Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1840-02-25

n latent meaning beneath the words, (which The Com
stitution and the treaties made under II, VIII allow
General Harrison has given Us IN advance 4 key
to unlock lis construction 10 the mrancst capacity
| vii! place that key in the readers hand.
On Friday the 18th of February, 1910, following 4
very close vote in the House of Representatives, on
Mr.. Tallmad geis scheme for partial restriction, partial,
because so qualified as to draw it, as he cnntcndrG,
within that provision of The treaty Of ccssIon, which
contemplated the security of private property) AHc.
Taylor Of New York, moved to amend the Missouri
Bill as follows: "That neither slavery, nor involuntary
" servitndr, shall hereafter be introduced into anr
g part Of the Territories Of the United States, living
Sc North of Sc degrees and thirty minutes of North
" latitude" Mr.. Lirermore Zone of the restriction
g ists) followed in the debate and said, ''that he con
" ccived this proposition to he made IN the true spirit
" of compromise, which ought to be met, but suggested
81 different line" General Harrison rose in the de-
6 bate-"iie asSented 10 the eXped'ency Of establish
|" ing some such line of discrimination, but for rca.
+" sons which he explained at large, proposed a dif
" tcrcnt one, by way of amendment to the amend.
g men,, as follows: That all that part OF the pre-
= sent Territory Of Missouri lying North OF 4 line
" to be run due West from the mouth of the r.v"r de
. Mosnes,' 10 the territorial boundary of The Unitcd
" States, shall form a part of the territory ofMicnigan;
" ana the laws now IN force IN the SAID territory, ~
g well as the ordinance Of Congress prohibiting slavery
g or involuntary Servitude in said territory of Alrhi-
" gan, shall be in force in that part of the Missouri ter
" r'tory lying North Of said East and West line"
THIS amendment conceded the whole question OF
''hSt'Lut''HhI Io"''I uiIttSS ut ilIl> ,
sutncs the concert, that constitutional power has a ca
melons hue, and is as variable as the shades in The dE.
f"rcut degrees Of latitude and longitude. Mr.. Philip
7. Barbour SAID Immediately in reply To Gen. Harrison,
9 that he was opposed 10 The amendment, and /, all
g others Of Z similar character, aud spoke with much
&c earn"Stncss against the proposition at some lrngra, as
g partial and ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS that il The pgsnr.J.'
g was wrong in Itself, GHdMc question tat han &ScssS0d
g on priRcidc a!ORc,) IT ought not I" be withheld from
g one part Of the Territory, and applied To arothn-.-
| 90 That II vas lrr:slatIup narttallv lv auulvinr "a rul, "a
q one portion, and a different rule TO another portion
g Of citizens, having equal rights and placed under ST.
g milar circumstances. II the rule was wrong 1t The
g 35th degree Of latitude, il was equally 50 at the 4jrI'
Mr.. Anderson of Kentucky debated the same qnrs-
ton on the same side: drnounrIng the amendment,
on the grounds both OF policy and the Constitution
These various propositions made by General liar!I-
son, both in Congress and in the Senate of ONO, IN
the years 1919 and lo2o, may be regarded - COM
pris:nr and expressing his opinions on ;A:s sub
iect, in the most solemn and authentic mode. At
each and hoth ofthosc periods the State of Missouri
was part of the territories Of the United States, ashiugnf
you admission into the Unicn. The question Of frdc-
raj power over the subject, is settled in the judgment
of General Harrison by his amendment IN Con-
gress of February 18th 1910, after, as judy" Barbour
said, at hDd been discMsS,d on principle aionc." and
the preamble with his resolution of the Sd Of January,
1890, in the Senate of Ohio, show both the change
that had come over the spirit of his dream, and the cy-
tent to which he would use that power through his Sc
majors and Representatives in Congress, 10 avert 81
g great moral and political evil which sul!!cd "o!r
" national character and materially affected our ma
tional happiness" To redoub!c the force and tho
kecnncss of this invect!ve, (UHerGi IN tie cause
of hrmanity) il was added, s'that the admission
of slavery in the new State Of Missouri is iranght
% with the most fearful consequences TO the pcrlia.yn-
" CIV and durability of our Republican Institutions,
and demanding "tfe utmost eX"rtions and The nsc If
g every means to avert it, that lay within the lcg.tI-
mate scope of constitutional power.
In recurring to the incidents that associated them
selves with the Missouri restriction, those which trans
pred in New York, cannot pass unnotced N us dark
and portentous history. Yet the curtain has not been
raised off the most prominent of its I%nstigators within
that State, for reasons that will be briefly recnuntcd. Sub.
scquent events have placed IN prominent view, some IN
div;duals, participating, by force of circumstances, IN
tina: agitation; upon whom that subject acted with assna-
sive influence, in spite Of themselves. This opinion is
now expressed from a prssion!eSs review of0ur political
annals, without consultation wIih any persons or parties,
and its accuracy derives both its rul;d and lis support,
from testimony that cannot mis!rad. Parties aud ~
dividuals are invariably governed by that master pas
sion which exerts IN all times a sovereign sway over
the deliberations of mankind. Interest in the moral,
like rravitation in Tie material world, controls ana m
pcls. retards and i%nStira,es the dcstinics OF men. De
Witt Clinton held that prominence, both b. power
and place, (sor they are not always unitcd) IN the Stale
of New York, from which he alone could cast ambi-
tons penetrating eve, with hope of success, upon The
larger distinctions Of the Con:rderacr.
lie held at that time The Chief Aagistracy o: hs
I stale. bat the party tIlaI CD!lItEEt! ic IliEi vi i'iti,
did not SUSPEND it over a bed ofrnscS. That party had
already rccoilrd from his support, and lis discussions
created a division in tl" Republican ranks, winch WAS
distinguished by acrimony and mvcciiv". The divi-
sion which had shcwn lis hostility 10 Ai-. Clinton, adj
lIered with undated zeal 10 the administration oG tie
! General Government, ana cnjovcd a full share of its
trust and bounty. Reciprocity followed, and the Co.
vernon, no longer slow to anger, exhibited both lrrrfdl-
ness and fervor in his official messages. His present
possessions, and his hopes of future ACKNOWLEDGEMENT,
..,-, -, amin. ,,,r,l aud al ,ln uy,rs, ,,,,,..l
his overthrow, unless he could bring INFO The approach
ing contest 4 new element of strife that would minister
to his aid. 1t was known, that the President of the l..
5. was hostile TO the proposed restriction on M'ssour.:
and that his constitutional power would 5c intcrpnscd, #
need be, to defend the unborn Stat" Just qrickcning INTO
life. The party IN y. York most ua!ricnd!y to Mr., {. had
common cause and common interest wIti the Admins
tratiHn at Washington. The ~cXi.cncy of the occasion
called for no feeble ally in this (u.i them scarce doubt
full contest. The genius OF Clinton saw and seized i.
The cloud was charged, ana the electric chain was ~
his hand: when It's lightntngs were once drawn tow ards
the earth, he knew that neither parties nor poieni"'"s
could hold them innoxIous and obedrcnt To their vii.
His ambition which had achrd and anncrcd n the agony
of suspense, saw its dcligcrancc. The Missouri agi;a-
ton started from its ambush, at the touch OF his inter-
csts. A Northern journal printed al that time, and now
before me, whose Editor was both 4 statesman and q
patriot, says Of Mir. Clinton and that agitation: ale is
the soul Of its existence, and it is the stcpst0nc to h,
elevation
Mr.. Tallmadge was a distinguished leader ofthc party,
whose interests were ind;ssolubly w-apt up in this no.
vel and portentous question. lie suddenly brought It
INTO Congress, at his unexpected return TO his seat, az
ter a visit to his home on leave Of absence for the seq
sion. The subject was not in Congress VIXEN he le:t
1t, though the Bill IN which it was afterwards grated
had been long before it. The coincidence Of his :.stt,
{on leave, for the remainder Of tie session. has coming
back unexpectedly to his seat, after his trip to the feet
Of Gamalicl, which Immediately preceded his ringing
the fre-Lell in the night YVES declared by m"mOc:s
and the venerable Macon among the naHhrr) TO be an
omen of mischicf-and the prophecy was %ripcned INTO
fact, as soon as he submitted the amendment. II WAS
regarded by the members (as | am assured as a political
mannuvre Of Mr.. Clinton, and Tor ends that were too
visible for mistake.
There was no party combination IN this confederacy
of States, $, deeply Interested in keeping from the use
Of their formidable and puIssant adversary, so terrible
an engine for the conflict, as that division within New
York, of which iIr. Van Buren, was 4 member.
It's great interest lay in the quiet ascendaacy Of that
party in the Union, whose majority then held the gcrc.