Democratic banner., 1849-07-02
DEMOCRATIC BlNN R.
E.. C., s. g. r. MURRAY. Editors.
LOUISIANA. MISSOURI.
MONDAY MORNING, JULY2, ls49.

JuOJVD.11 sNORJi VI, JUL Z, lotS'
REVIEW OF BENTON'S BOONVILLE
SPEECH.
In our last number we made a short re-
view of Senator Benton's speech at Jeffer-
son City, and showed its utter restitution Of
all argument dr0vn from the constitution,
in favor ofhis Wilmot provisoism and treach-
cry to his party. In that review we called
upon Col. Benton and his friends to lay aside
their ~dogmatical assertions, and demagogi-
cal rant, about sCalhoun," "abstractions,"
'sdisunion' &C., and to point US to the clause
or clauses of the constitution, whence the
power to prohibit slavery from the Terrific
ries is derived. Since that article was
written, we have seer another speech of the
Senator delivered at Boonville, filled with
the same rant about Calhoun, distractions
and disunion, by whichhe attempts to dodge
the true questionable right Of instruction
on the part Gfhe constituent, and the duty
gf obedience on the part Of the representa-
jtiye. In this speech he refers to his effort at
Jefferson City, which with the greatest self
confidence, he says is conclusive evidence
of the consti!utionality Of the Proviso, and
attempts to support it by only one feeble ar
gument drawn from the constitution, which
in its turn we shall notice. He makes nine
separate objections to the Resolutions of the
Legislature, and to these We shall reply in
the order in which he states them.
His first objection is, that the last ~instruc-
tions are sin conflict with instructions Civ
en- by the previous General Assembly and
complied with by him." This short state
ment is erroneous in two particulars. The
first terror" consists in his declaration, that
there is a conflict between the two sets of
resolutions, when in fact, they do not con-
fict, but hsrmonise. The second "error''
in his statement, that the first instructions
were complied with by him, when in spirit
they were violated by him. The first set
Of resolutions contain nothing more than an
instruction to our Senators, and request to
our Representatives, to vote in accordance
with the provisions and the spirit of the 9Th
section of the Missouri compromise act, on
all questions pertaining to the organization
of the Territories of the United States,
coupled with the opinion of the Legislature,
"that the peace, permanency and welfare
of our National Union depend upon a strict
adherence to the letter and spiraI'' of the
said compromise. The instruction, con-
tanned in the second set of resolutions, is
the same in effect, and is conveyed in Lam
guage as similar to that of the first set of
resolutions, as it could be expected, that
any other man entertaining the same idea,
could find words to express it: "For the
sake of the harmony, and for the preserva-
ton of our federal Union, they will still
sanction the application of the principles of
the Missouri compromise to the recent ter
%ritorial~ acquisitions, if by such concessions
future expressions upon the equal rights of
the States may be arrested, the spirit of
anti-slaveryfanaticism extinguished." Both
instruct him in favor Of the principles of
the Missouri compromise: The one with
out giving any reasons therefor, except a
declaration of the opinion that the "psace,
.permanency and welfare of our National
Union depends upon a strict adherence to
the letter and spirit" of that compromise
the other does the same thing after giving
the reasons and setting forth the rights Of
the South more at length, and for the same
purpose, t'THE PRESERVATION OF ouR FED.