Edwardsville spectator. [volume] (Edwardsville, Ill.) 1819-1826, 1820-03-07

w y
an addition by the unaccounta6Ge cleo
ton of MIR. RUFUS ..ING, of New-York,
to the senate"
FROM THE PORTLAND (MAISE) GAZETTE, JAN. 10.
The subject Which most particularly inter-
ests the Citizens OF TINS portion OF the country,
IS tue admission OF .Rotac into the union, on
tne loolhS OF tic Original states. A bid Tor
ms purpose mas already passed the house, but
III the senate It was read twice ana referred to
the committee on the judiciary, CONSISTING OF
Mcssrs. Smith, OF 5. C.. l.eake, vi mss. Logan,
OF kentucky, Burrll, OF L. l. and pmAnc}, OF
Maj! land. On Thursday the 9th instant. this
Committee, Burril only dissenting, reported
The biii anenued, by adding to ii the bill blang
poWerto Missouri 10 form Il consti tuition With
udt the restriction OF olav cry. 1t isQndcrstood
that the members OF the senate opposed TO the
restriction Ill Missouri, are determined TO let
.hsS0n1Y III, or Keep .HalRc out Ii is bc!.cy-
Cd That majority OF the senate are CT this
OPINION, and that consequently the bin wnn
thc amendment will pass mat body. There
VIII then be disagreement between the Sc
maze and the house ii must therefore return
TO Inc iatter body Tor lis assrnt to the amend
meht MS vii probably produce some little
embarrassment Iii the minds Of the members
from tbs district, but which can be relieved,
as We conceive, only by pursuing that course
when principle and honesty point out We
GeI!c'e and hope the menbcls from .h4ine
VIII adhere to Their integrity, and that they
"lii l1ot s@eiiiice theIr principles on the altar
OF private or local interests We should have
but an Ill opinion OF chat man, who does what
he IN, ,It.rI Il,
edIy good object; much less should he do
wrong, when the issue of his efforts will un-
quesilonaDly be peimicious, or even OF daubt-
iu Character. "God forbid thai we do evil,
that good may come" But it Is sad that the
members from Maine can turn the question in
favor OF this district by c9nSenting to the
amendment; and that it is OF no consequence
to US whether they have slavery in Missouri
or not. we say TO them, you are moi sentthere
merely to procure the admission of Name, but
TO ieoislite Tor the best Interest OF all the peO-
pie OF tbs eXtensiYe unon-the admission OF
Name Is not an object TO compel you to act
against the honest purpose OF your Judgment,
or against politica. and natural rights Il Name
IS nos admitted II this tine the Tinted States
suitcl no injury, she herself 5ustains no mate
rial damage, and the fundamental principles Of
the constitution arc not violated but if Mls-
sour is admitted without the restriction Of
slavery, the political rights of the north and
cast ale impaired, the Constitution receives
shock, and moral and political stain IS indell-
bly, fixed upon on. republic. What then is
the equivalent for the admission OF Missouri
and for the entailing these lasting evils upon
TINS country? Why, torsooth, Maine shall be
called estate instead ola diSnlct, and its legs-
iature meet Ut Portland instead OF Boston.
lhis IS grounded upon the supposition that
the Maine blli will not pass without carrying
Missouri along with it. position however,
which We very much doubt; We cannot be-
hcve that such legislation will receive the
SANCTION OF congress; it is 4 connection Of sub
Jects totally dissilnliar in their nature, and
winch wear not even an external resemblance /;
Maine is part OF tie original union, and stls-
tanned It's part oi the revolutionary burden, and
lis constitution is before congress, which de-
clares al as population now and for over free,
and the subjects Of equal laws. .lE8soul4, on
The other hand, is far removed from the an
clent limits, and took no part IN the contest for
Liberty, and now she complains because con-
gress, in the emphatic langu9e sc OF Tie consti-
tuition, wishes to secure to them and their
posterity the blessings CT liberty." We hope,
Therefore, that all the members from Maine,
who are opposed TO slavery i'll Missouri, Wi
hold fast their political integrity; ior. as
much as VIC wish success to the Maine blll, we
confess we had rather it would sink, than bear
up SO wicked a freight as the slavery OF Iis-
sour. ave acknowledge our establishment,
that the senate of the United States, a body, to
which, in al cases. we have looked for firmness,
integrity, and inparta!ty, should suffer so
foul blot as the amendment to the Maine bill
presents, to stain its escutcheon We hope
the proceedings on THURSDAY last nave wiped
it wholly away. If not. let the members from
this district look to it, how they trife with
their conscences; how they sacriiice real
good, and entail real evil upon the country,
TO accomplish an imaginary or at least an Oh
ject not vitality important