Weekly Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1853-1861, 1855-09-13
From the Illinois National Flag.
MIR. Clay's Opposition to the Missouri
Compromise.

On former OCCASION we lntifnateu tnaI MT
Clay was, during the pending of the Missouri
Compromise in Congress, opposed 10 that meas
ure; and, in support of the position, we quot
ed a portion of his speech on the comprpmist
measures, in the United States Senate, Feb
9, 1850. having no other more positive proc
then at hand. Since that time we have beer
favored by an antiquarian friend, now a
Washington city, with the following extrac
from the National Intslligsnoer of Feb. 9th
aMIssounr BrLLCfhs .lIouse then wen
into Committee Of the ,1ps..s.sF { Ssf. Bals{ssir
iu the Chair on this hiIi. The restrictiYs
amendment prohibiting slavery ',z;e.,t' =, st
deg. 30 MN. being md consideration, Mr.
Speaker Clay rose and addressed the com.
mittee near four hours AGAINST THE RIGHT
AND AGAINST THE ExPEDIENCY OF THE PRO-
POSED AMENDMENT"
This, we think, so fully establishes the
fact that Mr. Clay, the "great embodiment >
was OPPOSED to the Missouri Compromise
that even our ,0oolly-headed neighbors OF
Main street will not dare to dispute it but
lest some other skeptical demagogues may
doubt, we give below an extract from paper
published in st. Louis at that time by Mr.
Charles, and which paper has since been
merged into the Missouri Republican. In that
paper of March 1, 1920 we find the follow
ing editorial notice of the speech above men,
tened by the Intelligencer
"Mr Clay in his very able speech of the
9th of last month, took the ground that, I'M
der the constitution Of the United States, NO
RESTRICTION COULD BY CONGRESS BE PLACED
UPON NEW STATE ASKING FOR ADMISSION
INTO THE UNION THAT WAS NOT PLACED UPON
THE OLD THIRTEEN STATES. He contended
that every Slate admitted into the Union
must stand in all things, upon an equality t0ith
the old States; and that Congress could not
place upon any new State, or upon any Ter
ritory that might hereafter apply for admis-
sion as a State, ANY RESTRICTION THAT
SHOULD ATTACH TO THE STATE, OR HER PEOPLE,
AFTER 1T WAS ADMITTED INTO THE UNION; for
when admitted, each State and her people
must have all the rights of the pre-existing
States.
"He coLtended that each State, and the
people thereof, had the right to determine Jor
themselves s0hether slavery should or should no,
erist ,githin her borders Such a restriction as
this is an act of gross injustice to che people
who, in after years. may inhabit the territory
north of the proper line, IS anact unauthorisei
by the Constitution of the United Sates"
Mr.. Charles, the then edisxef the Missouri
Republican, proceeds editonafty to say:
"This speech was sofrast power and
clear unanswersl eSoning upon the power
of Congress oysfthl Territories. and the right
of the general govefh4ent l<{Iterfere with
tho question of slayer5 5Sc-s
awe are ourselves, Bsid he, opposed tc
the principle of slavery, and will do what We
can to have clause in our Constitution fixing
limit TO the existence of the institution ia
Missouri, but IN our estimation 4Hr. Clay tOa,
right that it is a question TO be decided by
us, THE PEOPLE OF Missouri, aud CoSGREs:
HAS NO POWER OR CONTROL OVER IT."
Here we have direct admission from one
OF Mr.. Clay's personal and political friends, in
1920, that he not only did make the speecl
mentioned By the Lltelligencer. sut an uper
avowsl from ono of his warm personal and
political friends (whoswas himself opposed
to slavery that the .Ssss Of Ahland !" wa.
right in the views he expressed ~ eSi.s We
have more. We have a full and fdl7exenl-
plifcation Of the important fact that the illus.
trious Clay and his friends at that day CHER.
IsHED AND AvowED PRECISELY THE sAMr
OPINIONS AND SENTIMENTS UPON THE oUEs
TIoN OF SLAVERY IN THE STATES AND TERRI
TORIES THAT WE ADVOCATE NOW, and which
the Paragraph and otherlittle abolition shcet
condemn-to wit: that, under the Constitu
ton of the United States, no restriction cal
by Congress be placed upon new State ask
ing for admission into the Union which wa
not upon the old thirteen States; that ever,
State admitted into the Union must stand, il
all things, upon an equality with the oil
States; and that Congress cannot place upo
any new State, nor upon any Territory tina
may hereafter apply for admission as State
any restrictions which shall attach 10 the Stat,
or her people, after IL shall be admitted into ii
Union; that each State and the people theree
have the right to determine for themselve
whether slavery shall OF shall not exist With
her borders, &c.
This is the doctrine of tho true democrat
party now-it was the doctrine of Mr. Cla
and his friends in 1920; and we defy all th
abolition papers in the universe to show TO ii
contrary.
Still, notwithstanding we occupy precIsel
the same ground in relation to this queStio
that Mr.. Clay and bis friends did thirty-fy
years ago. we hear dough-faced politician
protesting to be CLAY wings" denouncing f,
and the docsrns, as at war with the true pril