Washington sentinel., 1854-03-05

i u -ftf u,
Missouri TO q position in this government, moi
was j. by virtue Of IL at all but year after
wards Mr. Clay brought in . resolution, max
lnv another compromise, upon condition thai
j souri, should abrogate o provision in hel
constitution that she had already made by vir
tue of that law. 1t was not provision that
having formed constitution, now, therefore
be it resolved, that she shall be admitted; bu,
it provides directly N
That Missouri shall be admitted into thi,
Union on an equal footing with the original States
40 al respects whatever, upon s.Ae,es3l3
-Here is condition---in all respects but,
"Upon the Fundamental condition that the
fourth clause Of the twepiy-sixth section of the
third article of the constitution submitted on the
part Of said Stale TO Congress, shall never be con
that no law shall be passed in conformity thereto
by which any citizen, Of either Of the States ~
this Union, shall be excluded from The enjoyment
Of any OF the privileges and immunites 70 which
such citizen is entitled under the Constitution Of
the Uniied States; Pyovidsd, That the Legislature
Of the said State, by a solemn public ac, shall de-
clare the assent of the said State the said fun
elemental condition, and shall transmit 10 the
President Of the United States on or before the
fourth Monday in November next, an authentic
copy Of the said act, upon the receipt whereof
the President. by proclamation, shall announce
7 the fact; whereupon, and without any further
proceedings on The part Of Congress. the adms-
sion ofthe said State into this Union shall be con
Z sidered az complete"
as, That resolution was approved year after
the Missouri compromise. The Missouri COM
promise was made in March, 1920 this was
approved March z, 1921; and this is the con-
dition upon which Missouri was admitted not
the restriction Of slavery. The absurdity Of
I, this provision was sufficiently commented upon
hu tho oanaforr fslv, MorAk ~ rx>1;,,o TMr r n
GER the other day---the idea that BY d solemn
public act of the legislature the. State could
\ abrogate provision of their own constitution,
y and should go to the farcical declaration that
) they would not violate the Constitution Of the
United States and would not prohibit the citi-
zens of the different States from going into the
State security and guarantee given by the
1 Constitution ! But Mr.. Clay, with his plaster
and panacea, must have it covered over in this
81 form. And now what was the provision that
: he required should be expunged, and which is
the real Missouri compromise compro-
mise on which Missouri was admitted 1t was
not that the southern men had agreed that
slavery should not exist north of 36o 30<, but
the condition was that she should strike from
her constitution the following words: III 4,
It shall be the duty Of the Legislature, as soon
as, may be. 10 pass laws TO prevent free negroes
+ State under any pretence whateveEnf4 aeanill
ii3 Missouri had provision in her constitution
precisely such as Indiann has now, that no ne
Z gro or mnlatto should come or settle in the
State. Mr.. Clay makes it a condition prece-
dent to her coming in that she shall repeal
+ that Do you suppose Missouri did it7 Do
# you suppose she could doit? She could not
do it. All men who have thought at all of the
grades Of power, whence they emanate, and
where they terminate, know that the Constitu.
ton Of the United States is, paramount and
first; that the constitution Of State, not con-
hicting with the Constitution of the, United
States, or any law or treaties made under it,
is next in grade and that . legislative enact
ment is mere cobweb when in contravention
Of the constitution and hence it was farce to
say that the Legislature should abrogate a pro-
vision Of the constitution and upon condition
it does that the State shall come into the
!, Union. That joint resolution of Mr.. Clay,
passed year after the Missouri compromise,
did not, yet let Missouri into the Union. Why !?
They had to go home; their legislature had to
meet, had to have an election, and Immediately
had. to pass law expunging their constitution;
and then 1t had to be certified to the President
of the United States, and he had to issue pro-
clamation to get Missouri into the Union. And
yet this question has been argued on the
ground that Missouri Of right, er ~ termini,
came into the Union by the passage ofthe Mis-
sonri compromise Nothingfis more absurd.
She was compelled to go home and do what
she could, and 20 through the farce, at any
rate, Of abrogating clause in her constitution.
She did go home; and what did she do r She
did not abrogate clause in the constitution,
I for the legislature could not do such q thing !;
but she passed q law. saying that she would not
violate the Consultation Of the United States.
] suppose that satisfied the President of the
.9 United States for the time being, who issued a
proclamation, and she came into the Union /
refer to this matter to show you that they were
not simultaneous acts; that it was not as q
the Union that the Missouri compromise was
passed. v l.taaa naa i4 laalis
~ MI. President, / have detained the Senate
longer than / intended when commenced. /
have onlysto say, that have expressed my
views fully, not so fully as shall publish them.
because shall incorporate authorities that /
have not read upon the power of the govern
ment over this question but regard it as be-
yond doubt, and / repeat what said in l848
II that it is ample, plenary, and complete; that
there is no hand that can stay or control 1t ;
that you may literally as / have.said, sell them
into slavery if you please, or even worse than
slavery. Have we done it 2. Weset off q por-
tion Of an organized State to Great Britain, not
into slavery exactly and we sold Texas to the
power Of Spain, the most corrupt, wicked, and
oppressive government on the face of the earth.
We sold Texas once; and with great labor,
trouble, and travail we gotit back again. We
sold Texas into slavery and bondage, and all
her citizens, and placed her at once under the
laws, and under the control of the worst power
on earth. Mr.. President who doubts that you
may today, by authority, sell Washington and
n Oregon Territories to the Emperor Nicholas,
and thereby sell the people into slavery, far
worse than southern African slavery. Who
doubts the power What power is there over o. Y !
these Territories that you have not exercised 2
What is there that reason says you may not
exercise as q naked question Of power? grant
you, i repeat, as said the senator has quoted
me, that it would be preposterous to suppose we
would exercise any such power. II is mon
strous; but as naked question ofpower it is
40. The courts have power to con6ne in Jail