Democratic banner., 1849-06-04
COL. BENTOI'S SPEECH
TO THE PEOPLE OF MISSOURI-DE-
LIVERED IN THE CAPITOL.
JEFFERSON CRY, Nav 26th, lS49

JEFFERSON CITY, May 10th, lS49.
CITIzENs:-Ihav received Certain reso-
lutlons from the General Assembly of Mis-
souri,, denying the right of Congress 10 leg
islate upon the subject of slavery in Terri
understanding the right of the citizens
OF every State to remove to the Territories
acquired by the blood and treasure of the
whole Union, With their prdTsrty&6eclar-
ing it 10 be an insult to the States to ex-
clude any of their citizens from so remov-
ing and settling with their property-slleg-
ing such insult to be the cause of alienation
among the States, and ultimately of disun-
ion; and instructing the Senators of the
State, and requesting its Representative ,
to vote in conformity to the resolves so a.
dopted.
These instructions, of which I now only
give the substance, were adopted by the
General Assembly, after the adjournment of
Congress, and after the time that it must
have been believed that the subject to which
they refer had been disposed of in Congress,
and while other resolutions incompatible
with them, had been given by the previous
General Assembly, and had been complied
with by me, and we're stilI, on hand. They
are a mere copy of the Calhoun resolutions,
offered in the Senate in February, 1917, de-
nounced BY me, at the time, as a fire brand,
for electioneering and disunion
purposes, and abandoned by him after their
without ever calling.a vote
upon them, for a reason which will be here
after shown. produce them in order to
justify the character l give of them, and to
them to be the original of those which
l have received from the General Assembly
of Missouri.
THE CALHOUN RESOLUTIONS.
"Resokved, That the territories Of the
United States belong 10 the several States
composing this Union, and are held by them
as their joint and common property.
"PesOlred. That Congress, ss tho Joint
agent and representative Of the Stares.of
this Union, has no right to make any Law, or
do any act whatever, that shall, directly or
by its effects, make any discrimination be-
tween the States of this Union, by which
any Of them shall be deprived of its full and
equal right in any territory of the United
States, acquired or to be acquired.
"ResOlred, That the enactment of aDyI
which should, directly or by its effects,
deprive the citizens Of any of the States of
this Union from emigrating with their prop
erty into any Of the territories of the Uni
led States, will make such discrimination,
and would, therefore, be a violation of the
constitution, and the rights of the States
rom which such citizens emigrated, and in
ierogation Of that perfect equality which
to them as members of the Union,
and would tend directly to subvert the Uu-
ion itself.
"ResOAved, That, as a fundamental prin.
:iPie in our political creed, a people, in
a constitution, have the uncondi-
ional right to form and adopt the govern
nent which they may think best calculated
o secure liberty, prosperity and happiHess;
Ind that, in conformity thereto, no other
ION dition is imposed by the federal c~onsti-
ution on a State, in order to her admission
nto this Union, except that its constitution
'e republican, and that the imposition of any
'ther, ny Congress, would not only be in
'~lolation of the constitution, but in direct
conflict with the principle on which our po-
itical system rests"
These resolutions were brought into the Sem
ie February 18th, lS47, and are the prototype
those sent me by the Genaral Assembly of
! see no difference in them, but in
time contemplated for the dissolution Of the
Union, Mr.. Calhoun's tending ''direcily," and
hose of Missouri 'ultim1tely," to that point
n other respects they are identical; andfhis diff
erence is not material, as the Missouri ~resolu-
ions pledge the State to 'co-operats" with other
iavehclding States, and therefore to follow theiI
which may BIO directly, as the Accomac res
buttons, vouched to be the voice OF the South,
all for a State Convention as soon as q bill can
passed for The purpose, to organize the mode
f action. l consider the Calhoun resolutions as
he parent of those adopted by our Legislature,
nd entitled to the first attention; and, in that
'oint of view, shall speak to them first, and be-
in with an argument against it, derived from
he conduct Of that gentleman himself.
In the year 1920, Mr.. Calhoun was a member
f Mr.. Monroe's cabinet, and as such was re-
Iuired by the President in common with the rest
f the cabinet, to give his opinion in writing to be
lied in the department Of state, on the question
{ the power Of Congress to prohibit slavery in
erritories. and on the constitutionality Of the
ighth section of the act for the admission of Mis-
ouri into the Union, and which section applied
he oft; .l,,o-a .l,,.o ~ Al, ,,J;n,noa oc 1897 Il