The spirit of democracy. [volume] (Woodsfield, Ohio) 1844-1994, 1849-06-23
From the BaltimoS Sun
Senator BentOn'SSpeech on Slavery

tohh tHo DduitnoN<ouus
Senator Benton'sSpeech on Slavery
We have received the whole of Colone
Benton's highly interesting speech to the
people Of Missouri, delivered in Jefferson
city, Mo-, on the 26th ultimo. There are
about dozen columns of it; but we are
limited to the following synopsis and ex,
tracts:
The speech was drawn out by the reso
buttons recently passed by the General As
sembly of Missouri, denying the right o
Congress to legislate upon the subject O.
slavery in the territories. The resolutions
were designed to instruct Mr.. Benton and
his colleague. For himself, Mr.. Benton
declines to comply with them, and appeals
to the people-the whole people.
Col. Benton starts out by giving the sub.
stance Of the Missouri resolutions, which
he says are q mere copy of Mr.. Calhoun IS
resolutions offered in the Senate, in Febru.
ary 1847; that he sees no difference be-
tween the two, but in the time contempla-
ted for the dissolution of the Union-Mr.
Calhoun's tending "directly," and those
Of missouri ''nltimately," to that point
Having established, to his own satisfac-
ton, the identity of the two sets of resolu-
tons, and declared those of the South Car
DINA Senator to be the parent of those OF
the Missouri Assembly, Mr.. Benton gives
his attention first to the former, and begins
with an argument against them, derived
from the conduct Of the originator himself.
He says:
''In the year 1890, Mr.. Calhoun was
membereof Mr.. Monroe's Cabinet, and as
such was required by the President, in
common with the rest of the Cabinet, to
give his opinion in writing, to be filed in
the department of State, on the question
of the power of Congress to prohibit sla-
very in Territories, and on the consttu.
ality of the 9th section Of the act for the
admission of Missouri into the Union, and
which section applied to the anti-slavery
clause Of the ordinance of 1887, to more
than half Of the whole territory of Louisi.
ana. The questions were momentous.-
The whole Union was then convulsed on
the subject Of slavery, growing out of the
Missouri controversy. Congress had Just
passed an act for the admission of Missouri
without restriction, but with a prohibition
Of slavery in all the territory north and
west of her. The act was just coming to
Mr.. Monroe fol. his approval or disapprov-
al. If approved by him, it became law
at once; if disapproved, the act was de-
feated forever! for it was known that the
constitutional majorities of two-thirds of
Congress could not be obtained for the act
if disapproved by the Psesident.
. 1.-The whole responsibility of passing or
defeating the act then rested on Mr.. Mon
roe. He felt the magnitude ofthat respon-
sibaity, and saw that it was an occasion
to require the gravest advice of his Cabinet.
He determined to have their advice and in
the most matured and responsible form
The act had passed on the Sd of March,
He Immediately convoked his cabinet
stated the questions s-reduced them to wr-
ting-gave copy to each naea,ber-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 became the law of the land. The
law bears date on that day-March 9Th,
1820-Mr. Calhoun gave his written opin-
ion with the rest, in favor of the constitu-
tonality of the act, and no whisper was
ever heard 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 resolutions, twenty seven
years after his cabinet opinion had been
given. These resolutions were brought in
o1o of h.,
1867. and were intended for general de.
bate at the session in 1847-8-the long
session which preceded the Presidential
election--and to make chance for him.
self at that election by getting up test
which no Northern man could stand.
"But that general debate never came on.
Before the time had ripened for it, the cab. !
met opinions Of 1920 had been found out,
and were produced in the Senate to the
confusion of Mr.. Calhoun and the utter
prostfation Of his resolutions. They were
first produced by Mr.. Wescott, of Florida;
and afterwards 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 in the world,
the most competent and credible to testify
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-that of recorded evil
dence, written down at the time as the true
history of fact, and without the slightest
expectation that it was ever to bs used a.
gainst any human being. Mr.. Monroe's |
testimony was in his own hand writing,
obtained from his son-in-law, and consist
ed of two pieces-one being the interroga-
tories propouIfded to his cabffet, and the
other the autograph copy, or draft of let
ter to friend. The interrogatiories were.
endorsed thus: 'Interrogatores- Missouri,
March a, 1820.' TO the heads of De-
partments and Attorney General The
interrogatories themselves were in these
words:
"'Has Congress right under the pow
ers vested in il by the Constitution to make |