Staunton spectator. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 1849-1896, 1854-03-01
me Nrissonri compromise.

The editors of the National Inteltgencer, IL
compliance with the request of a subscriber, have
prepared and published detailed account OF thu
action Of Congress at the time Missouri applied
f,r admission into the Union as State. Frou
this narrative il appears that the people OF the
United States have for the last thirty years Ia
bored under great mistake as to the real import
Of the Missouri Compromise. The general I'M
preston has been that the Compromise consisted
merely in the mutual agreement entered into by
The North and the South to observe the latitude
$50 So as the boundary line between Tree and
slave territory, in consideration OF which Nilsson.
ri was TO be- admitted without any clause IN her
constitution prohibiting slavery. The idea has
prevailed. Furthermore, that Mr.. Clay was The
contriver Of this arrangement, and all the eFedii
and all the odium Of the plan have been heapeo
upon him. But it turns out that he had no more
agency in the measure than any other member
who voted for it. He was Speaker of the House
Of Representatives at the time, and his vote is not
recorded but in his speech of February 9th,
1850, he said that he had every little doubt that
he voted, sin spirit of compromise" for the a
doption of the line.
II seems that instead of one, there were two
compromises. On the Sth day of December
1919, memorials were presented in the House OF
Representatives from the people of Maine and OF
Missouri asking to be admitted into the Union
The people ofNaine had already prepared State
constitution, and the people ofMissouri asked per-
mission at this time to take that step. The House
passed bill for the admission of Maine, but the
Senate amended it by attaching provision for
the admission of Missouri also. The House re-
fused to concur in this amendment, and on the
25th of February, 1920, passed the Missouri bill
with an amendment proposed by MIR. Taylor, OF
New York, prohibiting slavery in the State. In
the meantime the Senate had, on the 18th ofFeb
raary, adopted an amendment moved by Mr..
Thomas, Of Illinois, prohibiting slavery in terrific
~ North of $50 30' The House refused to con-
cur in this amendment also, and there was total
disagreement between the two bodies. Finally,
each House appointed committee of conference,
and the result was that, the two bills being seFa
rated, both Houses agreed, on the 9th of March,
10 strike out the slavery restriction In Missouri
and inser. in lieu thereof the clause inhibtlng
slavery in the territory north of the prescribed
line OF the twenty-five Senators and seventy
six Representatives from sIareholding States, four
teen Of the former and thirty Of the latter
voted for the Substitute proposition. The two
Senators from Virginia, Messrs. Barbour and
Peasants, and eighteen of the twenty two Virgin
ia Representatives voted against it.
The whole difficulty was now supposed to be
settled But not so. The constitution of Mis-
souri, was laid before Congress in November, 1920,
and was found to contain clause requiring the
Legislature to pass laws prohibiting the emigra-
ton of free negroes into the State This clause in
duced Northern men again to oppose the admis-
sion of Missouri into the Union, Notwithstanding
the recent Compromise. Mr.. Clay at this point
took an active part in the proceedings, and exert
cd himself to the utmost to allay excitement. He
brought forward his Compromise, which provided
that Missouri should agree as condition prece-
dent to her admission to pass no law by which
citizen Of either of the States should be excluded
from the enjoyment of any of the privileges to
which he was entitled under the constitution of
the United States. This was adopted by Con
gress, Missouri accepted the terms, and the Gun
troversy ended.
Although majority of the Southern members
Of Congress voted for the first Compromise, they
no doubt did so under the stress Of circumstances.
The people of the South, nevertheless, have al
ways been willing to abide by it, and If the North
had consented to apply it to the new territory In
1850, another Compromise would not have been
required. But the North refused to do this, and
hence the Compromise OflS50 was passed, which
is based upon different principles from the Mis-
souri, Compromise. And now, when Northern
men propose to declare the latter superseded, we
can perceive no breach Of faith in Southern Rep
resentatives voting in the affirmative.