The New York herald. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1840-1920, 1854-02-23

The Missouri Compromise
M. cALHeur's orb ION or rHh h's SOU coArAo'
MISE AND oRpIsANcs or 1877.
Nv Calhoun, 10 one of bis speeches on the ord
rance Of 1857, speaks as follows;-
Tta act itself was unauthorized. The articles Of
INCARCERATION conferred not shadow of authority on
COS ress to pass the ordinance, NJ ID admitted by Mr.
Madison and yet this unauthorized, sne-sided act,
Ia it has turned out to he,) passed In the ast
nsu,s of the olo confedf racy, relied pre-
csdent lludpg 10 the Missoar compr mise of 1920
for excluding the South from two thirds Of the terri
tory acquired from France by the Louisiana treaty,
and the whole OF the Oregon territory and Il now
relied on 70 justify her exclusion from all the terri
tory acquired by the Mexican war aud ell tnst may
De acquired in any amer hereafter The Works Of
Calhoun, csl l, page $3.50.
In speech on the Oregon bill, delivered June az,
lsAs, Mr.. Calhoun says
After an arduous struggle Of moro than year, on
the quest on whether ssOuTi should come lnt0 the
Union, with or without restrictions prohibiting slave
~, q compromise liae was adopted between the
North and the SOUTH but it dose under circuai-
stances which made it nowise obligatory on sae
later. II Is true IL was moved by one OF her most
distinguished citizens (Ar. Clay) bat II Is equally
that il was carrisd by the almost uoited vote or
rhe North against the almost united vose OF the
South, and was thus Imposed upon tae iager Dy sa'
Perior number 10 opposition TO her strenuous effort
The South has given her sanction To H. or as
tented TO the power as a<erte4. she was voted
down, ard has simply scquioacea In an arrangement
which she could got attempt 70 do without disturbing
tie peace end harmony OF the Union, TO which she
has ever been averse. Acting on this principle, she
permitted the Territory Of Iowa to be formed, aud
tbe State to be admitted into the Union, under the
compromise, without objection and that Is now
quoted by the Senator from New York TO prove her
surrender Of the power he claims for Congress.
To add to the strength If this claim the advocates
Of the poser hold up the name OF Jefferson in its
favor ard 80 so far as to call him the sutaor Of the
30 called WilmOt proviso, which is but general ex
preston OF a power Of which the Missouri compro
mise is Gaze Of its application. If We may judge,
the principle, instead of being the author Of the
prOviso, or being in its favor, could be mere
deadly hostile to it, In letter addressed to the
elder Adams in 1919, In answer to one from him, he
uses these remarkable expressions in reference to
the Missouri question -
The b.nk bADkrup. Law, msnufA stures, Spanish trsa-
W, are nothing These occurrences which Ike
ssves IN storm, viii pass under IN, ship Bat the
f'ssoun question is a breaker shieh We lose the
Missouri country By revolt, and what more, God Only
To understand the full force OF these expressions
must be borne In mind that the questions euumera
eed were The great and exciting political questions OF
The day on which parties divided. The banks aud
bankrupt law had long been SO. Manufactures Cor
What bas since been called the protective tar,t) was
D the time subject OF great excitement, as VAS the
Spansh treaty. thst is, the treaty by which Florida
was eeded to che Union, and by nhish the western
boundary between Mexico and the United States was
settled, from the Gulf Of Mexico to the Pacific Ocean,
All these exciting party questions OF the day Mr.
JEFFERSON regarded as morning compared TO the
Missouri question. He looked on all Of them as in
tatlr nature fugitive; and to use his own forcible
expression, "w0ud pass of under the ship Of State
BIKE waves In a Storm Not so that fatal question;
II was breaker on which it was dcs.ised to be
stranded; and yet his name is qaoted by the incen-
diaries OF tue present day In support of, aud as the
atHhor Of proviso which would give indefinite and
universal extension Of this fatal question to all the
Territories. IL WAS compromised the next year by
the adoption of the line 10 which l have referred.
Mr.. Holaes, of Maine, long member of this body,
who voed for the measure, addressed letter to Mr.
jefferson iDclosing copy OF his speech on the occa
SON il drew out an answer RON him which ought
10 be treasured up in the heart Of every man who
loves the country and its institutions. l: is brief:
will send il to the Secretary to be read. The time
OF the Senate cannot be better occupied than In
hsteniDg to it.
MONTICELLO April 20. 1890
thai You dear sir, for the COPY you have bsen 30
kind TO send Inc letter to your constituents on
th- xirst uri question IL perfect Justification 10
them. had TO- long tine ceased to real
pay Any Att to lilo AAtrs eoahdsut that they
were 10 good hsSds AID content to ba passenger IN
bs.k to the skore from which not oi-'sut Sut this
Ionentous question like bel, in the night awakened
AND ned 9Th terror. considered H. at tbs
ksen Ct the Uuien 1t IL hu.hsd, indeed, for the
usnt; but this 10 rsptisvs only, Mt hoa sentence
esogrs phcsI ine co,Dcsdrg wih . marked principle
moral ard polucs orcs conceived and held up - the
,,,,c Vii ,r.,t % "nd Aod
san with ooUscous truth. that there 10 not
earth who you'd ssorifos than would ~ relieve
q that sisd Of psrsy Cor asosm.d) q
bssste, Which would not coat nooni shooghs II,
IN that way ss1siA! emancipation and expatris
don could be effected; aud grA5uaIlv, and with due
scridee tbirk II might b. But 81 1t Ia, 20 have the
volt by tb. ears, nd neither hoh him safe
h lot him go Justice Is in oss saAls and sell pre-
Isvsion in the otser Ut thing AN certain thst
ths free pssssge Of slaves from State TO anosher
vouk not make slave OF = siugis human being who
v~ula witnootit hsir dioion greater
surf.oe wouli mshe II individually happs,, aud pro
portiray facilitate the plsn msnt u taeir
spstion BY civdipg the tsrsn en- srsatsr Of
eosdjutlrs Al abstiuelos too from this act Of pewer
world remove the l.eey ssclnd ey ,hs sa,.r..sns
senphona Of mea com posing state This certainly Ia
tbs EXCLUSIVE right Of every stas which hing in the
constitution Has taken 'ron hen and given 10 the general
goverumet Could sress for pe say that the
fsemen IL Cnns,tieut snail re f-cnsr that they
stAll n 3 enlgr.ls into any other StsteP
regret that IN Gle 10 the eelet that the
k seortce of themselves by the gensspn OF 1776 TO
acquire and nsppiaess to their country,
" TO be ttrc way by tbs unTe add worthy pas.
sons Of taeir sons AID that ny " odnsolst!on q DO
W. live NOT 10 weep ever H. II they would BAT dis
ISssicns'ely weigh the blessings they Will throw sway
As,aet an rbsrsct prir ciSe likely - Effected
b. 1hion than b. seaop, they would bsfrs they
Of treason against tho hopss ofsths world To YOURSELF
the faithful advocate Of the Uaion tenisr tbs offer
ieg Of my high essssn ard re pest; ), ,r,,,,,,
Mark (said Mr.. Calhoun) Mr. Jsfsrson's prophetic
voros! Mark his profound reasoning!
l. Che qaestioo) - nnsnsd toi tue moment But 'his
pnt ccfncfiing with ms'te cd priacipls moral sad poi
cs scnosTsd an held up tie angry psssions of
EsD, slll never 20 ooierstes and svsry irrAsin
vii MARI IL dsspsr and deegsr
Twenty-eieht years have passed since these re-
markabe words were penned, and there is not q
Thought which time has not taus far verified and Is
Is TO De feared will continue to verify until the whole
vii be fulfilled. Certaia il is that he regarded the
compromise line as utterly Inadequate to arrest that
aal course of events which his keen sagacty autci
Pcfed IRON the question. IL was but . repr.eve."
In E.h Of n fv.yl
as follows;-
Sir, here let me say word as to the compromise
line. l have always considered II as great error
highly injurious TO the south, because it surrendered,
for mere temporary purposes, those high principles
Stand. / am against any c,mpromise Re. Yet !
would have beea willing to scquissce In q continu-
a1ce Of the Missouri compromise, in order 70 pre-
serve, under toe preseot trying circumstances, the
Hunae to that effect, was offered at my suggestion