Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1850-06-29

W han
upon intimate terms and with whom was in The habit
counselng freely then, now, in regard 10 matters
the welfare and safety of the republic Conversation ~
CURED between Mr.. Polk, the Senator from Indiana snd
SELF upon the Oregon bill, which then pendng the 70
suit Of which agreement the part INV friend
Indiana to become the intoducer of the Missouri
amendment. The President Immediately turnsd ~
volume upon his table containing the compromise il was n
once copied and the Senator from Indiana and myself repair
ed instantly to this hail. when, in short time after reacbino
the Senate he announced his determination bring IN I'M
amendment which he had prepared at the earliest practicable
period Well, sir when the amendment afterwards ac-
tualy introduced, what reception accorded to Why
was discussed and opposed and denounced. And de-
nounced by whom speak it with all possible respect-it
denounced by the honorable Senator from South Caro
already referred to- Here his speech it was declared by
him not only to be unconstitutional but danger
thing which had been wrong in its inception and
infinitely Objectionable then than had been originally
Sir subsequent period Of the session. when the Missouri
compromise again brought before amendment
did the honorable Senator from South Carolina for it
Yes sr he did for il amendment to the Oregon
BILL but then refused to vote for the bill account of the
Missouri compromise being incorporated in it.
And, sir, let me ask what that occasion was the
course of the Senator from Florida, (Mr YULRE who sits
urthest the way and who has the honor the present
time, believe OF being, will not say the leading and
influential supporter Of the Missouri compromise but who
well understood to be altogether the jealous advocate
which has at the present time either here elsewhere
Sir he voted against amendment He expressed the
stances, could he be induced for it. The genemans
tone has not little changed of late. He is the champion Of
the Missouri compromise Yes sir its adyo-
cate and can conceive Of nothing else the face of the earth
which the wit Of man could devise half well calculated as
this same compromise for terminating the distracng scenes
through which passing.
will now refer to what said by the honorable Senator
from South Carolina, ne principal speech which be deliver
ea upon inc Oregon question during the winter Of s47s
We will presently see what be thought Of the Missouri
"After an arduous struggle of than year. on the
question whether Missouri should the Union with
was adopted between the North and the Souh but was
done under which made nowse obligatory on
the latter Il is true, it moved by of her distinguish
ed citizens, Mr. Clay but it is equally So that it car
ried by the almost united of the against the almost
united vote of the South and thus imposed on the latter
by superior numbers in opposition her strenuous efforts
The South has given her sanction to it or asened to
the power asserted She voted down. and simply
acquesced arrangement which she has had
reverse and which she could attempt do without dis
urbng the peace and harmony of the Unionto which
1as ever been adverse Acting this principle, she permit
ed the Territory Of Iowa to be formed and the State be
into the Union, under the compromise without OBJ
ecton and that is quoted by the Senator from New
to her surrender Of the power he claims for Con-
To add the strength of this claim the advocates of the
'ower hold the name Of Jefferson in its favor 90
IS to call him the author Of the so-caed Wmot provso,
vhch Is but general expression of of which the
Missouri compromise is Of its application If may
Judge by his opinion of that case what his opinion of the
its favor one could be more deadly hostile to- it, In
etter addressed to the elder Adams in 1872 to
rom him. he uses these remarkable expressions reference
o the Missouri question
The banks bankrupt law, manufactures Spanish treaty.
are nothing These which, like in
Storm win pass under the ship But the Missouri question
breaker on which lose the Missouri country by
volt, and what more, God only knows
understand the full force of these expressions it
borne in mind that the questions enumerated the
reat and exciting political questions of the day which par
divided The banks and bankrupt law had long
Tor what has since been called protective
parish treaty that u.s. the treaty BY which Florida was coded
the Unon and BY which the western boundary between
iexco and the United States settled from the Gulf Of
fcxco to the Pacific All these exciting party ques
OF the day Mr. Jefferson regarded as nothing compared
, the Missouri question. He looked all of them as in
would pass off under the ship Of state like waves in
torm Not so that fatal question tw breaker which
was destined to be stranded and yet his quoted
uthor Of proyso which would give indefinite universal
xtenson Of this fatal question all the Territories 1t
haSs ns Of the lime
of this body who voted for the MEASURE addressed
to Mr. Jefferson enclosing copy Of his speech the
up in the heart of every who loves the country
nd its institutions 1t is brief Twill it to the Secretary
be read The time OF the Senate cannot be better occupied
ian In listening TO it."
Notice, sir that this very letter, which Mr. Calhoun said
ugh tobe treasured in the heart every wholoves
ounry and Its institutions letter which he understood
nd pronounced to be letter denuncatory of the Missouri
ompromise. know that others have understood that letter
erenty but that is unmportant to the point now under
Let read the letter ITSELF that all may
uly appreciate its import
"MosTIcELLo, APRIL %, 1890.
thank you dear sir for the copy you so kind
as TO send me OF the letter your constituents the Mis-
souri, question: 1t is perfect justification them. had
LOT long e ceased to read newspapers pay aen-
on 70 pubic aAr confident they in good hands, and
content to be in bark the shore from which
am not distant But this question: like fire.
bell in the night awakened and filled with terror con-
sidered at the kne Of the Union 1t hushed
indeed, tor the moment but this repreve only, not
hnal sentence geographical line, concding with mark
ed principle moral and political once conceived and held
to the angry passions of men, will be obiterated
and every new irritation will mark deeper and deeper
can say, with conscious truth, that there is not man on
earth who would sacrifice than would relieve
sion OF that kind property flor it mnamed is bag
ateile which would not second thought that
way general emancipation and erbaaon could be eff
ected and gradually, and with due sacrifices think it
might be- But as have the wolf by the ears and
we can neither hold him, safely let him CO. Justice s
scale, and sepreservation in the other OF one
hing am certain that the free passage slaves from
State to another would make slave of single human
being who would not be without it, their diffusion
greater surface would make them individually hsppier
and proporonay facilitate the accomplishment of their
by dividing the burden greater number of
;oauors An abstinence from this of power, would
the jealousy excited by the undertaking Congress
regulate the condition of the different descriptions of
every State, which nothing the constitution has taken
hem and given to the General Government Could Con-
for example, that the nonreemen Connecticut
hall Dc reemen, or that they shall emgate into any
ther State :
g" regret that now to die in the belief that the
sacrifice themselves the generation Of 776 TO