Washington sentinel., 1854-07-14
FOREST RETREAT, Ky, July 3, 1854.

SIR; am now in my last retirement from
all the cares and responsibilities of public life,
but still alive TO the prosperity and happiness
of my country. Standing away back beneath
the mists and shadows of the past, and nearly
lost to the view of the present generation, it
would indeed afford me great pleasure if it
could be so, consistently with what | conceive
to be my duty, never again to medde in pub
lie or political matters. My attention, however,
has been occasionally directed to the recent
debates in Congress upon what is called the
Missouri compromise, III connexion with the
Nebraska bill, in consequence OF which l am
prompted to drop you Ia Missouri senator) a
line, to some extent explanatory of the actings
and doings of Congress during the memorable
sessions of lS20-'2l.
/ see it has been stated, and that too by
southern members, that the south imposed the
restriction line and the compromise upon the
north, &c. In addition to this, have Just met
with an "address 10 the people Of the United
States" by the members of Congress who voted
against the Nebraska bill, in the columns of
the National Hatelligencer of the 22d of June
in which find thefollowing charge against the
south, to wit: "As IL ioas the slaoeholding power
that demanded the enactment of the Missouri
compromise so IL is the same po,oer that has
nop demanded its abrogation." And it is upon.
this gross and palpable Misrepresentation of
the facts of the case that an artful and plausi-
bic story is made out against the south. 1t is
due alike to faithful history, and to the south
ern actors on that trying occasion, that charges
SO. .barefaced and shameless should be repelled
and the authors exposed to the indignant scorn
and contempt of all honest and patriotic men.
The actors in the scenes of lS20-2l are at
this time (God bless their memories) "few and
far between" Among those from the south,
there were men, and not few of them, that,
for all the virtues that adorn the human charac-
ter, could not be excelled-orators, statesmen,
patriots, sages, and eminent as such. They are
now slumberng with the mighty dead, leaving
behind them but few to vindicate their memo
ries against the foul charges and imputations
thus cast upon them. As one of the most
humble and unpretending Of those who voted
for the admission of Missouri after having
given my negative to the restriction north Of
360 30>, allow me to furnish Missouri senator
with o faithful account of the actings and
doings in the House of Representatives in
lS2O-'2l.
That the slaceholding po,oer demanded the
enactment Of laao restricting north of 36o 30<
against slaoery--a restriction so iniquitously
unjust, so very odious and hateful to the
southern section or thatthe southern minority
imposed or forced a measure of such import
ance upon the northern decisive and formida-
BILE majority, can hardly be credited in either
section of the Union. The story of itself is an
insulting mockery, and deserves and will meet
with the indignant rebuke of an intelligent, and
just, and patriotic people.
How stand the facts of the case? The Ter.
ritory of Missouri had been sold to slare owners,
and settled by them in part at least. Having
undergone their territorial probation, in the
exercise of their clear and unquestionable rights
as secured to them by the federal .constitu-
ton, they called convention. That conven-
ton, acting in strict conformity with the wishes
and interests of the inhabitants of that Terrific
ry, framed and adopted constitution for the
new State, and with this constitution in hand,
Missouri presented herself at the door Of Con-
gress for admittance into the Union. Was she
not, upon every principle of justice and ofright,
entitled to admittance? And did not Congress,
by regretting the claim of Missouri to take
rank as one of the sisters of the repulic, in full
dress, clothed with all the attributes Of SOW
ereign power properly pertaining to the rest of
the sisters respectively, act in direct disregard
of Its constitutional duty Pin disregard and
in defiance of most solemn obligation, i'm.
posed upon that body by the Constitution
And now if we must talk about the different
sections north and SOUTH by what section was
this high-handed and most oppressive act COM
mitted 1t is abundantly known that the
south struggled long and earnestly in favor Of
the admission of Missouri in strict accordance
with her constitutional rights. Yes we took
" long pull, strong pull, and a pull alto
gether." The ablest, the most eloquent and
patriotic members from the south stood up
manfully in favor of the admission of that
State unrestricted either soittin or beyond her
limits. The four hours speech Of that noble,
patriotic and man of mighty mind, Mr.. Clay
was made in favor of the admission Of Missouri
Just as she had presented herself and not in
favor of the so-called compromise or restriction
but against restriction. The plain matters
Of fact is, that the south lacked the numerical
strength to extend to your noble State, her
clearly constitutional rights, and therefore
could not do ii. On the other hand, the north
had the numerical strength, and to spare, but
they Mould not. Now, at this point, allow me
to speculate a moment. The north appeared
to be immovably fixed in her determination
not to admit Missouri into the Union with the
clause tolerating slavery in her constitution
a matter with which Congress had no right of
interference directly or indirectly. What would
nave Deen the cOnultOn OF tnat Otate ii, Dy lnlS
ruthless act of arbitrary and despotic power,
the door of the federal government had been
slammed in her face, and she informed that
she must submit to the dictum Of this unjust,
this heartless, and souless tyrant? What
would have been the feelings of the south, thus
outraged and insulted2 Would the manly and
noble pioneers who had taken uptheir abodes, as
they supposed, their last abodes, in that region
with that property, knowing their constitutional
and legal rights, have bowed their necks to the
yoke in base and inglorious submission Or
would they not have made an appeal to the
sympathizing south for admission into their
UnionP And what think you, would have
been the response of the wronged and insulted
south? But forbear.
have endeavored to picture the state Of
things up to this period Of severest trial. 1t
was here that the intimation was given that
a portion Of the northern members would will
lingly go for the admission Of Missouri unre-
stricted, on condition that restriction might be
imposed upon the territory north of $50 3O>.
Here was tug of war; and hence it was that
one, and one only, of Kentucky's representa-
tives couched his lance for battle, by casting a