Democratic banner., 1849-06-04

lcuHred with the rest OF the Cabinet ut the
time, and never thought of denying It until
icaught fast and hard in the fixed fact Of q
killing contradiction. p
But the other piece of writing Is sin
more close and stern than the letter Of Mf.
Moytoe. It is the diary Of MIR. Adams,
written down at the time, and clesr and
pointed to every particular-tlie questions,
tke answers, and their deposit in the de-
pertinent of State. The extract from .fhig
diary, furnished and certified by the son,
Mr. Charles Francis Adams, is ia these
words: "'e- t5d = e
Extracts from the Diary of. G. Aaams. q.
MARCH 8, 1820.-When ] came this day
to my Office, / found there & note request.
ing me to call at one O'Clock at the Presi-
dents House. 1t was then one, and / i'm.
|mediately went over. He expected that
the two bills for the admission of Maine, and
TO enable Missouri to make a constitutions
would lsavs bsen brought b,hin fssk;asis
nature and Ne bad SUNNI bned al the MEM
.bers Of the Administration, to ask their o.
Pinions in writing, to be deposited in the
Department of State, upon two questions.
l. Whether Congress had a constitutional
right to prohibit slavery in a territory? and
2. Whether the 9Th section of the Missouri
bill (which interdicts slavery forever in the
territory north Of So l-2 latitude J was ap-
plicable only To- the territorial state, or
would extend to it sfer it should become .
State? As to the first question, it was un-
animously agreed that Congress have the
power to prohibit slavery in the territories"
EGAf Ill., D-.
terday the two questions, in writing, upon
which he desiered to have in Wri-
ting, to be deposited in the Department of
State. He wrote me that it would be IN
time, if he should have the answers to-mor-
The first question is in general terms,
as it was stated at the meeting on Friday.
The second ~as modified to an inquiry
whether the 9Th section of the Missouri bill
is consistent with the Constitution. To
this | can without hesitation answer BY q
affirmative, and so, after some re-
lection, | concluded to answer both.
MARCH g.. = ! took to the Presi-
DENTS my answers to his constitutional
questions, and he desired me to have them
deposited in the Department, together with
of the other members Of the Admins.
They differed only as they as.
signed their reasons for thinking the 9Th
e ction Of the Missouri bill consistent with
the Constitution, because they considered
as only applying TO the territorial term
and I barely gave my opinion, without as.
for it any explanatory reason. The
President signed the Missouri bill this NOR.
This testimony leaves no room for doubt or
1t is clear and positive at all points,.
{ was overwhelmingly conclusive. Nj. Cal
loun should have surrendered. His evil eeEus,
md the fix he was in as the leader of q party
ounded On new ideas, the reverse of his old ones,
nd the disease OF consistency, made him hest.
ate and deny, not directly, but argumentatiyely,
nd in the way Of non-recollection. He could
lot remember--and he could no: believe that he
lad given a written opinion in ouch an important
natter without remembering il! Unhappy mani
lie did not perceive thatt this species of argument
alive denial was far stronger the other wsyl
hat it would have been far more difficult TO have
his opinion, if he had stood alone
n the cabinet, dissenting from all the rest,
md ~disobeying the Presidents command to
This would have been the thing
Iificult to have been forgot, and still more
Tiff cult to have been concealed! Sensi.
lie Of the damage he had done himself By
his non-reoolle ction. M.. Calhoun under.
ook to e.habilitate himself BY assuming
o know all about the compromise, and BY
q statement of it which was intended
o convince the Senate that his memory ~as
God, and entitled to credit in opposition to
II the testimony against him. He began
Vith characteristic assumption of knowing
verything, and ended by showing that he
nothing. He saidi
81 know all about. the compromise: the
ause which led to it, and the reason Why,
hat The Northern men who voted against il
'ere universally sacrificed for so DOING
is quite 4 mistake, as some suppose, that
hey were sacrificed for voting for the COM
Iomise. The very reverse IS the case
The cause / will proceed to state: Dur
ng the session Of the compromise. Mr..
and myself resided together.-
Ie was a member of the House Of Repre-
entatives, and I was Secretary of War
We both felt the magnitude of the subject.
f%issouri, at the preceding session, had pre-.
ented herself for admission as a member