Democratic banner., 1849-07-02

tons respecting the territory and other orooe,t,
belonging to the United &afes'-that is The ter.
ritory, land or public domain, or the prorertv of
the UEITRD STATEs, and not the slaves, cattle.
sheep, horses or property of the peopk. The
power to enact municipal laws respecting the
slaves, cattle, horses or property of the people
belongs to the territorial Legislature elected by
the people Of the territory themselves, and not to
Congress. No one ever commended that the Con-
~stitution gave Congress such despotic power over
the people and their property, except Senator Ben
ton and his abettors, the Barnburners ofthe North.
His fifth objection to the Resolutions is Be
cause they tend to promote disunion among the
States, and disunion upon unfounded and errone-
Gus views Of fact and law; , and to sustain this
objection says that the 'horrid and damnable word
disunaon' is used in the resolutions. Well, let
us note the sense in which it is used;-the only
clause in which that word can be found reads
thus /: That the territories, acquired by the blood
and treasure of the whole nation, ought to be
governed for the common benefit of the people
Of all the States, and any organization of the ter
r~itorial governments excluding the citizens of
any part OF the Union from removing to such ter
ritories with their property, would be an exer-
else of power, by Congress, inconsistent with
the spirit upon which our federal compact was
based, insulting to the sovereignty and dignity
Of the States thus affected, calculated to ALLEVIATE
one portion Of the Union against another, and
tending ultimately to disuniOn.' The only sense
in which the word diSuspion is here used is one
intended to show low much the Legislature were
opposed to it and the reason for the stern oppo-
sition to the Wilmot Proviso but it tended ulti-
mateIy to disunion. Yet Col. Benton has torn it
from its context to create the belief that il was
used to promote disunion among the STATES. 1t
really seems that no one could be guilty of so
fragrant a misrepresentation, but he who had de-
ternined to spurn the will of his constituents,
trample on the right of instruction, and betray
the dearest interest of his State to catch Adolf
ton votes for the Presidency.
His 9Th, 7th and 9Th objections are: That
these resolutions bound the State TO cooperate
with other States in eventual civil war; and that
they pledged the State to q combination to resist,
everawe and control the constituted authorities,
and that they 'were digested from those of Cal
houn.' These are the texts from which Senator
Benton preached the ranting part of his dis
course. A furious TRADE intended to cover up
his own violation of instructions, and treachery
to his State. All that Senator Benton has to do
Is to obey Instructions, and vote in the spirit Of
a southern Senator, WHO, for the sake of harmo-
ny, will yield ito the Missouri compromise act,
and no further. The resolutions bind him to do
nothing more. The clause of the resolutions To-
which his 9th, 7th and 9Th objections refer, reads
thus: That in the event of the passage of any
act Of Congress conflicting with the principles
herein expressed, Missouri will be found in hear
y cooperation with the slaveholding States in
such measures as may be deemed necessary for
our mutual protection against the encroachnents
of Northern fansticism.' 1t says that Missouri
will cooperate with the slaveholding States, SO
far as she may deem necessary, for what? For
our mutual protection against the encroachments
Of Northern fanaticism.' Will any one not will
fully disposed to nisrepresent pretend that this
binds the State to eventual civil war? ISL
even, a pledge to adopt such measures as
we may deem necessary for our mutual
protection against dndttctsn, to be consid.
cred as binding US to eventual civil war;
Or does he 80 understand the feelings of
his friends, the Barnburners and Northern
fanatics, that he is prepared to say that any
measures which we may deem necessary
for our mutual protection against their in
fernsl crusade upon our rights, will lead toI
eventual civil war? Are they determined
to reduce Us to a state of inferiority and
to resort to civil war if we should adopt
sny measures deemed necessary for our de-
fence against their encroachments? Does
Col. Benton consider a declaration of re-
s~istance to Northern fanaticism, by Mis-
souri,, in connexion with the States, sa com.
binatioR to overawe the constituted authori-
tiss?" If so, then are all expressions Of
opinion, whether by the Legislature or by
mass meetings, against the constitutionality
and Injustice of any public act, "combina-
tons to overawe the constituted authori.
ties" Surely this Autocrat, in feeling,
should have read the Riot .Acf to the unruly
members Of the Legislature. (Such is the
spirit Of kings and nobles.) But the reso-
luton last referred to contains no stronger
language than that contained in the ~resolu-
lions Of '9S and '99, drafted by MI. Ieffer-
son, and regarded as the basis Of the Re-.
publican platform. If this resolution, ex.
pressing the opinion of Missouri, looks even
Indirectly towards disunion, then indeed,
did the resolutions of '9S and '99 look to.
wards disunion. But the truth is, they were
designed to prevent disunion, by preserv-
ing the constitution from infringement, and
the rights Of our citizens fran the encroach-
manka of fanafic;su