Daily national era. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1854, 1854-06-06
DAILY NATIONAL ERA.

/ n
h Smith of Virginia, Smylh of Virginia. Swear
ingen, TorrilI, Tucker Of Virginia Tyler Walker Of
North Carolina, Williams Of Vrginia-4a."
The result in the House of Representatives
showed that majority OF the Southern members
voted for the Compromise. OF seventy-sx Rep
rescntatiyes from slayeholding States, who voted
| on the question, Mirfy-ame recorded their votes
| in favor OF the measure, and Mirty-sepen against
it. Yet, sir, in the face OF these facts, we have
just now been told by my colleague, Mr.. READY,
who addressed the Committee this morning, that
| this measure was never regarded with favor or
| received with satisfaction by the people OF the
slaveholding States that they submitted to it
because OF their devotion to the Union, and be-
cause that submission was necessary To its pres
| crvation.
This statement emphaticaly deny, and APP
| peal with confidence to the writings Of those who
recorded it's history ut the time, and who wit
| messed for themselves how well il performed the
great work of qualification for which il was de-
signed, and how favorably il was received by the
people of the South.
1 Before the adoption OF this measure, admit,
all was apprehension and alarm. Yes, sir, alarm
is a feeble word, to express the state OF the pub
| lie mind. Mr. Jefferson in letter written while
| the question was pending in Congress- said
The Missouri question is the most portentous
one which ever yet threatened our Union. In
4 the gloomiest moment Of the Revolutionary war,
never had amy apprehension equal to that ] felt
from this source
But so soon as Congress had adopted the Com
promise, all was graduation joy, and peace -
every patriot heart was made glad, and the pulse
of the nation ceased to beat with painful appre-
/ hension.
Charles Pinckney, of South Carolina, was a
member of that Congress. He had previously
been a Senator, a member Of the Convention
which framed the Federal Constitution, and had
| represented us at the Court Of Spain. He voted
| against the Compromise, yet he testiies at The
| lime and on the spot, that it was regarded by
the slavehoding States as "a GREAT TRIUMPH"
Though he had voted against it. yet he contribu-
ted to swell by his voice the tide Of joyous accla-
nation which went up from all portions of the
country. The following letter will show how the
| measure was received at the time:
/ CONGRESS HALL, March 2, 1920,
g Three o'clock at night.
+ DEAR Sin I hasten to inform you that this mo-
mont have carried tho question to admit Missouri,
and all Louisiana to tho southwark of 80 deg 30 min,
free of the restriction of Slavery and giDe the South,
short time. addition Of ana perhaps eight,
members TO the Senofe of fhe United States Ii is
considered hero, by tho saveholding States, q
great triumph To the north of 30 deg 80 min there
is to bc by tho present law, restriction which, you
win 500, by the votes, voted against. But it is at
present of no moment it ia vast tract uninhabted
~
Of the Indian claim to tho soil is extnguishod, and
in which, according to the ideas prevalent, land
Office will be open for great length of time.
With respcct, your obedent servant,
l. CHARLES PINcKNRY."
This letter was written by Mr.. Pinckney, who
was a participation in the events which produced
the Missouri Compromise, when you and |, Mr..
Chairman were muling and puking" in our
nurses arms. His opinions certainly worth
more than those of my colleague, who thirty
four years after the adoption of the Compromise,
arrays his researches into antiquity, and his be-
lief against the authority Of one who, though
opposed to the Compromise, asserted that it was
regarded "by the siapeholdag States as great
triumph" Not triumph of the North, or con-
cession to the Union, but as triumph of the
South Mr. Pinckney proceeded to assign the
reasons for his opinion-among which he men
toned that it would " gipe The South, IN a short
time an addition Of sir, and perhaps eight, members
| 10 lie Senate of The United States" Another rea-
son assigned was, that the country north OF
800 30/ was "a pasf tract unihdJited only by
ges and ,ciid beasts" &C.
do not admit or insist that the Missouri Com
promise was a Southern triumph but, sir, intend
to show, that it has been regarded by Southern
| statesmen as favorite measure, and one which
they never desired annulled, or attempted to re-
peal, until January lS54-and | further insist
duced it, that wisdom and craftsmanship, the
interests of the South, and the peace Of the
Union require that il should not, nor, be dis
turbed The champions of repeal admit that IL
cannot ertend Slap9y-certainly, then, less than
Southern statesman would see the propriety of
letting things alone, rather than raise a tempest
of popular excitement, which patriotism may not
be able to rule, or power to control.
The adoption Of this Compromise brought the
country a repose from Slavery agitation, which
promised TO be more than temporary II en-
braced all the territory which, at that time,
belonged to us, and has not failed 10 keep down
the fury which it allayed except when oth1 Terri
tories have been added 10 the Union, by which the
| Slavery agitation has been revived beyond the
limits embraced by that Compromise While the
annexation Of Texas was matter OF negotiation,
the Slavery Question gave signs OF again becom-
ing disturbing element II was intimately con-
nected with the commencement, the progress, and
the termination OF that negotiation, and laid the
foundation Of that overwhelming Free Soil, Dem
ocratic organization, which has since existed in
the Northern States, under tho auspices Of Mr..
Van Buren,.
II was evident that the existence Of Slavery in
Texas was the true ground Of Northern objection
| TO annexation. The South readily perceived the
difficulty, and sought the means Of obviating IT..
The Representatives from that portion OF the
country remembered the results of the Missouri
Compromise. They regarded il AS a sort of uni
ycrsal panacca for all the sectional ealousies and
agitation growing out of domestic Slavery. In
the very act Of annexation they applied the rem
edy, and that remedy was the Missouri Compro-
mise which within the last four months has
suddenly lost favor with those Southern poll
ticians who have been taught to regard il until
recently with so much yeneration.
Congress, on the LIST Of March, 1916, passed a
| Joint resolution for the annexation OF Texas.
The third article of the second section of that
| resolution reads follows:
"And such States rs may be formed out Of that
portion OF said territory lying south OF 30 degrees 30
minutes north latitude, commonly known as the Mis-
| souri, Compromise line, shall be admitted into the
Union scif6 or VittoH sdverg rs the people Of each
| state asking admission may desire. And in such
State or States rs shall be formed out of said terrific
~ north Of said Missouri Compromise line slavery