Columbus Democrat., 1849-08-18

Hi1HGefnuslN CuaIAthE tlt Auu Htf itsVluuuhS al
his own legislature and their resolutions with dis
union, aud Of assigning that as his reason Tor NJ
obeyiug Ihem when be knew that his pOsiIio
made il impossible for him To obey them. Bt
these are not the only resolutions adopted by lh
legislature OF his State TO instruct him. The pre-
yious legislature adopted two others, ofwhich h
saws that they truly express the sense ofthe State
aud that he obeyed them, not only in thei
I letter, but spirit; They are in the following words
Resolved, That the peace, permanency an
welfare ofour National Union, depend upon
strict adherence to the letter and spirit Of the Sl
section Of the act OF Congress OF the L. s., cnii'
lied AN Act to authorize The people otthe Mis-
souri territory to form Constitution aud Stat
Government, for the admission Of such States in
/ to The Union, on an equal footing with the orig
nal States, aud toprohibit slavery in certain ter
ritories;n approved March l6, 1920.
Resolved, That our Senators in tho Congress
OF the United States are hereby instructed, ant
our Representatives requested to vote in accor
dance with the provisions and the spirit otthe SAID
sth section of the said act in all tho question:,
which may come before them, in relation to the or.
ganizalion of the territory now belonging to the
United States, or which may hereafter be acquir.
ed either by purchase, by treaty, or by conquest.
II is proper TO observe, that the Sth section, TO
which they refer, contains the Missouri Compro.
mise, which established SO 80 as the dividing
line between the .slaveholding States, drawn
between the western boundary OF the State of
Missouri and the We stern boundary OF Louisiana.
These resolutions he says he obcyed in letter and
spirit, when in fact, he tlagrantly violated them
by his vote tor the Oregon territorial bill, prohibits
ing slavery ia that territory, without any compro.
mise aunexed--and that, TO assert tho principle
otunimted power of congress over the territories,
and in open defiance of all compromise. He calls
that bill his proyso, and well he may, for he pass
cd it when it was in his power to defeat it, 4 very
few remarks will suffice to show that | have not
expressed myself stronger than truth warrants
The first resolution asserts 'lhat tho peace
harmony and welfare Of our national Union, de.
prnds upon strict adherence 20 the letter and
spirit oEthe Missouri compromise, and the last
initrucls their Senators aud Representatives to
vote in accordance with its provisions and spirit
in all questions which may come up before them
in relation TO the organization Of new territories
now belonging TO the u. S., or which hereafter
may be acquired" No instruction could bc
more full or explicit, or assign stronger motives
for obcyng them, especially to one protesting SO
great devotion 10 the Union. There is
no mis,akng the meaning. lie is in
sruccd TO vote for all the bills in reference to
the territories which may CONFORM TO the letter
and spirit OF the Missouri compromise, and against
all that do not that is, TO vote for all that extend
the line westward from its terminons on the west.
crn boundary of Texas, for that is its letter, and
TO secure to the South that portion o the territory
lying on the Southern side oilhe, line as eec,nalIy
as that compromise did in fact, all tho territory
which lay on its Southern side, and to vote a
ganst all bilIi that did not, for that is meant by
its spirit. Tacro was good reason 10 put in
spirit" for it was understood then, that The doc
lrine began to be broacbed, that the laws Of Mex.
leo, aboisbng slavery, would continue in force,
unless they were repealed ii not prevented by
some cteciual guard. No additional remarks
can make his dscbedience more clear and he
now stands condemned for dsobeyng The in
sructions OF his Legislature, which he himself
praises, and which he does not even pretend TO
charge with dsunion.
notice, in The progress Of his communication,
that Col. Benton eyinccd unusual sociude 10
confouad the Missouri compromise, and all other
OF the kind, with the Nilmot proyi>
so. attribute il, in part, to desire TO tcrce1
himself from the odium o; having voted tor the
Wilmot proyiso, by coniounding Il with other
that were far less offensive; but said
there was another more powerful reason, which
would be explained in the sequel Thatreason was
10 shelter himself ifpossiblc, against the charge
ofyiolatng Instructions, which he acknowledged 10
be above exception. II he could possibly estab-
Iish hatthe Missouri compromise and the VIII
mot .provso were identical, as he would have his
constituents believe, to obey iheone would be to
obey the other; but have shown that was impos.
sible, and thus he is left, without the possibll,
of fcscaping the charge of disobeying them.
With few additional remarks | shall close
this long communication.
Gel. Benton assigns devotion to the Union as
his motive for taking the course he has, and, by
charges yours as being the side Of
dsunion and his and the abolitioniss' that Of un.
ion In this, he but follows the example Of all who
have betrayed you, OF intends to betray you. II
is so common that il has become notorious, that
A strong profession Of attachment to the Union.
and condemnation of what is called the violence
and utraism Of the Soutb accompanied by vol
ley Of abuse of me, and the absence Of all censure
or condemnation Of your assaianls, are certain
signs that he who utters them is ready TO seize
Ihe first opportunity to desert your cause.
To these signs may be added another-appcal
10 that portion Of the farewell address ofthe Fa.
Ihcr Of his Country, quoted by Colonel Benton,
under circumstances which make its application
apply toyou, and not to those who assail you.--
| respond to every word it contains, with hearty
amen. 1t is, indeed, deeply to be deplored, that
parties should be designated by geographical po,
sions, and regard whatever party or individual
may have caused il, as deserving Of public rcp-
probation. But to avoid geographical designation
Of parties, It is indispensable that each section OF
the Union should respect the rights Of the Others
and carefully abstain from violating them. In.
less this is done, il viii be impossible to ayodit-
aggression will and ought to lead to resistance
AO the part of those whose rights arc trampled
- and .oGs,v endan Sectional assault