The Port Gibson reveille. (Port Gibson, Miss.) 185?-1857, 1854-05-24
POLITICAL.
From the Daily Globe.
rrHRAsEs AsD KANSAS.
,vFECH OF HON. W. p. HARRIS

u and 70, 1904
re House being in the COMMITTEES of the
ot,l, On the state Of the Union. Mr. Harris.
Mississippi, said
Ne CHslnNAE 1t is the fashion now to
,.'r,e,te discussion upon the Nebraska cues.
- ana the man who has bad the modesty
]. r,ii until others were accommodated, must
.,sr the odium Of continuing discussion
s.r 4 has exhausted the patience Of this
n, and of the country.
m, sir. | am no better than other men.
IA trust not yery much worse aud the
,.ms weakness which has led other members
!, imagine that there was something peculiar
,leir situations which justified them in the
assumption Of the costly time Of Congress,
4. led me also to avail myself of the privil
:, which has been 40 freely Il trust not ur-
..,ly nor unproftablyl extended to all who
sire asked H.
The DISCUSSION which have heard here in
hah Houses-and have heard a great deal
has tended to perplex and bewildcr my un.
tr,.andinr. came here with what tho't
.,re tolerably well grounded and well defined
snncipes with what I thought was a toler-
,gly reliable recollection OF the political his.
,,ry Of the country. But. sir, could almost
si.h that my mind and memory bad been
nbis,.ed 10 some proyiso to that modern in
,sniion which will. for many day. charac.
rrile blank-the tahuia yaSa. Laugh.
prl For the facts which believed TO be
,uihenticated have proved TO be untrue, and
N principles which believed we're fixed. to
b unsound or. at best. to use the well-cho-
nn language Of the gentleman from Alabama,
Nr. Phillips. who has just taken his seat. the
mere temporary expcdients Of a shifting
md devious party ToicY.
For the Missouri compromise | have no re-
ipecl--neyer had any; and in making this
declaration, there is no purpose to reflect mp
5n the characters Of those who were concerned
% is passage. l would to-day vote for its
unqualified repeal as an independent measure,
ii,connecied with the Nebraska bill vote 10
srikc il from the statute book a. hagrant
sbuse Of power-asa a fagrant departure from
hat principle Of neutrality which this COM
non Government. standing here between the
lao sections Of this Union. should preserve
iavolaie; vote TO repeal it, because / ac-
knowledge no power under the sun which
shines upon this Conlederacy. unless Il be
sovereign power Of a sovereign State, to shut
ihe door in my face. because happen to he a
Save owner. and bring slaves in my retinue !;
but. sir, not because il happens to be incon-
sis,ent with the principles Of that legislation
commonly called the compromise Of 1850
Sir. I have never adopted the principles Of
that legislation as the measure Of justice be-
tween the North and the South. have
been the uncompromising enemy OF that le.
gslation. was pushed to the wall, forced
70 bite the dust by that motley combination
which delugcd my State in 1850. Under an
Administration which, for the first time for
many years, has corsgeouslY given TO the
principle Of State rights an emphatic recogni-
ton. rose and stood upon my feet. The
South. in that ever-memorable struggle. COM
ueueed as she has now commenced, by n.
wing aud stamping. and swearing Corporal
Trm could not fnd parallel to {" our army
IA Flanders" Our army swore terribly 10
1850. Uaughter) The South would not
yield; oh, no. she would not yield. Like
Julia. still she strove and much repented. say
ing LII ne'er consent, consented" lkenew-
ed lauehter) Sir, am the enemy Of COM
promises. Between the two. however, have
infinitely more respect FOR the compromise Oh
1920. have submitted 10 tho compromise
Of 1850. acknowledging the right Of my state
to take her own position. The argument
then presented was. that il was to be " tne oe
all aud the end all here. here, upon tins
floor in Congress. II was the bitter end +; put
took il because was assured Il was the enc.
Its sole recommendation was, that It brought
peace 10 distracted country. An0 yet, SIR
after all this, it is made the pretext ior q
fresh quarrel Oh. compromise where are
Me charms which sages have seen IN thy
face !" prolonged laughter.) !.
Let me, however, get back to the point o.
departure. Il is fact. sir-no, let me not
speak Of facts, they have ceased to be sinp.
5orn tkings Laughter) IL is my beiief
that this Missouri act has for many long years
been looked upon by all men Of all parties as
a compromise IN which opposing sections
made sacrifices upon the altar OF the Union
Amid the shouts and clamors Of the hussings'
under the drums and trampipgs OF eignt pres
idenlial campaigns. il has stood untoucneu
The boIdest politician shrunk from tne re-
sponsibility Of molesting il. Its conh'ot wl'n
tie spirit of the Constitution, its vide depar-
iure from the principle Of duty which tue
Federal Government owes to the country 4
was. il seems undiscovered until certain gen
llemen had bad their vision sharpcned oy tne
Iegislation commonly called the compromise;
Tie authors Of that handy work have ceased
% sec the Constitution, or anything else. save
hat wonderful performance. The missouri
let IS denied to have been compromise !
oegin 70 doubt whether it was anything y
s strange that il ever passed Tor !. seems
rom All &c bear that nobody was 10 fa,or OF
l. The leading men were certainly an ops
,osed % il, and cannot but think ina. y
ome one pifted with the talent tor scrutiny
md research which characterized my brilliant
rieud from South Carolina, Mr KEITH 10
Il EXPLORATION Of the source Of tho ordlnauce
# 1881. would examine into the mater, :.
sill bo found that the Missouri act, IKE 'lla'
celebrated ordinance. passed Withoat Go. con.
ttutional quorum. tGreat laughter ~ y
ny misfortune to have been the Ele'lm cur. II u