The Mississippi Creole. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1841-1851, 1850-08-03
SPEECH OF HON. H. s. FOOTE,
OF MISSISSIPPI,
ON THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE, &,
n Senate, Thursday, June 27, 1850.
coNTINtFp.1

"What we propose in this conuexon, is to
make few temarks on what the North alleges.
etfoneously, to be the issue between US and
Them;
"So tar frotn maintaining tho doGtrine,
which the issue implies; we hold that the Fed
eral Government has no fight TO extend or
restrict sIaHely no more ihNn to establish or
abolish II; nor has Il any right whatever 10
distinguish Between the domestic institutions
OF one State; or settieni and another, in order
TO favor the one and discourage the other, -
AS the Federal representative Of each and all
the Slates.itis bound todeaSin within the sphere
oiits powers, equal end exact Justice and favor
to all. To act otherwise, to undertake TO dis.
cflmtnate between the domestic institutions Of
one and another wOuld be to act in total subver
sion OF the end for whi, h it was established
TO be the common protector and guardian oil all.
Entertaining these opinions, we ask not, as
the North alleges we do; for the extension Of
slavery. That would make a discrimination
in our favoH az unjust and unconstitutional
as the discrimination they ask against us in
their favor. 1t is not for them nor for the
Federal Government to dttermine whether il
should be repressed or preserved. II belongs
TO US, and US only. to decide such questions Z.
What then we do insist on, is, not to extend
slavery, but that we shall not be prohibited
from emigratlDg with our property, in the Ter.
rtory Of the United States, because we are
slave>holders; or, in other words, that we shall
not on that account be disiranchised Of priv
ilege possessed by all others, citizens and for-
eigners, without discrimination as to character,
profession, or color. All, whether savage,
barbarian, or civilized, may freely enter and
remain, we only being excluded"
! Sir, have sail that we accepted this advice
i in l848; we cOmbatted upon the platform laid
down by Mr.. Calhoun. Our Northern Demo,
cratic friends, anxious as they were to save
the Union-havng no preference at the time
n for any particular plan--and receiving advice
from so high quarter, from person so well
= entitled to respect, rallied to man in support
I, OF the non-intervenUon principle. We adopted
it as fundamental article Of our party creed
both in the North and the South, in the Eas
4, and the West; and what was the result? w
were beaten in the Presidential contest; bu
should aNsingle defeat induce us to abando
a principle so recommended? have though
not; other gentlemen more distinguished lha
myself have thought that we should NOT, also
Wehave adhered to the platform Of l848, thu
framed under the monitiOns Ofthe diStinguishe
statesman Of South Carolina, and some Of II
A. intend never to abandon it until driven from
by circumstances which 1t may not be in ou
n power to control. Well, sir, during the las
~ summer, finding that 1t had been impossible
settle this question on the basis of non-interveu
tion, as we had hoped to do by the election {
a Democratic President: being still painful
soliCitous to see the Republic rescued from tn
IL dangers which so fercely menanced it, rC
n newed my efforts last summer to bring tn
e. Missouri Compromise into favorable notice
M For this purpose wrote a letter to the EN-
10 nent Pennsylvania statesman who had tw
~ years before recommended it, and urged hi
I'm to renew his accommodation, in some publ
eu form, at period early enough to have son
) effect upon the sentiment Of the country b
Us fore the commencement OF tho present sesS'C
of Congress. He informed me that he hn
J in common with the whole Democratic part
given up the compromise in favor of non-i
n. tervention; that he had voted in support OF Il
non-intervenIiOn, principle in 848, and
doubted the expediency of coming fOrwa
again and urging the Missouri compromi
90 upon the country as he had done in 1847.
'iS still urged him to do so. l even paid a speci
% visit to his hospitable mansion, chiefly wi
- a view of procuring, if possible, the sanctiC
~ of his high ndme once more to the plan Of Il
~ Missouri compromise; and obtained fro
~ him a partial promise that he would aga
declare his views upon the subject at an ear
- period. But, sir, as no publication from b
pen made its appearance in the newspapers,
addressed repeated letters to him urging hi
g again and again to perform the patriot
task to which had invoked him. AT leng
he made up his mind to crafty my wishes al
Sc positively promised that he would aga
make a declaration of his views, If he cou
ar be perfectly satisfied that the Missouri cor
es, promise was at all likely to be satiSfa
Bile tory to the people Of the South, ent'
in tanning, as he did, confident opinion that
re-. would be generally accepted in the Nort
ne, So things remained until month OF two
Tor the present session Of Congress had gid
BY, when he addressed letter 10 an honor
friend of mine, requesting him and myself
. ascertain whether it would be at all pOssil
!, to rally the Southern members Of Congress
ny support of the Missouri compromise in viii
~ event he engaged to cO-Operate with uS mi
y cordially in urging its adoption upon COngre
lus The scrutiny asked for was instituted withc
Ty delay; and the gentleman alluded to and N
Ut self, after cOnferring together repeatedly, a
" counfeling in relation to the matter, cal
most reluctantly to the conclusion, that
- Southern members Of Congress wonld neN
ny consent to take the Missouri compromise.
ne, preferred non.nterventiOn still, and we SO {
he vised Mr.. Buchanan without delay. Still P
| - b,,I Fl,