The daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1848-1851, 1851-10-27
Chs Daiig Crescer.Il
g'FMOFFIClAL JOURNAL u = /, q
Of tho CoancU IF The Second Mu,iicjra1cty.

" the C0atmcsl Of tho Second MssztcjVaEts
Published Ev.ry Day-<s.nday E.e.ptsd,-
> By j.. H. MADDOX.
Jsnos......No. o 81. CnAsl,, s-.,ur.
Letter from Mr.. clay On the Compro.
naiss Msasares. "a Z. 5y ]
Ihe following il the letter from Mr.. CIay to sew
eral gentlemen Of NewYork on the subjec. Of tn,
Compromise Measures, and which was referred :.
In telegrsphic dispatch few days ago: ), III
Gentlemsn-I have the honor 70 acfnowsde. .; 1si:
J Transmitted to me from number Of gentlemen in
: the city Of NewYork. Emanasina from yourcs
so highly respectable and imposing from friend,
and ieilow-ctizens 30 NUMEROUS spd intelligent
and to whom am under such great obligations,
have perused it with profound attention and deie-
renee After advertng to the present state of pub.
lie AFFAIRS to the spirit adverse to the measures Of
Compromise adopted during the last Congress,
which prevails in certain quarters to the necessity
OF OF unremitted exertions to preserve our glorious
Union, and to what has been so ssasonablv and
weil done, with so much ability, eloquencs and pa
trctsm, BY some of our eminent counnymen, you
invite me 70 leave for time. my quiet abode here,
to appear in your great city, and to address nv
felow-cIfizens ON the actual condition and mena.
cling danger Of our country. "
ieel, gentlemen, with the greatest interest and
the deepest socitnde the full force Of all that you
have expressed; and would gladly comply with
your wishes, and even dedicate the remnant Of a
hfe, the largest and best part Of which has been
spent In the public serviss, 70 the cause Of the
unlon, IT the state Of my health would allow me,
and il believed that any fresh exertious Of mine
would Dc useful. But ever since the long session
OF the last Congress, during which my srduous du-
ties were greater than was well able to encounter,
my health has been delicate, and il has remained
so throughout the past summer. hope that il Is
improving, but il still requires the most assiduoua
care and entertain serious apprehepsions that If
were to accept your invitation, and throw myself
inio the scenes OF excitement incident to it, my
strength might fail me, and my present debility
might become increased There 10 no place. am
fully aware, where should find more ardent and
enthusiastic friend. in one party, and more courte.
~ and respect in the other, than in the commercial
metropolis Of the Union. Whilst am constrained.
ing you propose, avail myself Of the occasion to
present some views which have taken Of public
Sffars, and which trust may be received as . sub
'aitute for any oral exhibition of them which
could make before large concourse Of my fellow
citizens in NewYork.
1t was not supposed by the authors and supporters
OF the Compromise, in the last Congress, that the
adoption of the series Of measures which composed
Il would secure The unanimous concurrence Of all
Their reasonable hopes were confined to the great
majority of the people Of the United States, and
Their hopes have not been disappointed. Every
where-North, South, East, and West-an i'm
mense msjority of the people satisfied with, or
aequlesce IN, the Compromises. This may be conf.
IDENTITY asserted in regard to thirteen Of the slave.
holding States, and 10 thirteen, if not fourteen. Of
the Free States. In a few of both classes of the
States, and in some particular localities dissaiis.
faction exists, exhibiting itself occasionally in words
OF great violence and lntemperance; but this feel
ing Is, trust, where i has most prevailed, gradu-
ally yielding TO an enlightened sense Of public duty.
Will present rapid survey Of the actual state OF
things as it appears to me, both at the North and
the South, beginning at the former.
In all that region there in but of the various
Compromise measures that il ssriously assailed,
and that is the law made in strict conformity with
the Constitution, for the surrender of ugitives from
lawful service or labor. But the law itself, with
a6To eseep,i0ns, has been every where enforced: !:
opposition to Il ia eonstsnty nbasing, and the pa.
trotic obligations Of obeyiDg the Constitution and
the laws, made directly or indirectly by the people
themselves, is now almost universally recognized
and adm tied. Ii, in the EXECUTION of the law BY
the public authority, popular discontent il some
times manifested, it has, with the exceptions men.
toned, been invariably represssd or prevented from
ohstructing the officers of Justice in the performance
of their official duties ii am correctly info med,
great and salutary change has been made, and Is
yet IN progress at the North, which authorizes the
l-soniident anticipation that reason and law will
iinally achieve noble triumph. +
The necessity of maintaining and enforcing that
law, unrepealed, and without any modification that
would seriously impair its efficiency, must be ad.
mtted by the impartial judgment of ali candid men,
Many of the slaveholding States, and many public
meetings Of the people in them, have deliberately
declared that their adherence to the Union depend
ed upon the preservation of that law. and that It's
abandonment would be the signal of the dissolution
OF the Union. know that the Aboitionists (some
OF whom openly avow desire to produce that ca.
Smlous resut) and their partiaans deny and deride
the existence Of such danger; but men who will
not perceive and own II, must be blind to the signs
of the times, to the sectional strife which has un-
happily arisen, to the embinered feelings which
have been excited, well as the solemn resolutions
ct deliberative assemblies, unanimously adopted
lheir disregard of the danger, am apprehensive,
proceeds more from their desire TO continue aRiia-
ton, which augments it, than from their love Of the
Union itself. - -
You refer, gentlemen, to Resolutions and ad.
dresses adopted at conventions lately assembled
around us, In which we have seen with regret. "a
we'll as alarm, that the question of adhereuce 10 the
Compromise is avoided or evaded," !" and YOU iustlv
deprechie the tendency of these resolutions.
have not been an inattentive or Indifferent observer
ofthem, and with you Ideepy regret their adoption
wish that these respective bodies could have been
less ambiguous and more explicit in declaring their
determination to acquiesce in, and abide by, great
measure of peace and compromise, which, forming
an epoch in the progress Of our country, was in
tended to reconcile and restore concord and frater.
nal feelings among our divided countrymen. There
was no necessity 10 reserve a right TO discuss to
bdIiy and to repeal the obnoxious law. Such a
= ~ existed without any express reservation, not
fJniy as to that law but as to all laws and a. TO
the Constitution ITSELF which has incorporated in il
the right of amendment, and consequently a spirit
OF moderation should prompt forbearance 10 exer.
else that right. If more were intended than meets
the eye, more than to proclaim the the0rec right of
discussion, if it were designed to announce the
right OF unremitled agitation, to continue the dis.
fractions Of the country, and finally, if possible, 10
repeal the fugitive slave law, patriotism and har.
mony must condemn the unwise course as fraught
with The most mischievous and periious conse.
Reuences. .ts
But we must make some allowance for human
irallly and inordnate pride of opinion. MANY per
sons at the North had avowed an invincible hos.
tiity to the fugitive Law and even declared their
intention forclbly 10 obstuct its execution and had
appealed to higher law, which, an they contended,
was paramount to all human legislation. These
untenable positions wefe wholly irreconcilable
with patriotism or even with the existence of repu
lar government itself Obeying the dictates, ii il
TO be hoped, of wiser and purer, and more social
counsels, the parties who, under the impulse of
passion and fanaticism, lad assumed, have now
abandoned them, and acknowledged their unques.
tlonabe duty 10 submit to he law, until it is modi.
fled or repealed by competent authority. In
descending from the high and perous ground
which they could not saieyoccupy, 10 that Of con.
ceding the obligation of submission to the law, we
discern, hope, a just homage to the dictates of
civilization and TO the duties of established govern.
ment. IL they have coupled with this proper con-
cesslon, the useless reservation of right of discus
son. and Insisting uDOn n renenl of ,hs .v,ardnac,