The mountain sentinel. [volume] (Ebensburg, Pa.) 1844-1853, 1850-07-11
The Missouri COmnromiSe.

1nc MlSSOurt compromise.
We extract the following history from
sthe Washington correspondence of the
Philadelphia Public Ledger:
Gen. Foote took the floor after Daniel
y Webster, and made the best and most eff
.fective Union speech that ever was deliv
Tered on the floor of the Senate. He gave
US the history of the Missouri compromise
challenging contradiction in the Senate OIL
the House. 1t appears, from what Gen.
Foote stated, Immediately after Mr.. Buch-
anan had written his Berks County Har-
vest Home letter, he, (Gen. Foote) CON
ferred with Mr.. Calhoun, expressing his
readiness to offer the Missouri Compro-
mise as an amendment to the Oregon Bill.
hr. Calhoun spurned the offer, looked up
on the Missouri line as unconstitutional,
and as most dangerous means of divi-
Idlng the country into geographical halves,
(which would, sooner or later, lead TO dis
union. Gen. Foo'e here quoted numer-
Gus extracts from Mr.. Cafhoun's speeches
at the time. Still it was remarked by
Southern Senators that the Missouri line
would be p settlement, and to give peace
and harmony to the country, he, Foote,
was willing 10 offer it. Again objection
was made that such proposition would
be ''degroding" if coming from the South
and Foote was willing to obviate that too.
He was conterring with Northern Sena-
TORS, and found that Mr.. Bright, of Indiana
was willing TO assume the responsibility
in spirit of cancellation and PATRIOTISM.
Brig Int and Foote saw President Polk, and
the amendment embodying The Missouri
Compromise was drawn up at the White
House. Bright offered it, but the South
[gave 1t by no means a generous support,
and although Calhoun voted for the amend
Iment, he eventually voted against the bill,
because it had that amendment in it
Among the mer that voted il down are
Those who are now most clamorous for the
Missouri line.
1t was Afterwards stated, and stated cor
[rectly, that Mr.. Buchanan was, at the ear
nest solicitation of his southern friends,
willing 10 write another letter; but seeing
lthe course things had taken in the mean
W hle, MIR. Buchanan declined. After
THE election of Gen. Taylor, Mr.. Buchan-
an was again pressed, but he then answer
led that he was converted TO the non-inter-
ference principle, that he had fought under
THAT principle during the Presidential cam
paign, and that he would not obtrude his
sopinion on the public. Mr.. Foote then
made Mr.. Buchanan visit at Wheatland,
I near Lancaster and urged him again; but
Eat the opening of Congress. Mr.. Foote and
sanother southern gentleman, canvassed
both Houses, and found that the Missouri
compromise could not pass, too many
ssouthern men being opposed to it.
Mr.. Buchanan withheld his letter; and
snow the very men who would denounce
] Gen. Foote In the South. for falling back
on the doctrine of the Nicholson letter.
(after Gen. Cass. as Gen. Foote stated,
had been willing TO vote with selfsacrifi-
icing generosity in support of the Missouri
Eline,) are those who opposed the Missouri
! line when proposed while he, Foote, stuck
] to it till he found that it would not carry.
eMr. Foote said he was now willing TO vote
lfor it; but not as a cOnditiO sine qua non:
zlor he was ready to settle the question in
ANY manner that should preserve our glo-
/ frlous Union.