Portage sentinel. [volume] (Ravenna, Ohio) 1845-1854, 1854-03-08


to affect the Missouri compromise! The Senator
from Illinois the other day invoked the authority
of Henry Clay-tbat departed statesman, in re-
spect to whom, whatever may be the differences
OF political opinion, none question that, among the
great men of this country, he stood proudly ehli.
nent. Did he in the report made by him as chair.
man Of the, Committee of Thirteen, or in any
speech in support Of the compromi acts, or in
any conversation in the committee, or out of the
committe, or even hint at this doctrine of SUPER
seizure! Did any supporter, or any opponent of
the compromise acts, ever vndicate or condemn
them upon the ground that the Missouri prohibi-
ton would be affected by them! WE'LL sir, the
compromise acts were passed. They were de-
nounced North and they were denounced South.
The reason OF this u.s. that the pressure of the fluid
Did any defender of them at the South ever justi-
fy his support OF them upon the ground that the
South had obtained through them the repeal Of the
Missouri prohibition! Did any obiector to them
at the North ever suggestas ground of condem-
nation that the prohibition was swept awsy by
them! No, sir! No man, North or South, during
the whole of the discussion of those acts here, or
in that other discussion which followed their enact
ment throughout the country, ever intimate any
such opinion
Now, sir, let us come to the last session of Con-
gress. A Nebraska bill passed the House and
came to the Senate, and was reported from the
Committee Oh Territories by the Senator from H.
inois, as its chairman. Was there any provision
in it which even squinted towards this notion of
repeal by supersedure! Why, sir, southern gen.
tlemen opposedt upon the very ground that itleft
the Territory under the operation of the Missouri
prohibition. The Senator from Illinois made
speech in defense of it. Did he invoke Southern
support upon the ground that it superseded the
Missouri prohibition! Not at all. Was it oppo-
sed or vindicated by anybody on any such ground!
Every Senator knows the contrary. The Senator
from Missouri, Mr.. Atchison, now the President
Of this body, made speech upon the bill, in which
he distinctly declared that the Missouriprohihiton
was not repealed, and could not be repealed.
will send this speech to the Secretary, and
ask him to read the paragraphs marked
The Secretary read, as follows: I"f '3i''''
81 will now state to the Senate the views which
induced me to oppose this proposition in the early
part of the session. al T Il. .rd, .,.r...,,...-'
81 had two objections to it. One was that the
Indian title in that Territory had not been extn-
guished, or, at least very small portion of it had
been. Another was the Missouri compromise, or,
as it is commonly called, the slavery restriction.
1t was my intention at that time--and am not
now very clear on that subject-that the law of
Congress, when the State of Missouri was admit
ted into the Union, excluding slavery from the
les
would be enforced in that Territory unless it was
specially rescinded and, whether that law was in
accordance with the Constitution of the United
States or not it would do its work and that work
would be to preclude shareholders from going into
that Territory. But when | game to look into
that question, found that there was no prospect
no hope of repeal of the Missouri compromise
excluding slavery from that Territory. Now, sir,
am free to admit, that at this moment, at this
hour, and for all time to come, should oppose the
organization or the settlement of that Territory
unless my constituents, and the constituents of the
whole South-of the slave States of the Union,
could go into tupon the same footing, with equal
rights and equal privileges, carrying that species
of property with them as other people of this Un-
ion. Yes sir, | acknowledge that that would
have governed me, but have no hope that the re-
strcton will ever be repealed. tN-t Ei-
81 have always been OF opinion that the first
great error committed in the political history of
this country was the ordinance of 1887, rendering
the Northwest Territory free Territory. The next
great error was the Missouri compromise. But
they are both irremediable. There is no remedy
for them. We must submit to them, i am, pre-
pared to do it., 1t is evident that the Missouri
compromise cannot be repealed. So far as that
question is concerned, we might as well agree to
the admission Of this Territory now as next year,
five ten years hence.''- Congressional Globe,
Second Session a2d Cong, pol. 26, page lll3.
,, That, sir, is the speech from the Senator from
Missouri, Mr.. Atchison, whose authority, Think,
must go for something upon this question. What
does he say! "When came to look into that
question '-of the possible repeal Of the Missouri
prohibition--that was the question he was looking
into-"l found that there was no prospect, no
hope, of repeal Of the Missouri compromise ex-
cluding slavery from that Territory" And yet,
sir, at that very moment, according to this new
doctrine of the Senator from Illinois, it had been
repealed three years!
Well, the Senator from Missouri said further,
that if he thought it possible to oppose this restrc
ton successfully, he meyer would consent to the
organization of the Territory until it was rescn-
ded. But, said he, Il acknowledge that / have no
hope that the restriction will ever be repealed
Then he made some complaint, as other southern
gentlemen have frequently done, Of the ordinance
of 1887, and the Missouri prohibition; but went on
to say, '"they are both irremediabe; there is no
remedy for them; we must submit to them; am
prepared to it; Tt is evident that the Missouri
compromise cannot be repealed. aii Hu 81 ooHt'
Now, sir,twhe was this saidl 1t was on the
morning of the 4th, March; just before the close
| ol the last session, when that Nebraska bill, re-
ported by. the Senator from Illinois, which pro-
POSED no repeal, and suggested no qsupersedure
was Under discussion think, sir, that all this
shows pretty clearly that up to the very close Of
the last session Of Congress nobody had ever
thought ofa repeal by supersedure. Then what
took place at the commencement ofthe present
lsession. The Senator from Iowa; early in De-
cember, introduced bill for the organization ,oi
the Territory of Nebraska. - Iybeeve it was the
same bill which was under discussion here at the
last session, line for line, and word for word. II
] am wrong the Senator will correct me. g aayt
Did the Senator from Iowa, then, entertain the
idea that the Missouri prohibition had been super
seded! No, sir; neither he nor any other man
here, so far as could be Judged from any discus
sion or statement, or remark, had received this
notion. - -~-v--
WelI on the 4th day of January ythe'comnittee
ION Territories through their chairman, the Sena-
tor from Illinois, made report on the territorial
organization Of Nebraska; and, that report was
accom- panied BY abilL Now, SIR, on that 9TH day