Edgefield advertiser. [volume] (Edgefield, S.C.) 1836-current, 1849-07-18
BENTON'S RECREANCY.

| some Cpulncrn euilhTS.
Major Noah. in the following remarks,
shows his soud sense. and his love Of truth
and Justice. We can hut express The
pleasure we experience at being able TO
cory his excellent article:
"One half of this formidable nissive is
devoted to The Inconsistency Of Mr.. Gals
houn. ho approved the Missouri Com
promise. which excluded slavery from a
vast portion Of the West, and TO show
that he is disunionst, and was himself
originally the founder, The approver, and
rhc juslifier of lhe Missouri Compromise.
All the Wing papers, in ecstacy Of delight,
rub their hands together, and declare that
| Col. Benton has made out n strong case
against Mr.. Calhoun. We cannot see it,.
Slavery has always been political ques-
lion. 1t originated with Rufus Hing 10
cripple the representative power Of the
South. aud this has always been the en-
len. of lis humanity. The Missouri Cons
promise was rnl 10 exclude slavery in that
State: the opposition was directed against
a clause in the new CONSTITUTION which
prcvrn'ed free negroes and mulalioes from
settling in that SIae under any prc,cncc
whatever. Ii was contended, and with
reason. that this exclusion violated the
spiy, of the Constitution. Of the United
States. Missouri insisted upon her right
as State TO adopt this provision. When
the bill again came up for consideration,
Federaiss threw the fire brand into Con-
gress. hy Insisting upon engralting The fol
06s(5$ section or rider to the bill:
FSEc. s. That in ailthal territory coded
by France TO the United States, under the
eamc of Louisiana, Which liessnonh. Of 3G
degrees 30 minutes norlh;la,itude;i uot in.
cluied within The limits of thesstales con-;
,cmplaIed BY this act, slavery and inyoI-
untary serviuJe, otherwise, than in The
punishment Of The crimes whercotlhe. par
/. ~ shall have been duly convicted; shalfbe,
anL hereby is, forever prohihitcd''
"This excluded slavery from tract Of
conn,ry larger than all California, New
Mcxico. and Oregonaniled. The Storm.
however, was up. Tic people though, it
righr and proper araskpi ioais.cd uPon--:.
Cor Missouri should mi be State. ,Tbe
sf.dcrais's had got the wea,her-gaso offhe
South. What was 10 be done! Congress
has! no more right to insert this secti"n in
the law than To have introduced Il bull Of
the Pope into an act Of that body. Mr..
Calhoun. then Secretary Of war was forced
20 suhnit to This assumption of power.
l!c feared that Missouri. If not then ad.
mired, would exercise the rights of n
sovereign stale, ard ca her cluster of in.
dependent states, discunneclcd with the
federal government. which would reach
the Pacific Ocean. 70 preserve the Union,
Mr.. Calhoun consented ln this compromise.
This is tie widtu. breadth, and depth Of
Air. Calhoun's Inconsistency. But did the
submission 10 a wrong under those cir
culas,anceS justify the inlliclion 10 another
wrong! Because Congress said they had
a right 10 prohibit bs law slavery in terri
tories did it make it so.
"lhe South has no belief that slavery
will eve. be introduced Into California and
New Mexico, but they are firmly united
against the right Of Congress To prohibit i,
by law in territories. They have no desire
TO go into those terriiories with slaves; bnt
as members Of this Republic. lhoy will no.
permit Congress to assume right which
Tie Constitution Dies not cunfer. IL this
was uur political question, all would
admit That The position taken by The Souh
is jrsl aud proper. What is precedent to-
day becomes doctrine To morrow. If Cum
grcss has a right 10 say to The South, You
| shall moi take your property into new ter
/ ritnries, that hudy may say, You shall
not hold lhatproperty in your own States
The South must by union preserve the
Union, and protect their own rights"
"Col. Benton will make no capital from
his attack on Mr.. Calhoun, or in the de-
claration thai Congress possesses the power
because she exercised ii some thirty years
ago. II is said that Mr.. Benton hopes by
this moYementto make himself the Demo.
cratic caudilateIor The Presidency. IL he
has found such favor in the eyes Of his old
political enemies, suppose they try hlm for
single term he has no such views. Mr..
Van Buren,, much more popular man,
with more tact aud address, tried this one
principle with singular bad fortune. Mr..
| Benlnn will never try il. The whole Is
quarrel with. The Legislature Of bis own
State. for an attempt to compel him by ln-
slruclon 10 carry out Mr.. Calhoun's views
ON slavery instead Of his own. He makes
fight with the Legislature of Missouri, with
wha. success we shall know hereafter.
The Wings Of his State will 90 with him,
and he may succeed in sustaining his
views. lie considers the question Of The
free soil settled, and so do we, from the
action which the people of California Them
selves, in forming State Government,
may take. Hc wishes 10 hear no more
discussion in Congress on the subject but
as The question has always been political,
and moi one Of right or Humanity, he is in
error if he supposes that lie question will
sleep, or that the slave STATES will calmly
look on and submit to assumptions pow
er unknown to The Constitution"
The Hungarian leader, Kossuth. has ap.
poin,ed bis sister general superintendent,
Of the military hospitals and she has pu-
blishcd an address, calling on all the ladies