The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1843-08-04
THOMAS HART BENTON.
REPEATING THE COMPROMISE ACT"


THOMAS HART BENTON.
"REPEALING THE COMPROMISE ACT"
On examining the files Of the Globe, printed
during our absence from the city, We find,
among other ground ess charges brought against
the President, it is asserted that Mr.. Tyler uni
ted with the Wings in repeating The Compro
mise act.
Now, we knew, as we have recently proven
by his own assertions at different periods, that
the editor Of the Globe (whether designedly or
not our readers will judge for themselves) is
not only in the habit Of making shamefuly in
correct statements in his assaults upon others,
but is sometimes detected in contradiclng him
self when fancying there is no other mode OF
escaping from sore dilemma. Yet we hardly
supposed he would venture to misrepresent a
matter of recent occurrence. But so it is.
We are sure the whole country remembers
that the Wing majority in Congress, at the ex-
ira session, was confronted with frmness by the
President, and made TO understand that the
principles Of the Compromise act should be adj
hered to in good faith, as far the Executive
was concerned. Neither can it be forgotten
that the clause providing for the ds'ibu-
ton of the proceeds of the sales of the
public lands, adopted at the extra SEES
sion, was afterwards quashed by the Pre-
sidenls Veto, when the attempt was made,
in the "lit,e tariff BILL" to violate the princi-
pies of the Compromise act. These facts are
as well remembered by the Globe as they are
by the country; and yet that journal charges
the Presiden, with repeating the Compromise
act
But perhaps the Globe means to cehsure the
President for having permitted the existing arlfi
TO be passed. Ii was done by The votes OF the
Wings and some thirty Democrats, and the
Globe itself has said that The President was
compelled to sign the bill, or leave the Govern
menr without the means OF raising the necessa-
ry revenue.
! SO much for the false charge against the Pre-
sident.
/ And now we are tempted 10 retort on this We
racou, champion of the Compromise act, for
we presume that the glory of the perpetuation
Of that act, were 1t now in existence, would be
| freely conceded 10 his old friend and connex-
ion by marriage"
If Mr. Blair spoke his own sentiments truly
in 1888 and SO, he has not always been the ad-
vocste of the Compromise act. But II II be true
that he is now returning TO his first love, MIR.
CLAY, he may very naturally have become a
convert to all his doctrines.
| Nevertheless, we will show what the editor
of the Globe once said Of the Compromise:
From The Extra Globe Of Sept. l6, 1896.
| "When Mr.. Calhoun so fully apprised by his
confederate Mr.. Clay, that macritics would exist at
the next session 10 bring down the tariff to the egt
mate limit and to confne it to the object of supply,
for the necessary subjects Of national expenditures
WHY did Mr.. Calhoun unite with Mr.. Clay to tie up
| the hands of that Congress by compromise, which
did not take effect unit, after the meeting OF the sue
ceeding Congressi The fact that this surplus tariff
was not by lis provisions, to operate until after the
meeting OF the subsequent Congress, which would de-
stroy such a tariff altogether and put the revenue
system upon the constitutional basis shows that the
two contrvcrs had no intention butt anticipate and
defeat the purposes Of the President so that they
might create a surplus TO devote 10 the purpose OF
Iop-rolling party in Congress. Calhoun and his
friends well knew he dare not oppose the utmost cx
tent of reduction which the President could accom-
plsh by the newly elected ma orty returned to the
House of Representati es, and which rs referred TO
by Mr. Clay as prepared TO give the fatal blow to hrs
| system The nullihers, who would have been thus
driven in by the force Of public sentiment at home
TO support the Presidents measure would have made
| 10 n majority for IL in the Senate. This Mcssrs.
Clay ana Calhoun well understood and they there
fore employed their Senatorial majority in the nte
rim TO force their Compromise, under the plea OF
preventing the nulh6ers from shedding blood in the
South aud establish the sppus-creoins tariff, upon
the pretext Of a legislative contract with the manu-
featuring interes,a vested right in the long iayorcd
and over-psmpered moooPolists"
| r., a.. Cloh. of Julv 1876
"Tpg ComrRoMsE.--We are surprised to hear
members Of Congress representatives Of the people,
who are under no obligations but those by which the
are bound TO their constituents and the Constitution
holding the patched up compromise between Clay
and Calhoun, as Of greater validity than any other
law We ask what authority had Messrs. Clay
and Calhoun, any who acted with them TO make
terms to put the public will under duresse Mr.
Clay when he pressed his Compromise bill on his
friends in the Senate told them that it was the only
means to preserve the tariff. He knew popular sem
tment was against IL, and TO forcsta the people he
urged his friends 10 acquesce in his scheme lie
tod them that President was then already elected
who proposed to reduce the taxes 10 meet mere y
the wants Of the Government He told them that a
majority of those returned TO the then ensuing
Congress were pledged 10 the same object, and would
act with the Executive in the work Of reduction
This, he told them, would inevitably result in the
overthrow of ,hc tariff; and his bargain with Calhoun
was avow ed by him TO be effort his part TO ar.
rest the force Of the popular will"
"At the time this compromise was made by the
leaders Of the discounted factions in Congress, We
gave notice OF the deception about TO be Tractced
on the people"
"And this Is 10 20 on in violation OF the fundameu
tai principles OF the Government, because Mes'rs