„ as an, infraction of
the solemn obligations assumed beyond recall j
by . the South on the adm4sion of Missouri in
to the 'Union aS a!Slave State ;: Secondly, I
arraign it in the name Of FreedOm, as an un l , • -
justifiable departnre , front the original Anti -
- Policy of piir fathers These two
beads' I propoSe.tol consider in l : their order,
glancing imder'the latter :It the objections'io.
the prohibition of Slavery; , in the Territories.
And here,
sir,•before I iipproeh the argu-,
menk,' ' indulge . me With "la • fen preliminary
words On ,lie Character of !,this p r roposition,
Slavery. is the l i forCible subjection of one hu
man,beink, 'in I, person, labor, or property, to.,
the Will -of auellier. - n this simple statement.
is involved itS!ivbeleinitistice., IThere •is no
offence against religion, agai n stmoralS,agai nst
humanity ; ;which May not istalk, in the license
of this inStitution;."unwhipt , ofjuStice." For,
the; husband and wife there,. is no marring ;
'for,the methel• there is no, assurance, that her:
infant, : child 1% - ill inot beiraVislied from' her,
breaSt ; for all wlb bear the: nameof Slave,:
there, is nothing that they , can call, their own:
Without-a father !wifflOut, a - mother, almost
=without A . God,:tile . Slave, has nothing hut a
master., It Wouldbe contrary tO,',l)at Rule of
Rigl#,-which is ordained by Gad, if• such a
systeta, though'. Mitigated ofterr.,by a patri
archal kindness, ..tad hy . ai' : plausible physical
comfort, could belOtherwlse •than perniciouS
in its 'influences.. It is eonfesSed, that the"
'master suffersi riot less than ihe 'slave. And
this.i's not all, The' whole . Soeial .fabric is .
iisorgar4ed ;11abr loses its ',dignity; inchis-:
try sickens,i cc ucationr finds no s:chools, - an&
ll land of S.; avery is • iinpoVerished. „Lind
trove, sir, when, the conscience' of mankind is
at last aroused to these things,.when, through;
out theciviliz'ed-World, a Slavedealer is .a by-'
word and a reproach;. we,' . as - a nation
_-are
ababout to open a new Irmiket to,the•traf
lick
erS rh flesh, that haunt • the shambles of the'
Sontli./ Such an . act;at this tittle': is remOv
ed- from all • reach ' Of , ttat palliation often
vouChsafed to Slate A.: :his. Wropg we• are
speciously told, by ft'cise Who seek to defend
lit, is not our original si - ; It was entailed
I I
upon us, sOrwe are instr eted, by our. ances
tors ; .end. the reSpontibibly is Often, with ex
fitliation, thr4nrota the ; mother conntry.---:
Now, .without . st pping to inquire into the
'value - of this aiolgy; whiChis never adduced .
• in 'behalf of otlicet baseis,. ; and which - availed
n
nothing against t at',hingly power, imps sod
by the mother co try : and . Which our fath
ers ov,ertlirewo it ' t s
• sufficient, for
tiro present
resent
purpose; to knowi that it 4 s. now
proposed to
makesSlaverYour own on act. • Here is
a fres)]. ease of act u alltrarisgess - Which 'we
cannot .e ast upon the shoulders of any pro-genio
•!,
rs, nor upoti any :mother .country, dis-i .
taut in time or place. ' Tile .Congress of the
Unitdd ,Stai, the people ;Of theKnited States
•at this.dayi in this vaunted 'period of light,'
will lie Irespoiniipld foi it, S.o that' it 'shall ibe
said, hereafter; E l lalong as :the disinal history
of i Sl4very is read; that, in the year of Chriitt
1854, 1 a new and il deliberate act, 'was passed,
by :which a vast fetTitorYi was opened to its
iiiroa4s.•. •; . 1 - •. , • .
•M et oime in the panypf matrons does our :
country assume this hateful championship's
In despotie'Ruas4, the serfdom which conSti-i
ttitestho,, "peculiar. inatiiiitiori" , or that great`
empire, is never iiillowed! "to ttavel with . the
. .
1.114..4.g. • t.) 4i• I_4
,•••.4
. 71' 7 ' 1 ' 177 1_,Y . T OFTPF:t 4 O- 1 17:71 91 71 1 * T
Itlontrost, *usq'
.
imperial . tflag, • according to the An
pretenior4 into' plOyinees newly begtii
the'coMmen blood and treasure, but
full. r,estrieted -by_postii - e_prohibition, i
many :with •the general couscieriee,'Acit
anCient confines; and thiS. prohibitio4
Wilmpt Proviso of Ru,4ia—is •rigorow.,
for`Ced onl (very .side, in all - the Provin 'es, as
in' Be.garabia ;on the, south, and Poland n the
J o
Nf . o, so tliat,4 in.fact, •no Russian no letnati
lui.i Wen able to move into the* - intiortarit
teititoes iwith his.slaves. Thus Russia 'peaks
lo r :iFreed.Ont,.l- and disowns. the slavelltling
ddgma Of !our. -country. Far away in the
.East, it l ate. gateways of the day,' inieffem
inate India; slavery has been condemned; in
cns" tantinople, - the 'queenly scat of -the most
- -
poWerftOlahomedan empire, where barbar- -
istri 2 still thingles . with civilization, the Otto
'an Sultandias faStened upon it the . tigma
ot, disapprObation; the Barbary States of Af
riea, occupying the same parallels : of latitude
1.,-
wath the 4lare. State•i'Of our Union, lnd Tei
1 ' ' ' 1
-.'
seMlAing•thern in the nature of their bound a- .
ribs, 'their productions; their cliinate, ,a id the .
\ !Peculiartnstitution," which sought. shelter in
beth,have been changed into: Abolitionists.
Algiers . , seated near the line. of • 36 .deg. 30
titip., has beelhdedicated to Fieedem.. Mor
oi', e - o; by its untutored ruler, hits expre:sed its
de ire, stainped •in..the formal teims of a trea
ty,Aat tlie' very name of davi;ry may perish
frion. the minds of men ' - and only' ' recently,
front the I)eyf of ' Tunis has preceede,', ' that
nOble . act,lbyrwhich, "In honor of God,' and
toilistinp . ...nish man - from the brute creation"
I quote his; own words—he;decreed its to
tababolitibn throughout his d4minions, Let '
Christian AMetiea be willing to be taulght by
._ ..
the: ex:MIAs. God forbid ihat.our repub
liH7"heiri Of all the ages, fciremost in the
files of. tinicnt should adopt anew the barba
*sint. which : they have renouric'ed. • '
As the . Ofoi-t now making is extraor
in!Character, so no assumption seems •
itttOrdinary to be wielded in its' sum
Th primal' truth of the •equality' of n
prOclaimed in .our liclaration of In
elence, has been assailed, and this rrea
'tcr: of our Country discredited. Sir, vv
I; Will Foo4' li* away, but that will col
t'oStand, nboVe impeachment or quest,
The Dedaration of Independence,.
Ihelaration of Rights,.And thelangtia e em-.
PlOyed, though general in its.chitracte 7 must
41r,i'iouily be restrained Within the design• and
g0 , ' , .....;nr a - Declaration of Rights' inVolving
it&such 11.'"1 , 1 . 1111111Tlii , :i to it.
• 0 N?
Sir it is a palpable fact that rneit
7
are not'botn equal in - physical strength or:in
mental - capacities, in beauty of form. or health
- of!bodY,' - These mortal cloaks of flesh differ,
as - do these. wordly gat ments. 12iversitY, or
in 'equality in these respects is the law ofcre
-
atton, - ;. But, as God is no:respecter of persons,
and as equal in. his. sight, whether
;Dives or Lazarus, master or slave, so are all
equal in natural inborn rights; and, pardon
41? e, .say. - itt is in vain sophism to addlice
in'argumerit against thi , . vital axiom Of Lib ;
'erty, the physical or mental inequalities by .
which meni ate. characterized, or the tinnap-
Ipy degrads tion . which; in violation t t ;.f col - 13-
n* biotherli6od, they are doonn , .l.lT() de
:ny. the IDeclaratlon Indeperuktice is to
.on the. bosses.' of the shield Of the
Almighty, i,vhich in all respects, the present
'east:ire seenis to do.
,
To.thsuggestiondi , lnsive suggestion of the able Se
n. 1:
atOr 'firom.l.North Carolina, [Mr. l3A'nonn.]
that by the overthrow of this prohibition, the
niimber of slaves will not be ine,reased, that.
there Will be simply:a beneficent ditfusion'orl
Slavery. arg not_ its extension; I reply at
. once, .that this arciument, if of any
nOt mere wOrds..and nothing e lse-iwould
equally justify and !quire 'the overthrois of
I this.prohiflition, - of Slavery in the freejStates,
-and, intieedi everywhere throughout the world.
All, the dikeS. which, in diffyrent conntries;
from lime to: tinier. with . the march of eivili-
I - zation, hay. l F . been. painfully set up- against the
i n roads of this evil, must be remeYed,inid ev
- .
eiv land opened anew to its destructlVe flood.
it'is clear, beyond dispute, that the over
throwl of this prohibition. SIO - err will be
4c.juickened, and slaves theMselvel will be mul
ttiplicd, while new "roam find tergyft . Will be
tsteured forrhe operation's
. of slave .
Haw, - under which free -labor •willWreop. and
cast territoi; y Will be , smitten with
'Sir, a!, blade of.grass would not! grow where
the hors.e. of Attila 'had trod',-nor can any
true Prosperity spring up in the foot-prints of,
the slave. . .
But it .i 4 suggested that slaYes will not be
carried "into Nebraska in large numbers,
.and
therefore, the question is of . stnall-practical -
Moment. My distinguished - colleague, [Mr.
E vEnFri l.i f f eloquent speech, hearkened
this SuggeStion,,nud. allowed ltimselfi while
Upholding the prohibition, to disparge its im
.portance iii a manner, from which I teel con
strained
. 1 1 :-incily,but most Eirenougv,to . diF.sent:
Sir, the ecti4is sliowsthnt it is of vital con-
Sequence. There is .11isr:ouri.at this Moment.,
With Illinois lon the, east and- Nebraska onthe
West.;!all cOvering. nearly the same spaCes of
latitude, 'and resembling each, other i in soil,'
Ornate, and ,productions. Mark, now, the
C.Ontinst! 'By the pcitent efficacy oflthe Or
dinance of the Northwestern Territory, .Illi
nois now- a free State,: while Missi;iiii has
8742 . 2 . sla'Yc. l ; and the simple question which
Challenges an answer is, whether Nebraska
Mall be. preserved in 'the condition of Illinois,
Or surrender to that of Missouri I Surely
thiS Cannot be treated lightly. - But for my-
Alf, I :tin Unwilling to • measure the exigenef
of the prohibition by .the number of persons,
Whether. many ,or few, whom it may protect.;.
'lnman rights,Whether in a solitary'individ-1
nal or a vast multitude, are entitled to an er-!
.
qual and' unhesitating support. In this spir-z
it, I am Coin:trained to declare thatlthere is!
no place accessible to human avarice, or liu-1
Man lust, Or human force; whether in 'the low-!,
est valley, or on the. loftiest 'mountain-top,
ihether on the broad flower-spangled! prairies,
. Or the sno*y .crests of the Rocky Mciuntains,'
Where the !prohibition tt slavery, ike the.
commandments of the -Decaloglie, shOtild not
BLit g a • •
leading thesethings behind, I preiss at
once to the argument. .
And,no*, Sir, in the- name of that public
faith, which is the very ligament so
ciety} and. which the great Roman orator
tells Ins it. is: detestable to break evenl withati
enemy,' I 'arraign' this scheme, and-appeal . l4
the calm judgment of all who hear
There is anearly Italian story of an exper4
Creed citizen, Who, when- his nephew told
1 1 him he had been studying at the, univeristy
• b
science right; said in reply ;
• I
- P7TS
_ .i TtirTrat , A rpg A Lip
"up • 4 .4+ , k , io .
P 7
1'
'CU T Tt 1 ; 1 ;F iiT) MORALITY:
'Borunit 7 art
• B 23, 1854 . I •
"l•Yofi have spent yourrtirne to lifte - Purpose.
1
If world have .been -better had tileiarned ,
4: 1
the seienco of might for tliat.is w *kit two of
the ofher;'; and the
.byftanderi-of-t rat; day all
i g recii that, the Veteran spoke • the i truth. -I'
begin; Sir,jby assuming that. honorable Sena- ".
tOrs.NornOt act in this r. spirit—that they will
nOt - stibstititte might for' right—that they will
ii,ot w!antotily and flagitiously discard :tirly ob
ligatiOn,. pledge, or ctivenant, hecatise they.-
el.iane to po s sess the!.puwer; but .!fhat,• as
Honest men. desirous to do right, .they will
• 4 -
confront- this question. r, ' • . •
Sir; the proposition hefore You involves not
Merely . the:repeal of art existing law, 'hut the
if:lime:lion. ',:of solemn .}obligation originally.
ifcopied an d assumed , die South, after a
protracted and embitteredcontest ; as a Cove
-nant of pettce--with regard to*certai4 speci-*
tied territety therein described, namely : All
that TerritOrY ceded by France to the - United
Stated, under the name' of Louisiana 'accor
ding io which, in eonsideratien of, the admis
sion Into the Union or Missouri as .n slave
State,!SlaYe.ry was . forever prohibited in ail
tile remaining part -orthis territory :which
lies nth Of 36 'de g . 3? min*. ThiS aryange
#lciitibet36.pen different:sections of the Union-
-!,tlre, SlaNie States.of Oa first pait and the
Free State?;, of the - seecind yart-:- - -though usu-,
Ally knowi as the Ilik/ourt *Compromise, was
At thq time styledA - 'err. In its stipula
tiottsfor slavery, it wa ' •justlyi repugnant' !to
coitP
the conscience of the. A., orth, and ought. never,
to haye beett.made •, hitt it has
,on that side ;
been perfOrined. Andr,,now the unperformed
Outstanding obligationa to Freedom originally.
propesed and.assumecliby* the South; are re-
Ai i
Aisteur .'3! r -I • 1 . '
r ,'
Years hAve passed since these- obligations
'• ' 1 - 1 . -• 11 •l •of
were pni 19t led In t io
,egis atron Congress,
And accepted by
.thektountry. Meanwliih4
(he•sfatestnen by whom they were! framed
and Viridiated - hayed one by . one, 'dropped
,
Prove this earthly sphere. - .Their living voices
Cann4t -no!ii be heard, 1 plead for the -preser
iatioli of,that Public !Faith *to which they
Were pledged. But tots, extraordinnr.v - lapse
Of time, with. the conklete fruition: by one
party.lcif all the benefits belonging to it, un
der the compact, give4ici the transaction an
#ddect anti:most sacred strength. Frescrip
lion stepslip with nevq . bonda, to-confirra(the
Original work ; to the end that while Wren Are mortal; controversies shall not be iminor
-61- ;1 - )eath with inexerable,seythe,tiaimow
ed ileWn ihe authors lof. this compact; but
Ivith const:rvative hour-glass, it has i counted
ttlibi'e s Ki-IfiWvAt, ttc..Y.OrA,..whicii ..ngw...dPfile
Sacred lanclinark of Freedom. - i ' , • •
A iimi*, statement lof facts, derived from
the: jeurntils of Congress* and contemporary
rec6ros, Will show the, origin .and • nature of,
this Compae,t, the influence by whicih it • 'was
stabli , ..lett, and the obligations .which it:im
, „„,
'P* ( i'-' l .• _•`..! ..- • .I,`, -.
'euean
led by
mre
n har
ihin its
1-the
en, as
epen
char-
;did
in • AslearlY as 1818, al thq first sessione of the
oft* enth tcongress ahill was reported to! the
lionse - of.•,l:elreserita l tiyes, , raithOrizine• I the .
..
pec' r pll? oft the Mis:,-ouri Terntory to .form a
Folislitution and State 13,overnment fOr ! the
idirtiiiioriof such Stale into the Union ibut., ,
nt' that sdssion, no fina) action was had there
ion. ' , .A.C . ilte next Session. in - February 18.19 T
;the; bill ii.as again bronglit forward. 'ill - fen r .an
. I.' 1111 tiiint tikpresentatillo of Ni'w. York, whose
!life; hils-l+en spared till this las:t sunnner,,Mr.
ri .I*£ , i 17.44.L11.1DGE, Tl3Vet.l . a clauscproliibit-
iing any Surther introduction of slaves into
t lpropcsed State, and 'securing freedon to
,tile children born within the .Stater . . after its
..tidrul'ision , into the Union, on attaining . tW - .en-
;ty-flq.‘ vi.lars of-age. Tnis important. pronosi
-4 . .
`lion. Whit.. i ass - tune 4 power not onv.to pro-,
pibiOltefingress'of slavery into the-State it
l'self blit-alSo - to abolish, it ' , there, wasipar,sedin
i'tbe. a!Thritiative a." - , la . vehement d4. at , of
If• , ,
,„ . t0...1. i..1 .....,.
~...\
tlireeidays. Una divtsien of - the i question,
t . the fist part 'prohibiting, the furthetiintroduc
i'.on Of 'slave's, Was ti.dopted by 87 yeas to 76
naysi the second - part ! providin!; for: the .
reimuicipation of childfen, Was adopled by 82
yeas 'to 70. nays. Other propositions to thwart
the operation of the.seituneminteuts were Voted
dowti;_,and on the 17th .of. February. the bill
Was rend a third tirtic. , . and passed, With these
impottarlf restrictions: . • !I !
,
101re`.! - Senate, after debate, ' the;' provision
for the Otancipation,lof children was struck
out 1;y -3J - : yeas to 7 -nays ; the oth4r provis
ion agaitist the furthar. introductien 'of
,Sla
very,::.wasfstruck out 4 . 22 yeas tei, 16 nays.
Thusernasculated, the bill was returned. to
the Ilout.e, which on IMarch .2d, byia vote of
78 pays to . 76 yeas, 'refused its concurrence.
The Senate adhered to - their r.r4tidnients;
and the -11,ouse. by 781 yeas: to 66 .hays, ad
hered' toltheir disagreements; and l' o so at this
.session I
the Missouri bill -was. lost t.f., and-here,,
-,- . -
,was temporary triumph of Freedom..-
Mtan'vhile the saute controversy- .Was re
newed 'o c ir , ,the bill pending at 'the same tim'e
for the Organization Of the Territory. Ofl Ar.-
kans4s, then known as the southern part of.
the. Territory of Missouri. The r6stnektons
already Adopted, in the • Missouri bill' 'were.
moved hyllir: TAYLOit, of New York, sub'se:
flu . itly 't.f e4l: er ; but; after at . lea.4' six 'close
I - •
.voteS;ott the yeas and nays, in onlpf winch
the . lintise was equally divided, 88iyeas to 88
nay.q thtl were lost.:; Another proposition by
Mr. TAYI.on-; . simpleri in form, that. Slavery ,
Aould riot hereafter be introduced: ,into this'
Territory,iwas lost bY 90 nays fO,'Bo Yeas;
and the :Arkansas bill on February! : :25th was
readilet third time and passed. 16 the Sen
' ate'Mr. Diltnin., of Rhode Island,',' moved as
an amendment the prohibition of the further
' introlludtiron - of
..Slasery into thiS territory,
*hie .viaS lost by 19! nays to 14 yeas. And
tilt's,: without , any prqvision . for' freedom, A-r-.
kansas was organized as a territory ;,andiere
was a triumph of
. slavery. --
. 'At this. same session, -Alabama Was admit- .
ted* a.slave State, without any restriction
..1
or ohje4tion... -1 . , ...
. ICwasin the disenssion on the Arkansas
bill, 'at this session,
. that we find the earliest
suggestiOtt of a Coin promise. - Defeated in his
efforts tt)Prohibit Slavery - in the fkrritory,Mr.
Taylor Stated_ that.. he thought it 'important,
thatlsodie line should 'be designatki beyond
which Slavery Elioul4 not be permitted," and
lie moved its prohibition hereafter
,in all ter
ritories .Of, the - United - States north 'of 30 deg.
30 ritin4tiorth latitude, without any extePtion
of Atisiouri•tchich is arth of .thisline. ' This
proOsition,.thoughwithdrawn after debate,
was pt tniCe welcomed by Mr. Lite.rmore i of
New . Ilarnpshire, "as made in the true spirit.
of compromise." It, was opposed hy Mr.
Rhea, Of : Tenneee. bit - behalf of slavery, who
avowed ": himself .agaiiiit every restiletiori i and
also !byNr. Ogle of Pennsylvania; on . behalf
of freedom; who. was' , ":against -- -any cpmpro-
miss by which, SlaVery in any of the
,Territo
s ties, should be TecOgnized or sanctioned -by
Congretks." In thii spirit it was opposed and
supported by, otheri almond whom was Gen.
llarrisOn, afterWard.s• President of the United.
!States, who assented to thel expediency of es
tablishing some such line Of discrimination;"
but proposed - a line:, due west from themouth
of, the Des Moines, thus! constituting the
northern and riot , the southern boundary of
. A.lissouri, the partition line jbctween Freedom
and Slavery.
But this idea of CornprOmise, though sug-
- - P , - --- b
crested by Taylor was thus early adopted and
vindicated in this Very debate, by'an eminent
:character,
.Mr.: Louts Mc4sz, of Delaware,
who has since . held high officein the country,
and enjoyed no common theaSure
. of . public
confidence. Of all the, lea'ding actoa iii these
early • scenes, he, and Mr. Maacka alone are;
yet spared. On this oc..casion'he said : . ; . '
"The fixing-of a line on the west. of the Mica-
1 sippi, north of which Slavery should not be tot
er ted, had always been with k i im a favorite. policy,
a d he hoped the' day was .not distant when up
o principles of fair omprolltise, it might consti
.l
tt tionallv be effected.. The 'present . attempt he
r ardedas premature?' • I -
After opposing the restriction! on Missouri,
1
he concluded by declaringl: . l' ' .
"At the same•time, I do not meinito abandoi
- tho'poliicy to which I alleiled in thelConuence
ment of my remark**. - i '-ithii* it but fair that
both sections:ef the-Union should Lel -accomreo,
• dated on this subject, i.vith regard to which 'go
much feeling , has: been - manifested. !, The same.
great motives of poliWwhieh reconciled Mundt--
inonized the jarring.* discordant 'elements of,
cur system . Originally, and Which enabled the ire-,
mereof our happy_ Constitution to Compromise
the- different • interests; ,whiCh then prevailed on
this and !other
.subjee t ts:. if. preperly cherished by
.us„will enable l us toiaclrievol sunilarlobjeets. If
we meet upon. principles . of ireciproeity, we can
rot fail to do justice to all. s, It has already been
avowed, by gentlenien on this. !leer from the
South and the West, that they will agree 'upon a
' line which. shall divide- the slaveholding from the
.nomslavehOlding States. - It is this preposition I
am anxious to-effect; but I wish toLtlffect it by
some compact which ; shall be binding[ upon all
parties and alli' subsequent LegislatUrps ; which
cannot be Changed, And will not fluctuate with
the'diversity of feeling,and of sentiment to which
this empire,' in its rharcb,• Must be destined
There is .a
.vast.'andfimmenSe tract Of country,
west of the Mississippi, yet to be Setilk end, in
timately connected -With the!Northern isLetio n ; of
the Union, Upon :which this Compromise 'con be
eflictee - . ' i : .
• The- tugge.4iori4 ,Compromise were at
this time vani:; each, partk detcrulincit•
TesenTatives,7 claimed all j for Freedom:;: the
South, ( by its potential *command of the Sen
ate, claimed all for Slavery.' •
.The report report of this•debate aroused the tcOini
try. For,tht
,first time in our history, Free
dom, after an. animated struggle, hand. to
hand, had been kept iii check, by Slavery.—
The original policy, of our Fathers in the res
triction of Slave was suspended, and- this
giant wrong • threaiened to !.stzilk into all 'the
broad natio=nal iloritain. Men at: the North
were humbled midi amazed. The imperious
demands of Slavery seemed incredible. Mean
while, the whole' stiliject *as adjourned from
Congress to the. ;people, .Through the , press
,and publie - ineeti&rs, an earnes.t.vmee was
raised agai the admission of Missouri into
the Union without the restriction of Slavery.
Judges left the beneh and!clergymenthepui-
Jiit, to swell the indignant protest which
arose from good men, without distinction• of
party or'pursuit-.
,The movement Was not confined to a few
persons, nor Ito a few States. A public meet-,
ing, at Trenton, in New Jersey, was followed
by others in!,NeW York and . Pliiladelphia,and
finally :It : l i Vereil..ter,, Salem, and - Boston,
where committees were orrtanized!to rally, the
country. , The eiti4ens of taltimere, convened
at the courtdionse4 with the MavOr• in the
chain re, so lvol that the future ailtnission of
slaves into'h
te States, hereafter formed west
of the .
ought ',•(:) be prohibited by
Congress. Villages, towns, and ci .by-nie
morial, petition,! and prayer, called upen-Con
gress to indintlini the great
. principle of the
prohibition :Of Elatert, The same principle
was also commended by 'the:resolutions of
State Lcg,islaturei; ~..and Pennsylvania, in
spired-by the teachings of , Franklin and the
convictions f the respectable - denomination
of . Fribnds; unanirriously asserted. at once the
right and the duty - of Congress to prohibit
SlayerV., - westl of theilississippi, and solethnly
appealed ten her sister States *‘ to refuse to
covenant with trinie." , New-Jersey and Del
aware tollowied, both also - Amanirnonsly,Ohio
- asserted the 'saline principle ;.r
ant. The 14tier State,,not Content with pro-
riding for-the futtre, severely censured one
otitis Senators for his vote to organize
,Arkan
sas with Out the prOhibition of Slitvory. The
resolutions of Nor Fork were • reinforeed by
.the recoinMendatiOn of De Witt Clinton.
Aniidst this excitement, Congreg•Carnejo- .
getter in Otember, 18-19, taking Posgession
of them: Hal S - Ofthe capitol for the -?firt time.
since their .d esolation. by the On the
day after the receipt of thePresidenesiMe.si
age, two se4eral Committeesof , ',the louse
Were - constituted, One to Consider the applica
tion of Maine, and "the
. other of Missouri,'
to enter the.taion as Seperate and itlepend
chi States: ;IWithl only the delay of a: single
day,. the bill for the .admisiion 'of, Missouri
was reported to thellouse without , the-res
triction-of Slaveryi; but, as if shrinking from.
the immediate dikussion of . the gloat -ques
tion it invelVeil, at terwards on.the motion of
Mr. Mercer;i.'of Virginia, its consideration. was
postponed for.seve,ral weeks ; h all whiCh f be it
observed, is in open contrast with . the man
hilein which the: present discus.sionlias'been
precipitated upon I,CotigreSs.. Meanwhile, the
Maine bill, ,When. reported to the Hotise,' Was
promptly acted upon, and
. sent to, the Sen
ate.
In the interval i between
. the rePort,of the
Missetiri - bill rind - its 'consideration' by the.
Reuse, h . conmiittee.was,cOnstituted; on mo
tion of Mr. Ta7l4, of Ncw York, to inquire
ititO , tlr4 exp&henCy Of prohibiting the intro
duction: of ; Slavery into the Territories =vest of
the MisSiSsipPi . .. This cornmittee,• atthe end
of a fortnight,' wins discharged froin' farther
consideration of the subject. whichit, *as tin-.
derstood, would
,dtiter into - the postponed de
bate _on!the This early effoit .
to interdict Slaveri , in the Territories. by a
speeial,lav ! 4 , iS.Wertity of notice, or , account
of soling of Ilie, , extotessions of opinion Which
it drew forth: Iri ihe Course of iris remarks
Mr; Tailoi declared; tbat • .
" 11e :prestimed thero -.were no. inerahersl ho
knew of none, who doubted - the eonitituttoinf
'power of Congresi to impose .sizett a restriction
on the Ttirritories),'
Mil
• .
A generous voice frinnlyirginitt mil
'at once the right and duty Of Congress. Tit
was fibre Charles FentonlMercer; whndeel
ed that ' - ' 1 '"I
. ,
" When the question proposed should - come
fairly hefore the House, he•slionld. support Oa
proposition., Ho should record his vote L agninst
suffering the dirk cloud of inhumanity, *hich
now darkened his' Country;ifrom rolling on W.
yond the pea,ceful shores of the Mississippi." I -
At length on the 26th of January, die
Housei.resolved itself into Committee of the
Whole on the _Missouri liill,. and proceeded"'
with its discus:ion day by day, till the 28th
of February, when it:Was reported beat with
amendments. But meanwhile the same qu4-
tion Was presented to -the _Senate,., where ° a
conclusion
cot:erosion was reached earlier: 'than ine
Houso.• A clause for the admission of Mi
souri*lts tanked to.the Maine bill .:. To th s.
an intendment was moved, by Mr. Robe .
~. -
of Pennsylvania, prohibiting the tutther ip
trodnotion of Slavery into the State,"._whieh
after a fortnight's debatei was defeated by 27
~
'nays to 16 yeas. I • - .
' The debate in the . Senete was of unusn
i d
interest: and Splendor. It was especially;-
lustrated by an effort of I transcendent pow r
from that great lawyer and orator, WaLis i x
Purpirr.- Recently returned from a recces,:
•sion Of missions to foreign courts, and at this,,
time the acknowledged chief of theAinerican
bar, - particularly skilled in questiOrisi of con
stitutional law, his course as a- Senator fro ,
Maryland, was calculated to produce a p
i f!
found impression. In a speech he drew _tot is
chamber - an admiring throng for, two der s,
and which at the, time was fondly compa+l
with the - hest example of Greece and Rome,
he liAt authoritively proposed and developed
the . Missouri -Compromise...; His masterly et:
fort seas mainly directei: against ther,estric
don upon Missouri but it began land endpd
with the idea of compromise. " Notwithstand
ing,", he says, ' occasional appearances Int
rather an unfav rable deiciiption, I have long
since persuad m yself that the Afissori
question, as it is called might be laid to rept,
withjnnocence and setety, b y some conciba
tory comproinise at least, by which as is ciur
duty, we' reconcile the etremes of confiictibg
views and 'feelings, without- any sacrifice lof
Cons'titutional - pnnciples." Arid 'he cloie d
with the how that , the restriction on Missou
ri would not'be passed, but that the whble
'question "might be disposed of in a menner
satisfactory. to all by a prospective prohibitto i n
of
. Sinvery in ro . e Territory ro the north_cg , d:
1 watt, htiifOliTtA re prOposition of \ *Oinir;ro;
mice; from the most powerful advocate ° O
le
unccinditiottal ' admission of Missouri ' as,
'made in the Senate January 21st. Fr T
in'
'variOus indications, it, 'steins to have found
pronipt favor in that -body. Finally ; on she
I7th of February, the Union of Maine rind
Missburi in one bill prevailed in, the. Senate,
by 23 yeas to 21 nays. I On , 'the next day,
Mr. Thomas of Illinois, who had always voted
with the South against any restriction upon
Missouri, introduced the - famous claus.e.poo
hibitino• Slavery north 0f.36 degrees 30 thin.,
whiCh now Constitutes the - eighth section' ofi
the Missouri act. An effeit was made to'n
elude the Arkansas Territory. within' this ro
hibitiOn ; but the South I united against is
I L
extension of the area of Freedom; and it 4 - r.s '
defeated by '2'4 nays to. 20 yeas: ' The pro-'
hibition ' as moved l,y Mr., TIIONIAS, then lire
vailed by 34 yeas to only 16 -nays. AmOng
'
ttioie in-the affirmative wereboth of the Sen-
etors from each of the slave States, Louisitn
na, i Tennessee Kentucky, Delaware, Mars -.
land and Ala bama, and also one of : the Se.ba
tors:from each of the slave States, Missi pi
and; North Carolina, including in the non r,
We list-the familiar .
names of William Pli
nev.,Tantes Brown and 'William Rufus trig.
- This.bill, as thus amended, is the fiist leg
islative-embodiment of the Missouri Cornriati
or Compromise, the essential conditioLi of
whielt. slv.ere, the admi.r,,ion of Missouri a a
State *ithout 'any restriction of S.laveryi all .
the;retnaining Territory Ofk. Louisiana so th
of 36 deg. 30 min. This bill; thui compoSed,
containing these two propositionsthisclo'xibs
le measure—finally passed the Senate by a
test. VOi4 of 24 yeas- to 20 nays. The yeas
embraced every Southern] Senator except Na
thaniel Macon. of North ;Carolina and Atil,
limit Smith, of South Carblina. 1 - •
lilt.. fkrurt, (interrupting.) Mr. Bail and
voted with :lir. Smith.- I • I.' I •
NT- ihe.
Mr SUMNER. ,No sir. The n, ~ie of JOhn '
Gaillard, Senator from I South Carolin'iL is
.1
found in favor of the Compromise. I sPetdi
with the Journal in myhand, and now re tit
that the yeah embraced every. Southern 4 . n- ,
ator l except, Mr. Macon 1 and Mr. Smit ~---- ,
,
.The nays embraced every Northern Son ter,/
..
except the two Senators from Illinois and one
Senator from Rhode Island, . and one Ony
NeW Hampshire. And , this, sir, is the re (iiril
of the first stage in the adoption ,of,tll.e, ' iss
our.
floorl. Compromise. First openly! lifingu ced
and vindicated on the rof the / Senat by
a slistinguished
s,.
rii.
uthern stateMman, it was
forced - on the North by' an almost, unani (Ms
Southern vote. i
'While thin had thus/culminated i ' the
Senate, discussion was/Still proceediu . in
the other - House on / the original Missouri
hill. 'This was for a / mon:tent arrested b the
- reception from the'Senate of the Maine 'bill,
embodying the Missouri Compromise. Upon
thiC the debate' was brief and the decision
prOmpt. But here, eve'n at this stage as at
every 067; a Southern 'statesman intery ned.
Mr., Smith o f Maryland, for .many yea nn
t. . / - i
eminent Senator 'of that; State, .but at this
i
tinie i , Representative; while opposing the F.
- strietion on Missouri, vindicated the prohi "-
thim of slavery in the Territories : i
/ Mr. S. Smith said, 'that he role principally
with• a view to state his understandinv or . the
prOosed amendment ,: viz: That it' retailie ')he
boundaries of lithigentioris delineated' iti th b 1;
th*t it prohibited the Admiiision of slaves *cat' of
the west line of Missopii; aid_north of' the torth
line • that it did not' interfere - ivith 'the l'e I . 9ty •
if
of[Arkansas or the uninhaßied land west, ere
of; He thought the prepOsitioii ilia (deep ionii
ble i-but doubted the propiletv of its forming! a
part of the bill. He etiniddired the power lof
COng,ress over the territory ta supreme, u/ limit
ed, before Its admission i. teat Congreis co . la lin
,
pdee on . its Territories Otreistriepons itthotight
proper ; That if citizens to into the Territories
thin restricted, they- afloat cam'' , ,with jihem
sbries. They will be without slaves, and will be
educited With prejudices M3d habits inch - is will
elteltide all desire On their_ part to admit I every
When they shall lieeome sufficiently numei tiil to
be admitted Mi.* State. ,end this ii the , mii
tage,proposed by the amendment." -- ,
ißut the nonce WAS not dispcistati 'Atli, tit?
the substantial - restriction of shiverk., its
, snarl, for what seemed its unsubstantial , pro
hibitien in an tinsettledlTerritury. Thei.Coni
,
+ 11 :
OcilOi r re: - P, $4)114 .•
promise was rqiented, and the bill left y itt.its
original condition. This was done briarge
votes.. Even the i prehlibition of 'slavery 4ras :
thrown out by 159 yeas to lEf nn, both the
North and the South uniting ag
nst it.- The
Senate on receiving the bill back froth. As': -
Houle, insisted On their amendine.nts, The
Housein turn insisted art their disagreement.
According to parliamentary usage, a COM
mittee of Conference besween the,two Houses
was appointed. Mr. Thom*. of Illinois, Mr.
Pinkney, of II Maryland, and Mr.: games Bar
bour, of Virginia, eomposed this important
committee on the part of the Senate; imd
Mr. Holmes, of Maine, Mr. Taylor, of New,
York, M. Lowndes, of South Corolimy Mr,
Parker of Massadhinetts, and Mr. Kinsey of
New Jersey, on the part of the ouse.
Meanwhile, the House had voited on the
original Missouri bill. An amendment, Or
emptorily interdicting all'SlaverY in the new
State, was adopted by 94 yeasto tuiya ;
and thus the bill passed . the Ho use, Ind was
sent to the Semite, March Ist. Tha t after,
an 4xaiperale4l acid protracted diieussion, the,
two Houses were 'at a dead-lock. The doub
le-headed Misswri , COmpromise, , was the ut.
tiniatum - of the Senate. The restriction of
ISlavery in Missduri, involving, dm:mire, its
prohibition in all the unorgamsea Territories
was the ultimatum of the House! .
At this stage, on the •-2d ofijklareh, the
Coinmitteepf Conference made-their import,
which was urged at once uioon'the House by
Mr. Lowides, the distinguished Belvieu:its.-
tive from South carolipa, and Done of. ber
most preciOus sons. And here,l sir,lat the .
mention, of this name, yet fragrant amoarits,
let me stop fdr one moment thia current of
history, to express the tender admiration,witl
which I am inspired.. Lowndes 'died before : ,
my recollection of politiCal evente ; but lie is
endeared by'that single; sentiment—that the
Presidency is an Office never to to sought—
which, by its beauty, shames the..vileness of
aspiration itqour day, and will ever live as an
amaranthine flower." Such a Ulan at any
time is a host ; - but he now threw his great
heart into the work. He * objected- eren to a
motion to print the report of the Committee,
on the ground '5 that it would ittiily a deter-
Mination m the House to delay a decision of
the subject to day, ;which he had hoped the '
House -was fully prepared for: ) . ,The ques
tion then came, on striking out the restric
tion in the Mi.s.souii bill, The report in the
National Intelligencei s.4s :
JIL L .L ~,~v'recommeihr~sy the Committee" of
Conference, and urged With great earnestness the
propriety of a decision . Which Would restore trap
quility to the country; 'which was demanded by
every consideration of discretion, of, Moderation,
of *isdom, and of virttic. • ' -
"31r. BlEaczn, ofYirginin, Callowed on `the
the
same side with great earnestness, and had spoken '
about Judean hour, wheal he was cpmpel ed by
rindisposition to resume his seat." i- -.,
In conformity with this report
. th s - dist
il
turbing question as :at once pit at est. , , •
'Maine and 3fissouri.were each mitt into
the' Union as independent Statii: The re- -
striation of Slavery in Missouri was abandon
ed by a vOte_in the - House, of 90 -yens to 87
nays; and the prohibition of Slavery in all
territories north of 36 deg. 39 naith, excltt
sive of Missouri, substituted by ti; vote of 135
yeas to 32 nays. Among the distinguished
Southern `names in the affirmative; are Louia,
'McLane, of Delaware, Samuel' Smith, of Ma-I:
ulartd, William toirndes, of South Carolina;;
and Charles Frenton 'Mereer, of iVirginiff
The title of the Missouri bill was amended in /
conformity with this prohibition, by adding,,-_ ,
the words, "and to prohibit Slatery , in cer-',I I - I ,
tain Territories.: The bills , then passed ' both' ./'
Houses without a division.; and on the Twiny(
ing of the 3d March, 1820,.the .Nation4'.,k , ..
lelligenceil contained -an einiting articleien
titled': "lii r ie QUestion Settled." / - 1 , - ,
- • Anothe i
paper, published in :/Baltimore; •
immediately, after the passage/of/the COln-
promise; vindicated it, as a perpe,tual c - om-
pact, which ..coUld- not he /distu r bed. The :
language is so clear and / / string that I will
read it, although it has , .,len/nlready quoted - -
by my able and; •mest /excellent I friend *Om
Ohio, [Mr. CuisE.l / / . I -
-
"It is true the Cor6prpmise isslapported only -
by the tetkt - of ,01/01*-, repealable by the an..
thority which enaCte it; -but the:circumstances ,
of the case givcjtli - kw a MORAL FeRE equal to:
that of a positive revision of the tenstitution;
and we do n'ot / ho=ril anything by,:saying that
the Constitnt)dn exists in its Observance, Both
parties haVemacrfieed much to Cenciliation. • We •
-Wish to se the compact kept in good faith; and
.N
we trust that kind Providence- will open the
we" to / relieve ns'of an evil which every good
citizen deprecates as the supreine , curse of the
, Country. -- --;,2yile's Register. . .
,
:Air, thetistingill'iaed leaders in this settle
/it:tent were :III : from the &Aid]: As early
~as
Fehmary, 1819, Louis Metine, Of Delaware,
had, urged it upon Congress,..." by some corn - '
pact binding upon all - suis.equ'etit legislatures."
It was in. 1820 brought forward and is field
in the'Senate by William Pinknely, of Mary ,
land, and passed there by the vOte , of eiery .
Southern . Senator _except two, apitist the
vote of every, Northern Senator except four. -'
It was welcomed in the • Muse .111-;.Samuel
Smith, of 3faryland. - The Committee of Con-:
Terence; through •I vihitit, .it finally prevailed,, : -
was filled, on the par o f :the
' he Senate •with in
flexible partisans of the SOuth e sl4..h , as, might 'f
fitly represent the i,entiments of its President i
pro tem., John .i3aillard, a Senator' from South '
Carolina ; on the part: of the nouse, it ltras".•
nominated by HENRY Ctav; the Speaker and
kepresentative,, frop Kentucky. , c.This cotn-1
mittee, tlitts constituted, ; drawing its,doubleq
life from , the South; was uuanirneas in favor]
of the Compromise. A privato I totter from - 1
,
Mr. Prxic.lar, written at: the :time, and *pre-.,
served by his distinguished biographerehown!
1 that the report made by the cornmittee camOl
frotn him: • 1 1
..
• "The bill for . ttse admission 'of MisaOuri into].:
the Union (teithclit., restriction as to Slavery)par
;be CsitiAlderf:,;:i as past; That bill was Sentbaek,
again this Moraine . from the . Housti, with theta
strietion as to . Sla very. • The Senate 'ituted to ,
emend- it by striking' out: the restrietipik - (17 to':
10,) and Iproposed,'ns another amendmeht, whet'
I have all along been the idvneate of, ft restrk:
tion upon the vacant territory; to - the north and
west, alto Slavery. - Taillight the Iloistior• Rep: '
• resentattves have agreed tnbeth ofithose mead , .
mesas,. in opposition:to their forme - ' vetes, 'and
this affair - is settled. To4norrow we isball (of
e muse) recede our amendments as to Maine.
(our Phject beituz effected) . - and both States WRY
be ltdmitta. This happy result had Isiikaieom. -
plow by .the Conferences of Mile& )1; was a
Inernher on the part of the Senate, ,iand Of wfilih ;
I proposed the reßort, which ha& ben - alaWl
Thus stin the Compromise taketi Hi lit o
friira the • Oh. Pt Oposed in the Clitillat4o
'by Mr, piekney, IA ;vas urged on 14 11011110
t _
Wrb `