Washington sentinel., 1854-02-25
masbingtall gtntinel.
EEpR4SEA AND KANSAS.
SPEECH or nos. 4. IL, STEPHENS,

II 1 - REphfchA AMI kANSls.
II 80 r
| SPEECH OF. HON. A. III. STEPHENS,
i 4. .oE GEORGIA, 4. /.
I'm the Ho,ise Of Representatives. Feb. II, 1854
i. The House being in the Committee Of the
Whole on the state of the Union,
i Mr.. STEPHENS; Of Georgia, said;
1 ! was very anxious day before yesterday
Mr. Chairman, when the gentleman from Yer
mont Mr.. MEAcHaM, and the gentleman
tffom New York, npon. my left, Mr., FENToS, I
addressed the House upon the subject of the
! Nebraska bill,,.to make some. remarks upon
the same subject in reply to them. ! desired
TO do SO at the time, but the opportunity was
npt afforded me- And though.I have lost
E'sbme, Of the ,ardor of feeling which the oeca-
| sion then excited, yet think itinportant that
these positions should be answered; and il, is
| fSr that purpose that rise to address the conn
ulittee to-day. assure YOU shall be as brief
LAB possible. 81, ~. !. ,fs
Z The gentleman Erom Vermont, Mr. MEAcH,
/ tAM,] ifI understood the trnin.of his argument,
opposed the, Nebraska BILL as presented to the
House, .mainlynpon the ground that declares
the eighth section Of the act Of 1920 prepara.
tory to the admission OF Missouri into the
Union as a State. imperative, because it is in,
cpnsistent with the principles Of the acts, of
tlB50, known as the compromise of thatiyear,
This eighth section.of the act.of 1920 is that
clause which, without any relation to the .Sta,e
OF Missouri, prohibits slavery forever from all
that part Of the territory acquired BY tho Leui-
siana cession outside iof Missouri north of 36o
-3p< north latitudo..ffThe argument Of the gens
tleman consisted Of the following series Of as.
spmptions: K: heti .,4- Nj et,ft
First, that-tha restriction orprohibition was
IL 4 no. nfpr rdn IF oofr oo he
Secondly that ii had been continuously ad-
hkred to. from that tine.to this. ~
Thirdly, that the measure now proposed
would be a violation of that compact. ,....
4 Fourthly, that this breach Of good faith
would be e'attendedlwith disastrous eonsequen-
I Icfs ltd the pehcer quiet, and repose iof the
fcbuhtry. - ,f lAai -. l7 i.ir
This, sir, was the outline ofihis' argument
NowI propose to take up these positions, and
show to the. House, If not to: the. gentleman
himself ,hatih every particle they are untenable-
+ In the -frst-plsce,- l. state, thai that eighth
clause Of the act preparatory ito the admission
of Missouriiato the Union, restricting slavery
north of 36o i30I, never-lwas a compact. i 1t
never had any ofithe requisites or. character
istics Of compact. IA compact between
whom?. Between the north and south? ai.:-3~
i Mr.. MEAcHAhL. 4 used tthe WORD. Z. con-
-tfact;L aota' eempaet;a Il.-..s. ~, Il tf:..t.
!. Mr.. S'rEPHENS.. The gentleman from.
VerAlbhtu the word di'.contract,,h as i said,
but others have used the word" compact,P and,
ih this conAexion, they both mean about. the.
SHINE thing. But what was, about. to affirm
is,sthht that" great Missouri; compromise, y
which Mrs Clay proposed, and with. which his
fame.is identified, had nothing to do with this
al 80 x.e 4 4
|. compromise Mr.. Clay acas in the nature, of
a :. COMPACT. At was @ :" ""cpmpaetm' between
!, the General Government. and the State of
! Missouri L ann aware that the general opin-
ion on" this subject is very erroneous. his
Mr. Clay fully explained in. 1850! The com.
I mon idea is, that Mr.. Clay was the. author. Of
Athe prohibition of slavery north Of 36o 30<.
!. But such is not the fact. He did, not even
vote. it. That proposition came, from, q
gentleman from Illinois. The oo,npromise.
that Mr.! Clay offered was afterwards. Its lis.
tory IS this: The people of Missouri, under the
act Of 9th March, 1920, went On, and io5rned
d State constitution, which contained a clause
authorizing the Legislature TO pass q lawto
prevent the immigration Of free negroes and
xhenfapplication was made fnrjadmission asa
State into the, Unions Congress refused the I'D,
mission, unless that claBse should be e8pungeds
4 twas then that Mr., Clay brought forward his.
neasuIe, HeEeoit ia; i; ra .:z,,.i,..a,is 4. i...
Resolution proyiding forthe admission of Missouri
mlohhe Iaiap qepcsgsgja cond sdilton.r.st4 1,
81 IS gss KS Sss sss ays eiea g Il Re gss
assembled. That Missourfsball be admitted INTO he
Unon on an Equal footing @irh the origih Stales;
in ALL rcsperts whatever. uTon tbe fundamental
condition. That The fourth leansel of The twenty
sixth secl9no the third arliee Of the sonsiitu-
Congress, SHAH Reter be consirded ato anlhoiize'
the passageof anyiaw; and rhat no law shall be
passed i'd tonf6rnity thSpetob by whiuh any eitizea
oflejihnr OF StateF in Ahis Inionssiisn bese
fndedlfrpm the enjoy g.fn, at aAE qfithe privilege
asa aaaer Ky ossao Ss t%s9 asd sfa s?Se
ciaea, That tie Eegisiattte Of The said State, BY
SOLEMN pubic att sAalr declare The assent Of the
said State to the said fa4idamental condioni and
transmit Ia the President pG the aUniled States on
prbefpHe The fourth Waaaay,in Npyelsher next,i
nm anihsni copy q The sad act; Hpon tpe receipt
rNheseof The PRESIDENT, by prpGaiantlop, shall,anr
nonnce the fact; whercupon- and wlthontany 1Yrf
ther proceeding on the part Of Congress the ad-
mission Of the saT SJate into this Unioh shall be
consilered as complete si' II d}t 7d Y raf
lliTa a i,n,q ,,,lUOHN W. TAYLOR II,
pr,ra7tSpsatss Of tho HoaM Of .Ree1esentatttes Z
h,,t !, .,,..a. ,s.,t,..,. JOHN .GAlLLARD. ,,,.
y.lnaig,l SasaIs5 ~ tas SSf14'f' 2ro itfaSq0rs'
s'APRfisp ShitSSiJaMEs MbNRoE hoi
This prbpositioni .whehl sdbmitted tothe peoa
ple Of Mlssoari, and atteded to by them,as ait'
WAS, Inlay very proberiy be called 4" ton,pact.o
Fofiibeft we're epRfdes 70 it4-the .geherall govi'
erHtheht oft one side' and The people tf Missouri
ohthe othef lBbth iagreeing u lties Bit not so
with thG efshth' setH1hiof thu act referred TOT
There we're no ssdtR parties 70 i'll, that WAS
nothing Bit a'ldwy,i With h0 greater sanction
thhHaa othe4 .syathte that may give place 10
sGbseuueht legislation.." There Mas no compact
about It. Miss6ari yneS Ell gave her sanction to
I'll Sheeould noe have Been AMY parry TO it.
SReihaa no tight To the ftefritory Outside he.
limits9i she bhd'no p6Tefi brya ryaSthofity TO make
any con pISct' 'tcn cefhiHgiya sdr aa4f4e q"
But the gedtle Hjaif afgded lis n he considers
ed this eighth Ye ction of the act of'ls5e. fixing
tho qihe bfa 36o a3JS, north Of which Slavery
shohld be forever excluded,' and which fs com
uiohly' cATAni thsih Miss6aYf com promise hne,n
as u eUhttactI tIbetweeh the north and south, as
the parties wHbw, then, stand the facts upon
this point Of view? How did this eighth see
tiop. get so,the.biua of 1902, ltYas! in, this
way the north iAlistedI pppn, a restrictior
Il AZ -