The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1847-06-05


CLEVELAND, ONO, April 18th, 1916.
Hon. CHARLES llUDsoN-
Dean SIR; Continued infirmity has delay
ed thanks for the considcrnte kindness whicl
hus relieved my solitude, by your speech oI
the 100000 bill, rend aud reread with en-
tire appreciation and pleasure. In the l5tl
und 10Th Congresses, when my efforts TO ar
rest slavery in Missouri and Arkansas were
defeated by dough faces, the result was deep
| ~ deplored: bur none then anticipated III,
present fearful declension, when the hoartl
! blood of ireemGu is poured out IN lorcigl
lands, 10 enlarge aud perpeiuate human
bOndnge, The axiom you announce, "a con
queriug republic is political solecism," lays
at the foundation of our Union. Its disre,
gard must lead 10 dissolution. We have
gone far in downward course, when Con-
grcss instead ofimpeaching and removing Il
President who wnntonly usurps its preroga-
tive OF making war; tamely assumes the war,
with lie on It's front, and authorizes its pros
ecution for objects too buse 10 he avowed.
The dough fhcGs of the 18th Congress are
justly chargeable with the triumph ofsnvery;
for although MIR Scott, the delegate of Mis-
souri,, and the slave owners in Kentucky,
opposed the restriction against slavery, yet,
after it passed the House of Representatives,
they ilnplored their friends TO acquiesce,
which would have been the peaceful result,
had not slavery found Senators from free
States, then the majority, false to their con-
stituents. From this fatal beginning, the
the course of Freedom has been downward.
The attempt TO make Missouri free State
hns been falsely attributed to unworthy am
biton. Bear with me, while relate some
facts not generally known ofirs origin. One
day, early in February, 1919, Gen. James
Tallmadge, of Pougfkeepsie, in Congress
from Duchess county, was sitting with me
in the room of the Committee of Elections,
ofwhich was Chairman. We discoursed
of the petition of Missouri to become State,
then before the House, of its noble rivers,
fertile soil. and position by the side of the
Northwest Territory, and To which would,
doubtless, have been applied the free ordi-
nance of 1897, confirmed by the first Con-
gress, had Missouri then belo nged TO the IT,
mon.
The rich fruits of that ordinance were
brought forward. We both felt the solemn
duty Of applying its principles to the young
giant, destined to he the empire State of the
west; we settled the form Of restriction to he
moved, so mild as to impair 10 vested right,
and we INDUCED the hope that our brethren
of the South, like their predecessors of 1887,
would cheerinlly co operate. With the great
South we had zealously supported the
war of 1912, and considered its representa-
tives our political friends, together cordially
the administration Of Mr. Madison.
Feb. 18th, the Missouri bill being
reached, Gen. Tallmadge, as agreed, moved
the restriction, after hound aries and other
matters were settled. The hour being late,
the house adjourned. Monday, Feb. 18th,
Gen. Tallmadge was too i'll to come to the
House, and opened the debate, in n speech
widely circulated. On another day, Gen. II.
came in. and ably sustained the restriction
The bill passed thus, ElS to Sc. The Senate
by the aid of dough-taces, struck out the re-
striction of slavery. Each House adhered.
and the bill failed. During the next Congress
Gen. Tallmadge was in the service of the
State ofNew York, in another Department.
The duty of bringing forward and supporting
the restriction devolVed on me. My speech
on the occasion was fuller and more widely
Able supporters were not want
ing. The House again passed the bill restrict
ing slavery. The dough faces in the Senate
persevered in miSrepresenting the free States
some against positive Instructions all abusing
confidence. The Committee of Conference
reported the compromise, which slavery and
enforced, against the votes of
Freedoms sons. On the message of this
Randolph said of tlnsc dough-
faces, as he called them, eve got ali we want
ed; had we needed more, they were in the
market" Slavery then triumphed in victo-
ry which now itpretends deprived it of in
herent rights north of36 30.
November, 1920, Mr. Clay sent in his resigna-
ton as Speaker, and the contest of freedom
and slavery was renewed in choice of sue
cessor, which, after three days ballolng, fell
IN ma Va,
ator from New York, with II New York buck
tails in the House, having, in opposition to
my efforts, turned Clinton out of the man
agemcnt ofhis own canal. breathing saugh-
ter to any one who refused to cry, Dorm Nth
L"ssntOn' The day Congress met, seven bal
lots showed no election, though thrice had
plurality. the seventh within four majority
over the four other candidates. The buck
tails voting for G. A. Rodney, of Delaware
The South steadily voting for a STAKEHOLDER.
The South finding New York bucktaiis resist
ed me, fearing another ballot would elect,ef-
tected an adjournment to hold a CAUCUS. In
caucus the bncktails were beaten by the South
as at Baltimore since; and Barbour, who like
Polk was unexpected, and who had not re-
ceived a vote in the House, was nominated,
whether by the two-third rule know not;but
on the twelfth ballot he was elected. Not
week passed before double the number ofN.
Y. bucktails required to secure my election,
expressed regret at their being made the
tools of "the Northern men with Southern
principles But il was too late. mention
this only for the lesson it should teach the d.
vided North The South on slavery being
Macedonian phaanx. Gen. Alex. SmV:he
told me was rejected as Speaker, only for
my opposition to slavery Others said they
voted against me with regret, but they could
not go home, ifthey voted for me against
Virginian. Gen. Mercer alone, of a slave
State. representing the district still WINS,
gave me publicly his open ballot.