Daily national era., 1854-06-07

| Of the purest and wisest men VINO nave ever been
| in our National Councils. The struggles which
/ patriotism has had with faction and Einaticism
are to be regarded as so many exhibitions of
/ weakness, folly and timidity, and we TO
| 90 back and explore those paths which Clay, a
| King, and Il Lowndes, have refused to d-for
sir it has been but very few days since the gen
tleman from Virginia Mr. FAuLKNER] announced
to this House. that after
"a struggle longer in duration than the celebrated
| religious Of Europe find ourselves in tho pro-
gress of the political cycle, at the very point at which
this unwise and unwarrantable agitation commenced"
If this be so, of what value was that 'FISAL SET
TLEMENr," that "END or THE AGITATION" of which
| the gentemans party boasted in 1862, and upon
| which Mr. Pierce was elected2 III this be so, TO
what little purpose did the great statesman of the
| West return in his old age to the theatre Of his
earliest achievements, there to offer up his life as
| a willing sacrifice, on the altar of the Federal
Union2 &
/ /, sir, will not believe the past has been all
delnsion and cheat and doubt not the people
of this country will yet attest, in manner which
cannot be mistaken, their devotion to the settle
mcnt of 1885, their conviction that il was intended
! 10 be faaL and their determination that shall be
| so.
/ Sir, while all men are to greater or less ex-
tent the creatures of education, most OF them arc
inclined to adopt certain pcculiarties, and to imi
| in others, which have been pronounced most rare
| and remarkable.
! This disposition to imitation, while it is quite
4 general seems of late years to have had unusual
sway over the legal profession, and many have
| displayed no mean ambition in attempting to play
part as miraculous, in some respects, rs that
which marked the life of one of the greatest law
yers of antiquity. | alude, sir, to that great
| Apostle, who was brought up /" at the feet Of Ga
| maliel' and whose sudden and miraculous con-
| version, while on the roadto Damascus, was but
| another evidence of the Divine power OF the
/ Christian religion.
| do not think, however, that the sudden con-
version of St Paul, while travelling from Jerusa-
lem to Damascus, jnstifies the fantastic tricks
/ and political summersets which we so often wit
ness among those political lawyers, who earn
/ their daily bread by prosecuting the Wings.
Paul was suddenly changed from sinner to
/ saint. Senators, politicians, and newspaper edit
ors, are changed just as quickly in the 18th cen
tury, but the parallel holds good no further; for
/ those who exclaimed, four months ago, "LET WELL
ENOUGH ALONE, touch not the I" solemn COVENANT"
1 it will "MyoLvE THE SAME GRAVE IssUEs WHICH
PRODUCED THE AGITATION, THE SECTIONAL STRIFE, AND
THE FEARFUL STRUGGLE, OF 1885," will not be
| garded by the country, in their attempts to repeal
| the Missouri Compromise, as more sincere than
| when, a short time ago, they maintained its in
| volatility; and rs the days of miracles have
ceased, the country will be anxious to know what
| "GREAT LIGHT" shone so suddenly as to cause
| this wonderful change.
! Why, sir, but Yesterday, the Missouri Compro-
| mise might have "stood against the world !" now
| it is reved and spurned by those who, at the
opening of this Congress, were prepared to do it
| reverence
| On the 4th of January, 1854, Senator from
| Illinois, Mr.. DOUGLAS, and chairman of the
! Committee on Territories made report to the
/ Senate upon the Nebraska bill. The Senates
committee, after examining the whole subject,
| found nothing worthy OF especial notice, and did
| nothing but make n acritten argument and report
against repeating the Missouri Compromise. Here
is an extract from that report. After alluding to
| the existence of the Missouri Compromise, and
| noticing its effect upon the Nebraska Territory,
| Mr.. DouGLAs goes on to say:
Your committee do not feel themselves called upon
to enter into the discussion of those controvcrted
questions They involve tho grave issues which
produced the agitation the sectional STRIFE and the
fearful struggle of 1850 As Congress deemed it wise
and prudent to refrain from deciding the matter in
controversy thon either by affirming repeating the
Mexican laws, or by an act decaratory Of the truc
intent of the Constitution, and the extent of the pro-
lection afforded by it to the slave property in the
Territories, your committee are not prepared now
| to recommend departure from the course pursued
/ on that memorable occasion, either by Affirming
repeating the sth section Of the Missouri act, or by
any act dcclaratory Of the meaning of the Consttu
tion in respect to the legal points in dispute,
"Your committee deem il fortunate for the peace
of the country and the security of the Union that tho
then resulted in the adoption of the Com
| promise Measures which the two great political par
ties with singular uHanimity have affirmed rs car
dnal article Of their faith, and proclaimed to the
world final settlement of the controversy and
| ond Of the sgitation due respect therefore, for
! the avowcd opinions of Sc tnators, well proper
sense Of patriotic duty cnjoin upon your committee
the propriety and necessity Of strict adherence TO
l ~ nd lad of he an.
actments of that adjustment in all their Territorial
bills, far as the same are not locally nspplicablc
| Here sir we have the deliberate statement of
Mr.. DOUGLAS, as late the 4th of January, 1854,
/ that ~ repeal the Missouri Compromise, TO
| disturb il in any way would "NyoLyE THE SAME
| GRAVE ISSUES WHICH PRODUCED THE AGITATION, THE
SECTIONAL STRIFE, AND THE FEARFUL STRUGGLE, or
| lS50.' | still think so, and know nothing in
| the condition of the country nineteen days after
wards, which, in my judgment rendered il more
necessary or safe to tamper thus with the public
| peace.
| As soon as this report had been made TO the
! Senate, Mr.. DIXON, a Wing Senator from Kentuc-
KY (whose successor has long since been elected,)
submitted proposition TO repeal the Missouri
Compromise Thcreupon the Washington Union,
edited by Mr.. Nicholson, a Tennessean, rallied
the friends OF the Administration TO its protection
from this covert assault of Whig, by urging all
good Democrats TO adhere to the Pierce platform Of
1852, and 10 hesate and reflect mafurciy upon any
| proposition" which Democrat could object to as
an Interpolation Of that platform. Mr.. Nicholson
said, and said wisely, "LET WELL ENOUGH ALONE"
SO said the people, North and South, and such
| had been the sentiment Of the country for more
than a generation. The following extracts from
Mr.. Nicholson's paper, of the Goth January last,
| cheerfully commend to his numerous friends
throughout the country, both on account of the
| sensible conclusions at which he arrived, and Of
the high character he maintains with the Presi-
! dent and his party.
"THR MISSOURI CoMPRoMIsR.-We have express
ed cordial approval Of the bill introduced by Mr.
| Douglas, providing Territorial Government for Ne
| braska II will he remembered that the bill, pro-
posed to be amended by Mr. Douglas, re-enacts and
applies to Nebraska the clause Slavery adopted in
| tho compromise Of 1850. That clause is silent to