Washington sentinel., 1854-05-02


it the duty of the legislature to pass such laws
as shall be necessary to prevent free negroes
and mulattoes from coming to or settling in
this State, under any pretext whatever, shall
on OF before that day, BE ExPUNGED THERE
FROM This was rejected by vote of l46
i to g.!
Again, sir, on the 10th of February, Mr..
Clay, from the select committee to which had
been referred the resolution from the Senate
providing for the admission, reported the same
back with the amendment requiringa "Jandd-
mental condition that the said State shall never
pass any law preventing any description OF
persons from settling in said State who now
are, or hereafter may become, citizens of any
of the States of this Union" This was again
rejected by the north, the vote being nays 81,
! yeas 81.
These facts necessarily lead to the conclu-
sion that the opposition of the north was to be
| sought for in other considerations. As to what
these were we are not left in doubt; for we find
that before the vote was taken on the resolu-
ton, Mr.. Mallory, of Vermont, moved to amend
by striking out Mr.. Clay's amendment, and in
serting the following:
Whenever the people Of said State, by con-
vention appointed according 10 the manner pro-
yIded for by The act, TO authorize the people of
of Missouri 10 form constitution and State gov
the Union on an equal footing with the original
States, and 10 prohibit slavery in certain Terrific
ries, approved March 6, 1S20) adopt consiitu-
ton conformably 10 the provisions of the said act
and shall, in ADDITION 10 said provisions, further
prorids, in and By said constitution thai neither
| slarcry inpoluRtary servitnde shall erer be al
Liced IA said State of Missouri, unless inflicted as
| punishment for crimes committed against the
laws of said State, whereof the party accused
shall be dny convicted Proridcd, That the civil
l. nj he'll n
| service in Missouri shall not be affected by the
last provision"
Forthis amendment, which expressly ignores
and repudiates the whole act of 1920, except
the eighth section, and which is utterly at war
with the pretence that that act was compact,
agreement, or compromise, twothirds of the
northern representatives cast their votes! In
what a position do northern gentlemen who
now denounce the billbefore us so bitterly as
violation of "plighted faith place their States
Sir, in behalf of that great section of the con-
lederacy,I reject their efforts here as calum-
nies. However strongly / may condemn the
action of the majority of the Congress of 1920,
in thus reopening the whole slavery question
with Missouri, and carrying the discussions
back to the very point Of departure, will not
SO stain their honor as ito suppose that they
acknowledged the existence of any compact,
agreement, or compromise, such as is now in
sisted upon.
| But, action contravening, the law of 1920
! was not confined to one section. On the 2lst
| February, Mr.. Brown, of Kentucky, introduced
| proposition instructing the Committee on the
Judiciary /" to inquire into the expediency Of
repeating the eighth section of the act of 1920,
4 the said eighth section imposing prohibition
and restriction upon the introduction Of slaves
in all that territory ceded by France to the
4 United States, under the name of Louisiana,
which lies north of 36o 30I, not included in the
State contemplated By that act"
Now, sir, let us pause for a moment on the
striking facts that, twelve months after the pas
sage of the act of 1920 by which, it is said, the
admission of Missouri was solemnly guaranteed,
the resolution Of Mr.. Lowndes for her admis.
sion was rejected; that her admission could not
4 be effected even through the new terms con-
tanned in the several resolutions of Mr.. Eustis
and Mr.. Clay; that the proposition Of Mr.. Nal
lory, requiring that neither slavery nor invol-
untary servitude shall ever be allowed in said
State of Missouri was sustained by two-thirds
of the votes of the northern representatives
and that finally, direct proposition was offer
ed by Mr.. Brown to repeal the eighth section,
the attempt to do which, by this bill, is now SO
violently denounced.
Congress had now seemingly exhausted it
self upon this subject. The session, within a
very few days, would reach the period Of its
adjournment. Missouri, though refused place
in the Union, was an organized State. In or
out of the Union, there she stood, panopled in
her sovereignty. A dissolution of the existing
Union, and the formation Of another, of which
: Missouri would be the nucleus, was danger
not too remote to gil the mind of the patriot
with apprehension. 1t was under these circum-
stances that Mr.. Clay, on the I'D February
a day well selected for its patriotic associa-
tions-presented to the House a resolution
THAT committee be appointed on the part of
the House. jointly with such committee may be
appointed on the part Of the Senate, 10 consider
and report to the Senate and House. respectively,
nhetAer be eapeaiet or not 10 make prorision for
The admission Of Missouri into tie Union tie
same footing The original States, and for the due
execution Of the laws Of the United States within
Missouri; and f nat, arhetlicr any oter and aehat
pr0rssion Gd1ped TO her actual condition, ought 10
be made by Lair."
Ii there were no evidence to disproye the
existence of a compact or agreement but this
resolution it would be wholly conclusive. Sir,
the silence of the resolution upon this subject is
more expressive than volume of words would
be. When the very existence of the Union
itself would be jeoparded by non-action on the
part of Congress, think you Mr.. Clay would
not have based his motion upon the exis-
/ tence OF such compact or agreement, instead
of limiting himself to mere resolution Of in
qu5y?
This final effort for an adjustment was con-
sidered so important, that, under the resolution,
committee of twenty-three we're elected by
ballot On the 26th Of February, five days
before the adjournment, the committee, through
Mr.. Clay reported the joint resolution for the
admission OF Missouri which is now on the
statute book, and which, in the proposal and
acceptance of conditions, may be termed
compact or agreement This is the compro-
mise on which Missouri came into the Union.
1t was the last effort that could be made to
quiet agitation, to harmonic the action of
Congress, to insure the the safety OF the Union
itself; and yet, under this urgency, in the face
Of the most menacing dangers, but seventeen
votes from the non-slaveholding States could
be obtained in favor Of the measure-the reso-
luton being adopted by a vote Of 81 to 81.