Glasgow weekly times. (Glasgow, Mo.) 1848-1861, 1849-06-07

prohiOItl0n or slavery IN all the terri
tory north and west of her. The act
was just coming to Mr.. Monroe for his
approval or disapproval. If approved
by him, il became law at once: if dis.
approved, the act was defeated foreverl
for it was known that The constitution.
al majorites Of twothirds of Congress
could not be obtained for the &C, if dis
approved by the President. The whole
responsibility of passing, or defeating
the act, then rested on Mr.. Monroe. He
felt the magnitude ofthat responsibility
and saw that it was an occasion to re-
qulre the gravest advice of his Cabi.
net. He determined 10 have their ad.
vice, and in the most ma,ured and re-
sponsible form. The act had passed on
the Sd of March lie immediately
convoked his Cabinet--sta,ed the ques-
tions-reduced them 10 writing--gave
copy 10 each member-and required
them TO be answered in writing. On
the 9th all the answers were given, and
all in the affirmative on both questions;
and the act was Immediately approved
and signed, and became The law of the
land, The law bears date on that dav
March 9th, 1920. Mr.. Calhoun gave
his written opinion with the rest, in
favor of the constltutionality Of the
| act, and no whisper was ever heard
from him to the contrary, or in denial
of the right of Congress TO prohibit, or
abolish slavery in Territories, until the
introduction Of his fire brand resolu.
tons, twenty-seven years after his Cab
met opinion had been given. These
resolutions were brought in near the
close of the short session of 1867,
and were intended for general debate
at the session of ls47-'s-the long ses.
sion which preceded The Presidential
election-and to make a chance for
himself at that election by getting up
test which no northern man could stand.
But that general debate never came on.
Before the time had rpened for it, the
Cabinet opinions of 1920 had been
found out, and were produced in the
Senate. TO the confusion of Mr.. Cal.
houn, and the utter prostra,on of his
resolulions.-They were first produced
by Mr.. Westcott, of Florida, and af.
forwards by Mr.. Dix, Of New York.
The proofs were in writing. and to the
point and from two different witnesses
and the two, above all men the world,
the most competent and credibld 10 tes-
tify in the case--Mr. Monroe and Mr..
Adams--both dead, but both speaking
from the tomb. and in the highest form
known TO the law of evidence-,hat of
recorded evidence written down at the
time, as the true history of a fact, and
without the slightest expectation that il
ives ever to be used against any human
being. Mr.. Monroe's testimony was
in his own hand writing, obtained from
his son-inlaw, and consisted of two
pieces--one being The nterroga,ories
propounded TO his Cabinet. and The 9th
err the autograph copy, or draft, of let
ter 10 friend. The interrogalories
were endorsed thus: Interrogatories.
Missouri March 4, 1920" To The heads
Of Departments and Attorney General"
The heterogeneous themselves were in
these words:
Has Congress right under the pow.
ers vested in it by the Constitution 10 make
regulation prohibiting slavery in Terri.
tory?"
as the S,h section or the act which passed
both Houses on the Sd instant, for the adnlis.
sion OF Missouri into The Union, conssten,
with the Constitution"
With these questions was an original
draft of letter in Mr.. Monroe's hand
writing. not dated, signed, or addressed
to any one, but supposed to be written
TO Gen. Jackson, which letter shows
that these two questions were put to
Mr.. Monroe's Cabinet, were answered
by them in wiring, and that they were
unanimous in answering the questions
in the affirmative. This is the letter:
"DFAR Sir; The qesIon which lately
agitated Congress and the public has been
settled, as you have seen, by the passage OF
an act for the admission OF Missouri as a
State, unrestrsined, and Arkansas likewise
when it reaches maturity, and The slabIish>
ment OF the BOD. BON. north latitude as a
line, north OF which slavery is prohibited
and permitted to the south took the opin
ion in writing OF the administration as to
the cons.iluIionally Of restraining Territories
land The Uote OF every member ,0as unani
nous and which was explicit in favor Of it,
and as it was that the Bib section OF the act
was applicable 10 Territories only. and not
TO States when they should be admitted into
the Union. On this latter point had al first
some doubt; but the opinion Of others,
whose opinions were entitled to weight with
me, supported by the sense in which it was
viewed by all who voted on The subject in
Congress, rs will appear by the Journals,
satisfied me respecting it"
The words in brackets were crossed
out by running the pen through them,
and the word explicit substiluted--a
substitution evidently made to avoid
violating the Cabinet rule, not 10 tell