The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1850-04-25
THE COMPROMISE COMMITTEE.


united, always excepting Mr.. Benton) by tho aid
of seven of the sixteen Northern Democratic
members of the Senate succeeded in carrying
their Compromise Committee. To the credit of
the Wings from the free States, be it spoken,
only two of them were consenting TO its for
nation These two were Mr.. Webster and MIR.
! Cooper
Mr. Webster, on the first test question, when
his vote. if recorded with the Northern Men,
would have put an extinguisher upon the project
of Committee, recorded it on the side of Com
promise At later periods in the action on Mr..
Foote'S motion when his vote could not affect the
result he voted against the Committee. 49,
- We sgte facts People must draw their own
differences.
Mr.. COOPER of Pennsylvania canvassed that
State for General Taylor and Free Soil, de-
nouncing Slavery from the stump with extreme
bitterness, pledgng the Wing Party and himself
specially to the maintenance of Free Soil Since
he has taken his seat in the Senate, not word
has fallen from him, not vote has been given by
him, that could betray the slightest opposition to
Slavery or its extension. We understand that
he was induced to give countenance, if not to
pledge support to the scheme of grand Com
promise Committee that on the day when that
subject was to be brought up, and every Senator
interested for against the question was expected
to be at his post, it being known that the pro-
slavery and anti-slavery parties to try their
strength upon it, he left for New York that he
attended the Clay Festival in that city the fol-
lowing day, making a speech in honor Of the
Great Compromiser, at that moment engaged in
mighty effort to put down the Wilmot PrOviso-
that on returning to this city, he bec0ns mdis-
posed, and kept his room during ths mhOle period
the Senate ,raS mUOlved ia the struggle which finally
terminated in the triumph of the Pro-Slavery
Party!
We like to see men one thing or the other. If
the Lord be Lord, serve him if Baal, serve him.
We can understand Daniel Dickinson of New
York, He thinks the North wrong, and the
South right; he abominates the principles and
policy of the former on the Slavery Question !;
he likes those of the latter. What he thinks, he
says, and what he says he acts out and adheres
to. On any question concerning Human Liberty,
you can predict his vote with infallible certainty.
He plays no double game-he is open, thorough,
unwayering, consistent in his support of South
ern policy and of course, disappoints nobody.
Has Mr.. Cooper seen cause to abandon his anti
slavery views? Let him manfully declare the
change, and act in accordance with his new light.
If he retains the opinions he proclaimed so
zealously during the Presidential canvass, let
la.x L.
expect him to be mere cipher in Congress-
to say nothing, do nothing, vote nothing-to
desert his post at the critical hour when the
struggle between Freedom and Slavery was to be
decided
The fact that this scheme of Compromise
Committee originated with the Shareholders, that
il was sustained by them unitedly, with single
exception) that all the Northern men present,
but FIVE opposed it, necessarily invests it with a
sectional character so that the report of the
Committee can have no more weight than a docu-
ment from any other Committee presenting the
opinions of only one party to a controversy.
Ii may be said that the Committee in its organ
ization fairly represents the views of both Sec
tons Of the Union Far from it Who consti-
tute it ? On the part Of the South, six of its
ablest men, all of them, except one, notorious for
their ultra pro-slavery opinions. They are,
Wigs, Mangum, Bell, Berrien; Democrats, Ma
son, King, DOwns-all representing extreme
Southern opinions While on The part of the
North, we have, Ways, Webster, Cooper, Phelps
Democrats, Cass Bright, Dickinson-every one
o~oant NJ pboIno onnneoJ 10 Tho North ar viaw
Of the Slavery Question, and sympsthizing with
the Southern. And the Chairman of the Com
mittee, Henry Clay, is now the most efficient
champion of all that the Shareholders demand
or the Committee of Thirteen, then, the Chair
man and eleven members are pledged support
ers of the slaveholding policy of No-Slavery-
Notwithstanding MIR. Phelps as the sole rep
resentative of that large majority of the Ameri-
can People who are in favor of the Jeffersonian
policy of Restriction
To what consideration is Committee so con-
stituted, entitled
1t is fact worthy of notice, that after all, the
friends of this famous scheme were indebted to
the courtesy Of its opponents for the power to
carry it into execution. The result of the bal
loting for Chairman was, 30 votes, and blanks.
The blanks, of course, were not counted, and the
Vice President announced that there was no
choice, because q quorum of the Senate had not
voted To relieve the Senate from its ridiculous
predicament, Messrs Webster and Benton Of
fered if it was desired, to deposite their ballots
and so by the courtesy of those who had voted
against the Committee, the Senate was enabled
to execute its order to appoint one! And yet
scheme so Unsupported, Is to adjust this
great question, and give peace to the country !!
But the friends Of the Committee were subject to
another modification The members having been
chosen, Mr. Phelps rose and begged to be ex-
cused from serving His health was poor-he
was opposed to the organization Of such Com
mittee-he anticipated no good from this
views would not be in harmony with those enter
tanned by it, MIR. Msngum entreated him, pit
eously, to withdraw his request-he was besieged
on all sides-and Mr. Webster openly appealed
TO him to give them the benefit Of his counsels
Mr.. Phelps declined to withdraw his request, but
was willing to submit it to the Senate-and the
Senate refused to excuse him
Mr.. Benton remarked, while the motion of Mr.
Foote was under consideration that the appoint
ment and action Of the Committee would either
create alarm or laugh. In view of what has
since transpired, the People will experience any
other emotion than that Of alarm.