The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1854-05-16

of the President by proclamation shall the
Of Congress the admission Of the said State into This Unio
shall be considered ms complete.
Ahrmatiye-I7 North, 10 South.
| Negatives South " North
This resolution il il imposes any terms upon Missour
not imposed by the constitution of the United States upor
The other States is unconstitutional and ii it merely
qurcs the assent of Missouri 10 terms which the consttu
ton prescrbes il is legislang upon subject beyond thu
power OF Congress. Mr. Clay Of course the allacy
contained in the resolution for ii il exceeded the power
Congress- it must be nugaory and if it requisition
of the constitutions Missouri would be bound to observe
by her entrance into the union without giving her
to Il in the form of g a fundamental compact
Thus the demand that gave occasion the second Mis-
souri, Compromise and the remedy employed, alike
unconstitutional II it has not been violated Judging by
the fate OF its predecessor il is because there has been
opportunity With the entrance Of Missouri M chance o
further imposition ceased far as State In The
Union could not be assaed without arousng others to its
defence.
Now that the excitement and the seeming imminent dan
ger OF the period are over cannot fail to perceive how
the peril OF the time aggravated by the terror of the
actors; how them now the sober reasonable vocsOl
the great mass of the people drowned by the insane
and tunuuous clamor OF abolition and the number and
Importance Of the agators exaggerated by their Jealous
ubqnity and perncious energy Had the of the South
stood firm, and quietly awaited the return Of the calmer
feelings OF the North all would have been well The pop
uation OF Missouri would have gone increasing her in
stutons would have retained their original cast the ele
mcnts Of vigorous nationality would have accumulated
in her borders and her people would very have been
admitted into the Union deeply confrsed in the
choice Of their institutions by the efforts that had
justly been made TO eradicate them. Thus impatient man
tries his own hasy remedies crude and dangerous they
and dstruss the balm which time and nature apply to
the diseases OF the commonwealth, well of the indi-
vdual man. No compromises would have been
no violence to the constitution would have been done
Maine and Missouri would have been admitted into the
Union the other States were, and sectional line fruit
fu in mischief would have been unknown TO egsa-
ton Had refused absolutely to make the first copro-
mise should not have been called upon submit to
the last Thirty years after if these fits OF madness
periodical the peril recurs and the nation is again con-
vulsed with the question which that compromise
of the constitution as it was-attempted to settle
There is instruction in the study of these old compro-
misses to those who mediate new ones
But have these compromises brought that repose the
country which hoped from them? 1t is now near
thryour years since they adopted, and the aga-
ton of the slavery question has since then assumed de-
gree of violence before which all compromises the
panest of the constitutions have proved utterly power
less. You cannot bind by compromises that anaticsm
which denies the obligation Of all laws and constitutions
not approved by its own vain, presumpuous judgment
You cannot eer that rash spirit which is willing to de-
stroy all that established in the blind confidence of its
ability of the dsordered mater to erect in day
institutions better adapted to the wants of n have
been produced by all past ages and all former wisdom
They sco to improve the edfce of society unless they
rebuild IL they spurn the labor Of better adapting to
the need of man. unless they appropriate the glory OF
| Its entire reconstrucon
The third compromise that Of 1888
Congress had exercised the power OF enacting protect
i've tariff law, and the evil had increased from time 70
time until the hardship of it became intolsSAae The
southern sstaasa eroanet ,1e>ve n
vain to obtain redress South Carolina length resolved
employ such remedies for the evil she could derive
from her State sovereignty This resolve brought the
sttutionay of the protective tariff system before the
country in the most solemn Whatever diversity
of opinion may have then prevailed it is hardly TO be de-
MED that large majority of the people Of the United
States have since determined that Congress does not
sess the constitutional power TO enact protective tariff
laws Yet this claim of power for Congress by portion
of the North and which has been rejected by the Amer
can people that which rendered a eompro-
mise necessary in the judgment of the Congress of 1888
The claim OF doubtful and dagerous powers involved
supposed necessity Tor compromise, in which the same
doubtful and dangerous powers continued for the
ten years To adjust the controversy pending between
the federal government and South Carolina Mr.. Clay in
troduced his second compromise This lauded
settlement by which the Union saved. Ii made
by parties competent to cohtractvz the federal govern
men and South Caroinaand not between the different
sections OF the Union who have no power to treat with
each other The full benefit of the compromise to
10 the South in 1912 by the reduction Of the duties
to twenty-five per cent dd taiorem which thought
be as low rate as would yield sufficient for the
wants OF the government
At the very time when we were to reap the full benefit
of the act il proposed to repeal III and IL mock
cry of the sancy of compromises every northern man
with the exception Of few democrats voted for the repeal
and the South, with still greater unanmity against il
The compromise repudiated and rate of duty
imposed higher than allowed by that adjustment But
the curse Of barrenncss upon their bin commerce
anguished the treasury continued scanily supplied and
il was only by return to something like the policy OF The
abanaon compromise that the commercial interests re-
| yiyed, and the treasury replenished.
Thus, in this third compromise have the usual round
OF unconstitutional demand unconstitutional remedy and
/ prompt violation.
The last compromise that Of $50.
Upon the acquisition Of territory from Mexico in 184S
and even previous TO the conclusion of the war attemp
was made TO extend the Wlmot proyso over the whole
acquisition and thus secure beyond contingency tn,
whole country for northern immigration to the exclusion
of the people Of the South Whatever foundation this doc
rne may have in the rapacty of power the peculiar
enets OF the abolition conyencles IL finds in Tho
constitution. II s the fruit of that pernicious hcresy
which the exigency Of 1920 gave to the country and th
pl,o
which il sprung. Had the precedent Of 1920 existed
upon the satutebook there would have been agitation
| In 1850.
That statute both argument and incentive Though
submitted TO by the South pacific solution Of n per
picked, II not threatening question: time when sh
had expressed by the vo Ind the speeches Of mem
bcrs what her opinion of the constitution and OF he
rights Il was put forward conclusive proof that sin
had recognised the consutionalty Of the provso anc
that her opposition merely facous and interested
The extreme. resort OF dstompered times was made e
preiext for renewing the danger that there might be nm ex
cuse for applying the remedy
i 9" The evil men do lives after them
i The good Is often buried with their bones"
Il The repose secured to the Union through the sacrifice
made by southern men in 1920 had been transient as IN
sunshine Of htfu April day; but the evil principle in
mischief The elements Of discord were abroad A ma
orty Of the North seemed bent upon cnactng al ever
hazard the proviso which the South with even more nnn
nmity had affirmed she would resist the last extremity
All the long list OF real imaginary grievances vhic
the varying intercourse OF years bad given rise was
humcd and paradcd to name the public mind aud TO form
part Of that great catalogue Of injuries which was to b
cent in producing this Of things than the Mssonr
Compromise ia the of d, l.,