Weekly national intelligencer. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1841-1869, 1852-10-09

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contest where the public interest was deeply involved
and above all, into every question which in the least
aced the integrity of the Union This last was with
him, the ark Of The covenant and he ever as ready TO
peril his own life In Its Defence he to pronounce
the doom of traitor any one who would dare TO touch
il with hostile hands 1t was the ardor of this devotion
to his country and TO the sheetanchor Of it's liberty and
safety the Union Of the States that rendered him so
spicuous IN every conflict that threatened either
the other WITH harm. All familiar with his more re-
cent indeed his last great struggle for his country when
the foundation Of the Union rembled under the fierce
sectional agitation 50 happily adjusted and pacifed by
the wise measures Of compromise which he proposed in
the Senate and which in the end in substance adopt
ed That brilliant epoch in his history Is fresh in the
memory OF all who hear me, and will never be forgotten
by them. An equally glorious achieved by his
patriotism his resoutenes and the great power of his
oratory, was one which few Of this assembly are old
enough vividly to remember, but which, in the memory
OF those who witnessed the effort and the success of that
greatest triumph Of his master spirit, will ever live the
most interesting in the life Of the great statesman
mean the Missouri controversy Then indeed did COM
mon courage quail, and hope to shrink before the
storm that burst upon and threatened to overwhem the
Union.
Into the history Of what is st Familiarity known as the
missouri question: is not necessary if time would
allow, tnat should enter at any length The subject Of
the controversy as all my hearers know was the dspo
siton OF the House of Representatives manifested
more than one OCCASION and repeated votes require
as condition OF the admission Of the Territory of Mis-
Of the introduction of slavery into the Territories of the
United States west OF the Mississippi During the con-
ict to which this proposition gave rise in 1920 the de-
bates were from the beginning earnest prolonged and
excited In the earlier stages Of them Mr. Clay exerted
to the utmost his powers Of argument, concaton and
persuasion, speaking OCCASION it is stated for
four and half hours without intermission. bill final
y passed both Houses authorizing the people of the Ter
rtory Of Missouri to form constitution of State Govern
ment, with the prohibition of slayery restricted to the ter
ritory lying north Of $50 80 Of north latitude
This was in the FIRST session Of the sixteenth Congress
Mr. Clay still being Speakerof the House On the ap-
proach of the second session of this Congress- Mr. Clay
being compelled by his private affairs to remain at home
forwarded his resignation Speaker but retained his
seat as member in view of the tendency of this ques
ton Mr. Taylor of New York the jealous advocate Of
the prohibition Of slavery in Missouri and elsewhere in
the West chosen Speaker succeed Mr. Clay. This
fact, of ITSELF under all the circumstances ominous
of what was to follow Alarmed, apparently, at this as
pect OF things, Mr. Clay resumed his seat in the House
the 10th of January 1921 The constitution formed
by Missouri and transmitted Congress under the
thority of the act passed in the preceding session.
tanned provision superfuous for its object
making it the duty Of the General Assembly,
might be- to pass to prevent free negroes and
lattoes from coming settling in the State of Missouri
"upon any pretext Whatever The reception of the
shuon with this offensive provision in it the signal
OF discord apparently rreconceable; when just it
had risen to its height Mr. Clay the 10th of Janua-
ry 1921 resumed his seat in the House Of Representa-
ves Less than six weeks of the of Congress then
remained The great hold which he had upon the afec-
TONS as well as the respect of all parties induced upon
his arrival momenary lull in the tempest He at
engaged earnestly and solcously in counsel with all par
ties in this alarming controversy and the I'd Of Febru
airy moved the appointment of committee of thirteen
members to consider the subject The report of that
mttee after four days of conference in which the feel
ings OF all parties had clearly been consulted notwth
standing it earnestly supported by Mr. Clay in
speech Of such power and pathos draw tears from
many hearers rejected by vote Of SO nays to so
yeas NO one, not witness, conceive the intense
excitement which existed at this moment within and with
out the walls Of Congress aggravated by the
rival of the day for counting the electoral for Pre
dent and Vice President amongst which rendered the
vote OF Missouri State though not yet admitted
SUCH Her vote disposed Of by being counted hypo
theticaythat is to say that Nth the vote of Missouri
the then state Of the general vote would be and
tchout IT. so and If her vote admitted would have
changed he result pretend to say how dsas-
uous the consequences might not have been.
On Mr. Clay alone rested the hopes of all rational
and dspassionate for final adjustment Of this ques-
ton and one week only, with three days Of grace
the month, Mr. Clay made last effort by moving the
appointment of joint committee of the two Houses, to
consider and report whether il expedent or
make provision for the admission of Missouri into the
Union on the same footing Of the original States and
not whether any other provision adapted her actual
condition, ought TO be made by law The motion was
agreed to, and committee Of twenty members APP
pointed by ballot under it, The report by that commit
tee modification Of the previously rejected report was
ratified by the House. but by the close vote 81 to 81 The
Senate concurred and this dstractng question
last settled with acquiescence in il by all parties
which has never been since disturbed.
have already spoken Of this the great triumph Of
Mr.. Clay might have said, the greatest civil triumph
ever achieved by mortal II towards which
the combination Of the highest ability and the most COM
manfng eoquence would have labored in vain. There
would still have been wanting the ardor the yehemence,
the mpetuouess Of character of Henry Clay under the
influence Of
and carried his point literally by storm One incident Of
this kind is well remembered in counexion with the Mis-
souri, question IL in evening sitting whilst this
question yet in suspense. Mr.. Clay had made mo-
ton to allow one or members vote who had been
absent when their called The Speaker, mir.
Taylor,) who to naturally equable temper amentadded
a most provoking camness Of manner when all around
him was excitement bandy stated for the information
Of the gentleman, that the motion was not in order
Mr. Clay then moved suspend the rule forbdding it,
allow him to make the motion but the Speaker,
with mperturbable serenity informed him that according
to the Rules and Orders such motion could not be
ceived without the unanimous consent Of the House
/" Then" said Mr.. Clay exerting his voice beyond
its highest won't 81 more 10 suspend ALL The res Of the
House. Audy nth them! Is il to be endured that we
shall be trammelled in action by forms and
techncaltes at moment like this when the peace and
perhaps the existence Of this UNION is at stake ?"
Besides those to which have alluded, Mr. Clay per-
formed many other signal public services any Of which
would have illustrated the character Of any other American
statesman. Among these cannot refrain from men
tonng his for the protection Of American in
dustry and his compromise Of 1888 by which
the country relieved from the dangers and agtaons
produced BY the doctrine and spirit Of notification
Indeed his name is identified with all the great
Of government during the long period Of his public life
But the occasion does not permit to proceed further
with the review Of bis public services History viii re-
cord them to his honor.
HENRY CLAY was indebted to no adventurous circum-
stances for the success and glory Of his life Sprung from