The examiner. [volume] (Louisville, Ky.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-09

couot; out the opinion OF otheres whose opin-
/ ions were entitled 10 some weight with me, sup
ported by the sense in which 1t was viewed by
all who voted on the subject in Congress, as VIII
appear by the Journals, satisfied me respecting
I IT,"
The words IN brackets were crossed out by
running the pen through them, and the word
explicit substtu ted-a substitution evidently
made 10 avoid violating the Cabinet rule, not 10
| tell the opinions Of members, which the word
Unanimous would do. But the word explicit. Is
sufficient. Taken in connexion with the rest
of the paper--with the result-and with the (al-
most) thirty years silence Of Mr.. Calhoun, and
that word Is equivalent to the word unanimous
For il is not to be presumed that Mr.. Calhoun
was omitted in the address Of the questions-or
that he failed 10 answer, and to answer as the
President required, in yriting-or, that failing
TO answer, IL would not have been noted or,
answering negatively, Il would not have 6eea
equally noted--or, above ALL that differing from
Crawford and other southern men on this deli
cate point, he would not have let the secret out
| at the time, or produced since as an evidence oil
his guardianship over southern interests, and
as a proof Of his precious consistency. The
presumption against him, and the absence OF
all these conc omitants Of dissent, are proof pos
tive that he concurred with the rest OF the
Cabinet at the time, and never thought OF deny
ing il until caught fast and hard in the liked fact
Of killing contradiction.
But the other piece Of writing is still more
close and stern than the letter Of Mr.. Monroe
Ii is the diary Of Mr.. Adams, written down at
the time, and clear and pointed to every parEic-
ulaI--the questions, the answers, the unanimi-
ty, the writing of the answers, ane their deposit
in the department Of State. The extract from
this diary, furnished and certified by the son,
Mr.. Charles Francis Adams, is in these words
Extracts from the Diary Of J. q. Adams.
"March 3, Is2O-When came this day to
my Office, found there a note requesting me
| to call at one o'clock at the Presidents house.
Il was then one, and Immediately went over.
| He expected that the two bills, for the sdmis-
sion of Maine, and to enable Missouri TO make
a constitution, would have been brought to
him for his signature; and he had summoned
all the members Of the Administration to ask
their opinions 10 writing, TO be deposited in the
Department Of State, upon two questions: 1.
Whether Congress had constitutional right
TO prohibit slavery in u territOry2 and 2.
Whether the eight section Of the Missouri bill
(which interdicts slavery foTsrer in the terri
tory north Of 36l. lattitudel was applicable
only to the territorial state, or would extend to
il AFTER il should become a STATED AS to the
first question, It was unanimously agreed that
Congress have the power to prohibit slavery in
the territories.
"March 5-The President sent me yesterday
the two questions in writing, upon which he
desired 70 have answers in writing, to be Se-
posted in the Department Of State. He wrote
me that il would be in time. IL he should have
the answers to- morrow. The first question 10
In general terms, as il was stated at the meeting
on Friday. The second was modified TO an
inquiry whether the eighth section Of the Mis-
souri bill Is consistent with the Constitution.
To this I can, without hesitation, answer by
simple affirmative, and so after some reflection,
] concluded TO answer both.
"March G. | took 10 the
Presidents my answers TO his two constitution
al questions and he desired me TO have them de-
posted in the department together with those
Of the other members Of the Administration.
They differed only as they assigned their reason
for thinking the eight section Of the Missouri
bill consistent with the Constitution because
they considered il as only applying TO the terri
lorial term, and barely gRve my opinion,
without assigning for Il any explanatory reas-
on. The President signed the Missouri bill
this morning"
This testimony leaves no room for doubt or
bubble IL is clear aud positive at all points.
II was overwhelmingly conclusive. Mr.. Cal
houn should have surrendered His evil genius,
and the FL he was in as the leader Of party
founded on new ideas, the reverse OF his old
ones and the disease OF consistency, made him
hesitate and deny, not directly, but arguments-
lively, and in the way Of non-Tecoilecton' lie
could not Reconnaissance ne cou'd not osheve
that he could have gwen written oplnion Id
such an important matter NEUTRALITY-SUSPICIOUS.
~ Unhappy man! ne did not perceive that
this species OF argumentstNe denial was lar
stronger the other way mat u would nave oeeh
lar mors diticnlt 10 nave iorgoteh ms oPihlon'
u he had stood alone IN Tue csoine'' e'ssehung
from all the rest, aho oisooeylng he res'oen'
command TO answer: his would nave oeen
me thlng dInlcut 70 hsve oeen lolgot, anS sun
nOie LIN itue S 70 "t'o oesI sse,, ~
o'e Vi uie Naasc ,i0 n =. 80, uoo H' ~ ''
non-tsco''eiuon' "t, Nnnouu e", -, 800 " IN
nsolh'ale nLlseh - es S h
about 'He GOV, aHu ~ isss -.
nent " s"'o 80 80 - - -S...,I.s
senate ,haa niS H'e'uoiy .a' gV0.i ~D 'I,i'
70 eieon IN 9pP1eH " as e , 'ey
against nun ne oegSH WIN SuAI S 80
SUMPTION OF hho~ns every snIus' 1nu eon'"
showing mS, ne Anew nos"ns. nc
Aho~ Sen AZ a'Out . .ns oo'nI''oui'se VIZ
cause Enleh 'eo 20 II, snu tne Ieason why ma
ihe Noftnern men VINO No'su ag@ins' Neie
universally saerihced Tor so Dong. IL quite
nis,ase aS so,'e ssPPose' N'oe NY rs
rhceo Hor Vonng IoI 'nS IMP, O" vi,
very reverse Is the case inc esuso = van Pro-
eeeo 70 STATE Duiins '"e Sos'on VI 'nS so'n-
PROMISE Mr' bo"huo- anu ~ Sc, Ies'~eI ~
gelher' ne was hemoer .. 'ne iio w.. Vi Mp
resentansess hno was 0ecteu"y VI "h
both fels the magnitude OF .ne sucjecI MS
sour, Al the Preeeuhg sessou' nau Pi,seeu
herself ior aom mission o. nen,oe. =, 'ne
one mao iof'neo Sons''u.on anu ~. ,I
IN accofuAnce WIN an 90. VI -, heI
admission was refused Oh he g'ouhu 'na' he'
eonsntuu0h sdnl'e1 y, "s.e.y ,, ~