The daily national Whig. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1847-1849, 1849-06-09

as II was stated at the meeting on Friday.
The second was modified to an inquiry wheth-
or the eighth section Of the Missouri bill is
consistent with the constitution. To this ]
can, without hesitation, answer by a simple
affirmative and so after some reflection, !
concluded TO answer both.
"March g. ] took to
the presidents my answers to his two con-
stitutionul questions and he desired me to
have them deposited in the department to-
gether with those Of the other members Of
the administration. They differed only as
they assigned their reason for thinking the
eighth section Of the Missouri bill consist
ent with the constitution because they con-
sidered it as only applying to the territorial
term, and ! barely gave my opinion, with
out assigning for it any explanatory reason.
The President signed the Missouri bill this
morning"
This testimony leaves no room for doubt
or bubble. 1t is clear and positive at all
points. It was Overwhelmingly conclusive.
Mr.. Calhoun should have surrendered His
evil genius, and the fix he was in as the leader
Of party founded on new ideas, the reverse
of his old ones, and the disease Of consist
ency, made him hesitate and deny, not d.
rectly, but argumentatively, and in the way
of non-recolection. He could not rcmem-
| ber-and he could not believe that he could
have given written opinion in such an i'm
Iportant matter without remembering it =
Unhappy man he did not perceive that this
species of argumentative denial was far
stronger the other way that it would have
been far more difficult to have forgotten his
opinion, if he had stood alone in the cabinet,
dissenting from. all the rest, and disobeying
the Presidents command to answer! This
would have been the thing difficult to have
been forgot, and still more difficult to have
been concealed Sensible of the damage he
had done himself by this non-recollection,
| Mr.. Calhoun undertook TO rehabiitate him
self by assuming to know all about the COM
promise, and by giving statement Of il
which was intended 10 convince the Senate
that his memory was good, and entitled to
credit in opposition TO all the testimony
against him. He began with characteristic
assumption Of knowing everything, and end
ing by showing that he knew nothing He
said:
i 81 know well all about the compromise
the cause which led to it, and the reason
why, that the northern men who voted against
it were universally sacrificed for so doing,
1t IS quite mistake, as some suppose, that
they were sacrificed for voting for the COM
promise The veryreverse is the case. The
cause will proceed to state During the
session of the compromise, Mr. Lowndes and
myself resided together, He was member
Of the House Of Representatives, and was
Secretary Of War. We both felt the mag
nitude Of the subject. Missouri, at the pre-
ceding session, had presented herself for ad-
mission as member Of the Union. She had
formed constitution and government, in
accordance with an act Of Congress. Her
admission was refused on the ground that
her constitution admitted of slavery; and
she was remanded back to have the objec-
tionable provision expunged. She refused
to comply with the requisiton, and at the
next session again Knocked at the door Of
Congress for admission, with her constitution
as il originally stood This gave rise to one
of the most agitating discussions that ever
occurred in Congress The subject was
one of repeated conversation between Mr.
Lowndes and myself. The question was,
what was to be done and what would be the
consequence if she was not admitted. After
full reflection we both agreed that Missouri
was State-made so by regular process
Of law, and never could be remanded back
to the territorial condition. Such being the
case, we also agreed that the only question
was, whether she should be State in or out
of the Union' and it was for Congress to
decide which position she should occupy
| MY friend made one Of his able and lucid
speeches on the occasion but whether il has
been preserved or not, am not able to say.
II carried conviction to the minds of all, and
A in fact settled the question The question
was narrowed down TO single point. All
saw that if Missouri was not admitted she
would remain an independent State, on the
west bank of the Mississippi, and would be-
come the nucleus OF new confederation of
States, extending over the whole of Louis
lana. None were willing to contribute to
such result and the only question that re-
NAMED with the northern members who had
opposed her admission was, to devise some
means Of escaping from the awkward dilem-
ma in which they found themselves. To
back out or compromise, were the only alter
natives left; and the latter was eagerly
seized to avoid the disgrace Of the former !;
50 eagerly, that all who opposed it at the
north We're considered traitors to that section
Of the Union, and sacrificed for their votes !"
Every part Of this statementi is erroneous,
and to such degree as to destroy all reli-
ance upon Mr. Calhoun's memory, He says
that during the compromise session he and
Mr.. Lowndes resided together, and that. at
the preceding session Missouri had presented
her constitution, made under the act Of Con-
gress, and applied for admission into the
Union Now this is error. The constitu-
ton Of Missouri followed, and did not pre-
cede the compromise act That act was
passed March 9th, 1920, the constitution
framed under it was signed July 10Th Of the