Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1848-08-29
RICHMOND, Va
s.,-..v norning, August rs, 1913.
r1rcovpRoMISE BILL.

The trouble; The question mas oeeu
answered in lis own columns. 10 an ex'fac' iio"'
the National lnleigencer, Published IN toa' pa
per, as presenting "a clearer view Of lne su.',''
IMAM thew r,be editors of The Whig] should NC
able 10 present themselves" The measure - -
scribed as one which "had It's origin 10 'ne pan'o''
;sm and was malured by the wisdom OF Inc oen'
s,.. which was based upon the great pr'nc'p'es
ot Constitutional right and universal Iuslce' anD
6,,,rv as one which left the character Oh inc iu'
,,,. s,.,cs 10 be formed out OF New Territories,
10 he decided By he ,OsAes Of The people s"0 'HaH
A.,eaaer form ae State Constitutions for nose 'e'''
,o,,e,," thus coming exactly up TO The extreme
Southern doctrine, tina. 'Ihe people OF Inc ie''''
toyiesn lhe communities which are hereafter u
spring 10 in New Mexico and California ~hen
thew come. "under The general principles OF lhe
Constitution" to exercise the sovereign power u
framing their own institutions, must seile iof
themselves this question Of slavery; the true Re-
publican doctrine, which Lewis Cass, 10 his i'm
mortal honor be i, spoken, ifst boldly recommend
ed TO The adoption Of our Northern brethren, in
his Nicholson letter, and which was afterwards
| more clearly and distinctly promulgated in the
| yireinia and Alabama Stale Democratic Con-
ventions.
The history Of this grea. measure has eeen
mos, extraordinary one; its defea, in the II ouse
of Representatives, by the votes of Southern
members, wa. an act of alfocious outrage upon
their own section, which is perfectly unparalleled
in our history. The injury is in all probability
irreparate; bow has been Inflicted upon The
South. by those whom she herself had seat 10
guard and protect her interests, from which per.
haps she will never recover. The measure was
designed 10 end forever the quarrel between
North and South; 10 heal all divisions; 10 allay
sectional agitation, and to prevent The formation
of sectional parties, so dangerou. 10 The Union:
il was so satisfactory 10 the South, that The most
tried and trusted defenders OF Southern rights aud
institutions in the Senate, were found sustaining
and voting TOR il; indeed, the entire Southern de-
legation in that body, Wing and Democrat, with
onl; four exceptions, gave ttheir support; States
men of the largest experience, OF the most exall-
ed patriotism, OF the purest integrity, of The great
es. wisdom and sagaci:y, and OF The profoundea
legal learning, OF both parties, were warmly in
favor Of lis final passage. The leading organ Of
the Wing party in the Union bestowed upon ii
unqualified commentator; The Wing, the lead
ing organ of the same party in Virginia. copied
and adopted It's article, and praised TO the skies
the great Wing statesman from Delaware, John
NJ. Clayton, the author Of the measure, for hav
ing rescued The ship OF Stale from the shoals and
breakers in which "Locofucosm" had involved IL
The Richmond Times published The most import
ant and characteristic sections OF the bill, and al
Ter explaining its nature, BY showing that it con
tanned no prohibition Of slavery By Congress,
ami that il denied 10 the territorial governments
(excep, perhaps in Oregon) the power of excud-
ing the STAKEHOLDER, mildly observed Of the bill
that the doctrine OF "non.inierlerence" with tha
institution was distinctly acknowledged; and a
Georgia Wing paper went SO far as 10 exclaim,
after having said that it had read The Compro-
mise bill with real pleasure, and with glow OF
hope and happiness al The prospect OF It's passag"
by both Houses, damned foyeUer ao7nld be the
calculating demagogH ,oho acotld, for poltic'l
gain 10 Wigs or Democrats, hazard the safety
of his e0stntry !"
Ali this was while the fate Of the bill was still
uncertain. During its tendency il was discover
ed that the Washington Union and the Democra-
tic party were warmly in favor of its passage
Il was asceuained that the settlement OF The sla
very question would affect Gen. Taylor's pros
prcts untavorab y-lhe election of a Wing Pre-
sdent nigh, be jeoparded land at once the de
cree went forth that the SOUTH MUST Bs SACRIFICED,
The little aich"demaeogue" from Georg ia, Alex
andar Hamilton Stephens, made the motion 10 lay
the bill on The table, and seven other "ca culatine
demagosues," who represented strongly Wing
slave districts secured The massage Of his motion
Tn Richmond Wing, in The mean time, "caugnl
| The cue" and The very measure which ii had ap-
proved and whose au hor it had praised Tor bis
ia'egr ~ AMI craftsmanship, il turned around and
denounced as fraud and sacrifice OF Southern
rights! Mr. Z. T. Daniel followed sui and in
| a speech delivered before The Rough and Ready
Club, as we'll as in long letter addressed 10 tie
e'ilors Of his paper, but Published 10 The Wing
endeavored to shield his party from the fiery in
1 q
tanning, with sumo ingenuity, and by long c..
ta,ion of authorities from writer's on public law
the English and Supreme Court Reports, tina
what the people Of the Souh had always regard
ed as constitutional right, was not in fact a
constitutional right, but depended for its ey-
isleuce upon an act of Congress, and thai
without such legislation by Congress, the su
preme Court would be compelled. in accord
ance with previous decisions, to decide against
the Shareholder. Mr.. Stephens Of Georgia, the
author Of the motion 10 lay on the table, made o
long speech in the iiouse, in which he attempt
g. exactly the same apology for himself and
| his seven co.laborers in the work Of destruction
of this great measur: of justice to the South
And the Richmond Times, (in an editorial, charg
ing that our "Nor,hrrn allies" ,oith tpo Demo
c,atic Senators from >lars States, Benton and
Houston, voted 10 recede from the Missouri
| compromise in the O'sgon Bill, in order 10 SUB
stitute the Hiimot T. opiso, which was directly
contrary TO the tdet-,he Senate, by large ma
jority, were il favor Of amending, and did
amend, the Oregon bill by adding the Missouri
Compromise, and only receded from the amend
men, when they found they could pass the bill
in no other shape)-,he Times comes out and
tells US that it had been reliably informed that
the Wing members from the South were UsANI
NOUS in opposition 10 the bill. To cap the
climax Of ausurdty, and to show the miserable
pretsAts and subterfuges to which the opponents
Of the Compromise Bill have been driven. these
very Southern Wing members voted u ami
mously for the Missouri Compromise, and The
Southern Wing presses and party are alike unG.
nimous in favor Of the latter measure. which is
liable TO the very same objections which have
been raised against the Compromise Bill, and
gives the slave holder Ave degrees and half OF
latitude less than that bill