The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1850-08-18


the use OF southern men OF the present day who should
feel no reluctance to means which the honored
fathers of the republic employed TO prevent the degada
| ton of their section.
mission, the jealousy between the North and South in
respect to relative power the Union manifested itself
The occasion aude 10 was the application Of Kentucky
The admission Of thai southern State delayed Tor
considerable ume that counieryalllng State from the
North might be prepared TO accompany her into the Union
As is material to establish the fact Of this early aen:
ton TO the point OF relative power Of the sections, will
read to the Senate the proof OF IT, furnished By the sena
tor from Kentucky, [Mr CLAY.l II was during the dis
essson OF the application OF Name Tor ADMISSION lha
Mr. CLAY took occasion to advert to the practice OF hav
ing regard to the equilibrium OF the two sections The
debate may be found by those who curious TO peruse
il, in the National lnlelgencer OF January 10, 1920 And
beg gentlemen to bear in mind that in this in every
other instance OF contest for political power TO which
will advert, il the NORTH which took the field as
the champion oil equilibrium OF power between the
two sections
Mr. CLAY. The State OF Kentucky, if he egreg
ousy mistaken in the history of the times was delayed
eighteen months before she was permitted TO come IN,
anil Vermont also ready and the two States would
found connected together IN the act providing for their
representation in Congress lie asked whether TINS pre-
ceden from the might not be advantageoay
followed IN regard to the Two states naw oamiag admis
other from the West, the case In 1871 This (he
s,id) worthy Of consideration The precedent
from the early, and, far least regards the eonsuc
ton of the constitution under which we act the best times
Mr. HolnEs Win any one say ought not to be adj
miued INTO The Union We are answered, Yes and thot
i I,
we ought to be admitted hope the doctrine did not
extend quite that Mr. CLAY here said in
Mr. CLAY He did not mean TO give his consent the
admission Of the State Of Maine into the Union long
mission OF States into the Union from beyond the noun
tains Equality (said he) is equity L.
should be delayed thai House should on the
a, n he We s' B Bur 1s seemed s ee
aversion the connexon OF Maine and Missouri II he
much mistaken, those who now objected TO such
Ian n
which he had quoted precedent, and had succeeded
in keeping Kentucky OF Union for twelve
eighteen months because Vermont ready come
in. and,, when ready, connec' d them in one bvl.
/ Mr. WHITMAN, oil Massachusetts He was apprehensiye
| the honorable speaker might have been msnformed He
understood hum have said that Vermont and Kentucky
had tackled together, and the admission OF lad
been that OF the other; and further that the
/ objection the admission Of Kentucky came from the
northern and eastern sections OF the Union. THIS Mr. W.
said he had never heard before.
Mr. CLAY In reference 70 The case which he had refer
red Il precedent for such xion, The gentleman
from Massachusetts had protested his ignorance Of t. The
Is be had % said doubtless nevt had heard Of II but the
gentleman was NOT informed upoa The subject he (Mr "
oln having participated, in degree, in the
ons Of that day can him (sad M CLAY that the
mission OF Kentucky into the Union until Vermont was
ready in But the gentleman perceived great inns
1Mr G said he would recommend 10 his recoection the
old annecdotc Of paIson and The bull.
This notion OF an equivalent (Mr. G. sad) a
one II was upon which Common Weaths and States
had acted from time lmmemorlai
This was the first instance of the admission of new
States and that the North have raised at the
issue of relative power. The admission OF Tennessee.
Mississippi, and Alabama slave States secured
BY the compacts Of cesson which expressly provided for
their admission States without restriction upon slavery,
and Louisiana admitted under duress OF circumsian-
ces, Mr. Rufus King explained the white and negro
population concentrated near New Orleans being nearly
equal No opportunity therefore, occurred to the North
to make point respect the admission OF these States,
she especially stimulated TO embarrass compl-
with The stpulatons in Their behalf because OHIO,
Indiana, and Illinois, the admission Of which States oc-
cured within the period, preserved the balance OF
the States, and the relative power between the two
tons The application OF Missouri for admission fur
nshed the first plausible opportunity when The North
could strike for political power II the South were per
United monopoze the Louisiana purchase there was
DANGER the North supposed, that her growth would
overw helm in time the northern power. The issue was
therefor made and proceed show by reference to the
proceedings of the day. that the real interest which gave
momentum TO the issue was the balance OF political pow
between the slave and non-slaveholdnS States. and
that the dissment made upon this basis, under
stood 10 extend the Pacific and forced upon
the South by northern votes As tis material 10 esab-
ish these points beyond dispute shall refer largely TO
the contemporary proofs proceed first TO show that the
considerations which moved The North in thelMssour
controversy were political thai political power was the
real motive and that the preservation OF the political
power OF that section IN the Union was an avowed sb-
Jet.
The presence in the northern mind on that OCCASION
balance of political power BY preserving the equilibrium
OF the sections in respect 10 the number OF States, Is
shown by the fact that Maine brought forward spe-
SCUM pressed Massachusetts refused a separate
stence to Maine As brief Contemporary statement of
the history OF this fact, will quote from speech Of Mr.
Smith. OF South Carolina in the Senate made in reply to
i Mr. Rufus King
Mr. snrru (n reply the second speech Of Mr. Rufus
Kug) said Mr. President the people OF Massachusetts are
so far from wishing Maine separate State, when The
question submitted 10 them they voted down She
scheme and said the State of Massachusetts should remain
entire. Bot, sir, whenever Missouri applied for adins
sion the legislature of that State, keep what the
gentleman calls rHK BALANCE OF roLIIcAL POWER mnedl.
ateiy passed law to authorize the division Preparatory
To such the gentleman himself during the last
sessod Of Congress- after he had taken active part To
reject Missouri brought forward "A navigation bill tor the
and this is what he is pleased call holding invita-
ton This adopted TO keep pace in pollti
cal power If Missouri could not be kept out This the
4 course purrued by New York when Vermont petitoned
Vermont could be heard until Kentucky pettoned also
and then New York her consent and struR
gie ensured which should be ndmitteArst and Vermont
prevailed. National fateiiigtneer AHgusf TO- 1920
Massachusetts and New York had refused the separa-
ton from them of Maine and Vermont until slave States
brought forward for admission. This shows that
considerations OF convenience and justice not the
motives inducing their assent, but that what Mr.. King
called he balance of political power was the only ad
vantage potent enough 10 draw them into consent The
BALANCE POLITICAL POWER This, then. existed as a
definite idea policy TO be observed and enforced IN
the practice of the government, far back 1920 at
/ least
proceed now to show that political power the
consideration which lay at the bottom OF the whole
oversy and that it understood by the actors in
that day
Il The two sources upon which best reliance can be
placed unve the real purposes and influences that i'm