The Cadiz Democratic sentinel. [volume] (Cadiz, Ohio) 1854-1864, 1854-06-21

N-8tAA-Na " kA1NN AnoA NlC SUI oltnlrs
But they say, further, that II it ever was
a compromise, the North has violated It's
spirit, sad IS therefore estoped from plead
ing the binding considerations lying at its
foundation and entering into It's adoption a.
gainst us repeal. The history Of this COM
promise has been so often recited that will
not take up the time of the committee by re-
pesIing it. Suffice il to say, that after two
yea1 u controversy, conducted with unpar-
slleled bitterness, rs 10 whether slavery
should be restricted ia Missouri. the South
proposed to compromise by cOnceding the
restriction on the remainder Of the Louisiana
purchase north of 364o If the North would
concede the admission Of Missouri without
it. The proposal came from Senator from
Illinois, il is true; but the vote shows it TO
have been proposal from the South. Ii
was concession of opinions. The object
was to allay agitation. quiet fears of dis
solution OF the Union, then widely entertain
ed. and 10 restore concord and harmony be-
tween the peopl. of all sections of the Union.
The object was attained. Now, sir, the ad
misslon of Missouri without restriction was
toe concession made by the Nurtl. If, at
al subsequent times. an equal or greater
number Of northern Representatives in Con.
gress were found willing u maintain It's con.
cession, the charge Of violating the spirit Of
the compromise is without foundation. Now,
SIR, lind that but five Senators and fourteen
Representatives from the Norh-nineteen
in all originally agreed to the concession;
and l find that at all subsequent times mure
than double that number voted 10 maintain
it. This is complete vindicaliOn of the
good faith of the North.
But, it is said that the extension of the
boundary Of Missouri over the small portion
ofthis territory, known as the Platte purchase
shows that the Missouri compromise was not
regarded rs compromise at all. The an
swer is, that it was but narrow strip, lying
between the west line of the State and the
MisSonriiriyerI and Missouri asked to have
it eedsd to her for the sakeof gaining
the natura! and convenient boundary
of the river, instead of the inconvent
ent and arbitrary one which she then had.
And the concession was made, as the vener
able and distinguished gentlemen from Mis-
souri, Mr.. Benton tells you. because he,
with the delegation from Missouri, begged
it as favor Ii was made IRON motives of
lberality and grace, and not rs a matter of
right. Had 1t been hinted that the conces-
sion would afterwards be set up to prove the
or non-exstence of the Missouri
compromise, il itneverwould have been made
And it is question whether the compromise
is not still in force ovsrthe Platte purchase
Slavery, it is true. exists there, but its le-
gality has never been tested; aud 1t is the
opinion of able gentlemen, even in Missouri,
that the courts will declare it illegal when
ever a proper case comes before them. But
this aside, the fact that we revived the Mis-
souri, compromise over Texrs, when that
portion of The Louisiana purchase was rean-
nexed nine years afterwards, shows, and
shows concluSiyely, that it was regarded as
a binding agreement, to be carried out in
good faith. .......hs. 3d..
Again. it is said that the Missouri COM
promise was violated when portions Of terri
tory covered by it, were included in New
Mexico and Utah, where they came under
the principle Of non.intervention recognized
in those Territories. 1t is true portion of
this Territory was included in New Mexico,
but it is very small portion, and was only
put there to satisfy the people who did not
desire to be included in Texas. And it does
not come under the principle of noninter-
Vention; for all laws not locally inapplicsble
were ex'ended over the Territory; the pro-
vision excluding slavery being directly ap-
plicable, was among those laws, and the Ter
ritorial Legislature has no power to repeal it..
Further, the exclusion being incorporated
into the articles of annexation, is in the ma
ture Of treaty, and Congress had no power
to repeal it, and of course could confer none
on the Territorial Legislature. AS for Utah,
gentlemen are simply mistaken. Not a foot
of territory covered by the Missouri compro-
mise was included Within its boundaries.
That compromise only extended to the Lou
isiana purchase, and the west line of that
purchase was the summit of the Rocky
Mountains. Six months after we acquired
Louisiana we swapped the portion Of it in
cluded in Texas to Spain for Florida, and in
running the boundary small portion Of ter
ritory which had previously belonged to
Spain--iacl4ding the Middle Park Of Colo
mel Fremont--lying weStof the Rocky Noun
tains, fell to our share. say we acquired
THIS territory from Spain after the Missouri
compromise was made, and when the sum-
NIT Of the Rocky Mountains was fixed as the
east line of Utah it included this territory;
but the Missouri compromise was not affect
ed, for it had never been in force there.
When our acquisitions were made from
MeKico it was proposed to run the Missouri
compromise line through them to the Pacific.
and because the North refused, this is also
charged 10 VS. as violation of the Missouri
compromise. This is an absurdity which
will not waste tiMe in noticing at length, |
an"wer by saying, again, that the Missouri
compromise extended to the Louisiana pnr-
chase alone. 1t could not, therefore, be Vi
olated by refusal to extend it to country
which we did nor acquire until twenty eight
years afterwards. ..i.,. ...fg, ,.'.......s
o ! have thus briefly, Mr.. Chairman, exam
ined, in detail. the various grounds assumed,
10 show that the Missouri compromise has
been violated, and'l trust have shown that
that the contrary is true; that the North has
stoad BY its spirit, and that the country has
stood by its letter and spirit, and that II is to
day in as full force and effect as it ever has
been. erz. a. t-l..... ..tjt,.
4 Bpt how is it with the South? Its con.
cession was the restriction Of slavery now
sought TO be repealed; twenty out of twenty
two Senators, and thirty-nine out of seventy
SIX Representatives, from the South, fifty nine
in all, agreed 70 it, After enjoying the con-