The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1854-03-10
HOUSTON ON THE NEBRASKA BILL

SciiatoI VIII Ii''o sPohSH oo' ''S'''"' Wv
Nebraska Bill, and the repeal Of the Mis-
souri, Compromise. The following paragraph
occurs near the close Of his late speech on the
subject:
He was opposed, MS he had said, to the
provisions Of this bill, relating to the Indians;
and if there could be anything more repug.
nant to him than those, it was the provisions
repeating the Missouri compromise. lie had
always stood upon that compromise, and in
SO doing, he had been sustained by the South
and by the whole country. The Missouri com:
promise formed part of the constitution OF
Texas, and he had ever supported it. lie read
long extracts from his speech on the Oregon
bill, giving his reasons then for standing by
the Missouri line lie would also stand by the
COMPROMISE of 1850. lie was now the only
Senator in that body who had voted for all
the compromise acts of 1850. MIR. Sturgeon,
of PENNSYLVANIA, who was not now in the
Senate, was the only other Senator who had
voted for them all. In voting for them, he
(Mr. HOuston) had never supposed he was
voting n repeal Of the Missouri compromise.
Those acts were passed as Il tinality to slave
nv agitation, and MS such had been endorsed
by the people of the United States, either by
appreciation or acquicscencc. If one compact
was to be set aside, will it not be justica-
ton for others hereafter to trample the other
under foot! Though it was said that party
distinctions no longer existed, he protested
to be supporter Of the present administra-
ton.
lie intended to support the principles upon
which the administration came into power.
Those principles were avowcd by the Demo-
cratic candidates in their letters accepting the
nominations. The 9TH resolution Of the Bal
timorc platform declared that the Democratic
party would resist all attempts, in or out OF
Congress, to renew the slavery agitation, IN
whatever shape or color that attempt should
be made-'l'he President, in accepting that
nomination, declared his concurrence in the
resolution, not because it had been adopted,
but because of the principle itcontained. Mr..
King, in his letter, adopted the same resou-
ton. On that platform he had supported
them, and on that platform they had been
elected. lie stood now to resist the renewal
of the slavery agitation, by the attempt to
repeal the Missouri compromise, and in that
position he was fortified by the principle
avowed by the President before his election,
and in his message to Congress. No candi-
date for the Presidency, who avowcd his de-
sire for the repeal of the Missouri act, would
have received the vote of u single State. This
measure had not been asked by the South.
1t would be disastrous to the South. This
bill would place knife at the throat of the
South. Slavery, it was admitted, could not
90 to those territories; they would remain
free. Why, then, offer this baublc to the
South? Was the South, us Il child. to be
pleased with rattle. lie came into public
| life upon the Missouri ompromise.-Whcn
he came to Congress 80 years ago, it was
| then considered II compact never TO be broken.
Since then, great changes had taken place.
OF the 300 members then in attendance, only
three remaned-NIcssrs. Benton, Everett,
and himself. The others had all disappeared.
! The President had come and gone, the heads
of departments had all been changed. 1t was
n solemn reflection.
"When remember all the friends so linked
together.
I've seen around me fall like leaves in wintry
weather.
| | feel like one who treads alone some ban
quet hall deserted,
Whose lights are fled, whose garlands dead,
and all but he departed"
The future fate of this nation was deeply
involved and dependent on this measure
This act of legislation was destined to pro
troll over it. 1t could transmit to the future
peace, harmony, and prosperity on the ont
hand, by rejecting this BILL or awarding dis
cord and civil broil by passingit. Let Con
gress avert the dread alternative.
The RAILROAD LAND SPoILs.-l'he Scnat
of the United States the other morning pas
sed II number of bills, making grants of tn
public lands to certain railroads, as follows
To Louisiana, for u railroad from Shreveport
to Mississippi river: TO Wisconsin, for rail
road from Madison to Mississippi river; to 10
wa, for certain railroads therein; to Alabama
for railroad from Georgia line, on Chattu
hoochco river, to the city of Mobile; to Ala
bama, for railroad from Selma, on the Ala
bama river, to Guntcr's landing on the Ten
ncssee river, and railroad from Memphis, Of
the Mississippi river, to connect with tn
Nashville and Charleston railroad; to Caifol
Hill, lot ~ IiOu otu iSSo W b'u
Jose, from Bcnicia to Marysville, from Sac
ramcnto city via Auburn to Nevada city, mn
from Stockton to Sonora; to Floridn, for sey
cral railroads in that State was passed; t
Arkansas, for n railroad from Gaines landn
on the Mississippi river to the Tcxes bound
airy, near Fulton. Making in tho aggrcgat
several millions of acres. The public dc
main, broad and ample rs it is, like the SUI
plus in the United States Treasury, is in
fair way to be disposed of.
MARTIN VAN buren, TURNING CATHOLIC
The following paragraph is from the Free
mans Journal. II is an extract from lctte
"written by well known Catholic gentleman
of New York;" dated Rome, Jan. %, 1854
Reads
A few evenings since attended soiree n
the residence of Mr.. Cass, our Charge de Al
flares. The party was purely American, an
given rs u compliment to ex-Prcsident Val
Buren,, who has been residing in Rome 70
some time. Among the guests were face
that recognized as having seen in America
am told that the ex-Presidcnt is inquirin
very earnestly into the Catholic religion
lie has had several conferences with Carolina
Wscman, who is also here, and it is not un
likely that Mr.. Van Buren, may become
convert.
BALTIMORE, March 6.
On Thursday The sales Of Flour were 300
barrels at S7,37.
Grain remained unchanged.
| Cotton was firm nj New York on Thurs