The daily union. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1845-1857, 1855-09-01
THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE In 1886.

the rights Of the States and especially the rights of the
people OF the Territories to rm themselves into States
which laid before the readers Of the Union Thursday
clearly applicable the position Of parties at the
present day they conscienously entertained and
avowed nearly twenty years ago When senator Morris
spoke in favor of the admission of Arkansas State of
the American Union he did So let II be observed be-
cause Arkansas part OF the original Louisiana pur
chase and the south side of the Missouri Compromise
line Of SO deg 80 min, north latitude but because
the broad right Of the people into the conderacy
and the duty of Congress admit them We again copy
the following clear assertion of the principles which he
regarded imperative and binding that with all his
weknown preudices against the domestic institutions of
the South he compelled to say that he could not per-
NIT himself against the admission of Arkansas
He said
g hold that any portion of American citizens who may
reside portion Of the territory of the United States,
whenever their numbers shall amount to that which would
ente them in the House Of Representa-
tives Congress- have the right provide for themselves
constitution and State government and to be admitted into
the Union whenever they shall apply and they not
bound wait the action OF Congress in the first instance
except there is compact requiring them
to doso place this right upon the broad and consider
ndisputabe ground that all persons living within the uris
dcon of the United States entitled to equal privileges
and ought be matter of high qualification TO here
that every portion the remote, OF country
people anxious to obtain this high privilege at
ry day possible. furnishes clear proof that the
Union highly esteemed and has its foundation deep in the
hearts Of our fellow citizens
By the constitution Of the United States power is given
to Congress admit States into the Union in the
character of State that portion of citizens nhabt
ing part of the territory of the United States must APP
ply to be admitted into the Union State government and
constitution must first be formed 1t is not necessary for the
of Congress- and doubt whether Congress has such
power prescribe the mode by which the people shall form
a Sate constitution, and for this plain that Con-
gre would be entirely incompetent to the exercise Of any
coercive power to carry into effect the mode they might
prescribe cannot therefore, vote against the admission Of
Arkansas into the Union the ground that there
previous of Congress authorize the holding of her
venon As member of Congress, will not look beyond
the constitution that has been presented"
So much for this important testimony the subject of
admitting States Now let look the other branch
of the subject How far the North bound by the
ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS line in the admission of States ~
We have that Mr. Norris eminent jurist and dis
nguished for his opposition the institution of slavery
voted for the admission of Arkansas in 1885, because
the Missouri Compromise had provided for but because
he bound by his oath the constitution recognise
and enforce the great principle of equality and the rights
of the States according to his clear and conclusive
definition The other authority which we shall introduce
Representatives of the United States during the same Con-
gess We extract from his speech at the session 1t
will be seen that he only dsavows the binding char
aciar of the so-callcd Missouri Compromise but he
refuses to vote for the admission of Arkansas He
takes the ground SO violently contested by the abo-
utonists and their followers, after thirty years Of
repadiation Of the line they wish to restorethat
there compact or compromise, because Missouri
b,l c;,,lt No
rceh should act prospeciOey nes, unnha6sd and
then sreyed wiiderness wholly Without its boundaries"
and also that Missouri "had right dictate Of adj
mission S1te then in existence" He acted upon
this principle and in 1886 refused to obey the soemn
pact' Mr. Msacham, of Vermont eager to have
called the Congress Of 1864 1t is because the example
of Mr. Hard and those who voted with him against the
admission of Arkansasan example copied from the first
violation of the Missouri Compromise in l82lhas been
subsequently followed by the refusal of the northern
States in Congress and out Of it, to recognise the Missouri
line as well as because Of the constitutional objections to
its existence that Congress repealed all restrictions and
opened the Territories to the free operation of the great
principle ucdly set forth in the remarks of Senator
Morris The objections of Mr. Hard to the Missouri Com
promise, have stated them, sound they are
not shared by his political friends Of the present day
but his objections TO the admission OF ArkansaS cannot be
placed in the category. He opposed to that
event. it will be SEEM for the very that control
the aboonsts at the present day in regard to the adj
mission of slave Staesin other words because Of
his opposition the institution of slavery of the in
situations Of Arkansas! But the testimony which is i'm
porant in this extract is the in which Mr. Hard
argues against the sacred obligations and guarantees Of
the Missouri Compromise and contradcts the advo
Of that defunct restriction at the present day.
aware that it will be- it already has been,
tended that by the Missouri Compromise it has been pre-
posterousy termed Congress has parted with its right to
prohibit the introduction Of slavery within part Of the
territory of the Louisiana purchase south of SO deg 80 min.
north latitude There my mind substantial and
objections to the soundness Of that proposition
In place. there compromise compact where
by Congress surrendered yielded any ursdc
tom and in the second place, if 1t had done it
legislative that could not bind their
would be subject repeal at the will of any succeeding Con-
gres There compromise of surrender the part
of the general In the series Of and
utons passed that occasion there number of
vaons power and right and restrictions imposed
upon the constitution Of Missouri but part of the his
tory that you find solitary Of relinqush
by the of Congress Of the 9th of March, 1920
authorizing the people Of the Territory of Missouri
constitution and State government there very
important restrictions imposed upon the convention in
to this subject BY the proviso to- the fourth
ton they required TO form constitution republican
its FORM and repugnAnt to that of the United States
and by the eighth scion slavery and involuntary servude
forever prohibited In fall that part Of the territory