Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-10-07


Issue Of Cd instant
New, although Alabama may well refuse 10
support Mr.. Buchanan, for refusing TO endorse
her noble resolations, and although Geor-
gia and Florida, whose democracy adopted pre-
cisely similar resolutions to those "noble res
olutions" Of Alabama, may with great propri-
ETY. reject him who rejected their noble reso-
lutions, it really seems to as that the Democ-
racy Of Virginia have placed themselves in
dilemmal Whether they led Buchanan into
what now seems to be political quagmire,
or whether Buchanan led the Democracy OF
that State into it, is a point we shall not de-
eide; but SO ii is, The leaders and the led, SO
far as the Virginia Democrats and Buchanan
are concerned, all got into it. up to their necks,
and they could find no way Of escape but to
be dragged out of that quagmire by the aid Of
Benton and the Van Burens, and placed upon
thePlatform of "squatter soUereignty, where,
covered with mud and still unwashed, they all
now stand, objects of mingled pity and con-
tempt
But the honest masses Of the Virginia De-
mocracy desire to know whether Mr.. Fillmore
now seeks to restore that Compromise, for an
apprehended disregard of the spirit and prin-
ciples" of which their muddy Democratic
leaders in 1889 threatened the last extrem-
typ We answer, that Mr.. Fillmore proposes
no such thing The 7th section Of the Ameri-
can platform exhibits his position. He stands
upon that 1t is the same platform, as to its
principles, which he himself erected in 1850,
by approving the Territorial bills of Utah and
New Mexico. These bills contain the doctrine
OF State equality" and repudiate the misera-
bic, squalid, filthy, unwashed demagoguism Of
"squatter sovereignty These bills allow the
:citizens Of the United States" who may re-
side in these Territories, to decide the question
Of slavery or no slavery aohen they form
their State constitutions, and until then they
subject the legislation of the Territories to the
supervising control Of Congress, in order that
no law may be enacted inconsistent with the
rights of individuals or sections
We published in our daily issue of the 22d
ultimo, and in our weekly issue of 9th ultimo,
an article copied from the Buffalo Commercial
Advertiser, which contains Mr.. Fillmore's views
on the question of agitating the restoration Of
the Missouri Compromise We gave our read
ers then to understand that the article referred
to, exhibited Mr.. Fillmore's opinions. 1t was
originally published in the city of his resi-.
dence, and by press which has his confidence.
That is all it was necessary to say, and we re-
publish the article in this days issue, and in
Vite the attention of our readers to ii, as dis
tinct and unmistakable refutation of the charge
that he seeks to restore the Missouri Compro.
mise. We re-affirm, that the article contains
his views on this question, and that he always
has been, and now is opposed, to all sectional
agitation.
We may be allowed here to state, as a rea
son why the South should not so severely
censure Mr. Fillmore for the avowal Of his
belief that the Missouri Compromise ought
not to have been disturbed-that when that
compromise was originally adopted, twenty
out of twenty-five Southern Senators in Con-
gress voted for its adoption, and majority Of
the Southern Representatives in the House
voted for it. Senators Macon, of North Caro-
lima, and Smith, Of South Caralina, were the
only Southern Senator'S who voted against it.
We will also add, that the friends of the
Little Giant" ought not to censure Mr. Fill
more for his opinions on this subject, because,
on several occasions he has introduced into
Congress and sustained similar provisions to
that of the Missouri Compromise When
Texas was annexed, Mr.. Douglas himself
made the following proposition as to the Ter
ritory embraced within her limits. to wit:
"And in such States as shall be formed out Of said
Territory north of said Missouri Compromise line
slavery or involuntary servitude, except for crime
shall be prohibited"
This proposition of the elite Giant" was
agreed to by vote of 100 ayes to 90 noes,
every Southern Democrat voting for the pro.
position.
Well, we may be permitted to assign fur
ther reason why Southern men should be in
dulgent'to Mr.. Fillmore and others, for not be-
ing willing to disturb the Missouri Compro-
mise, to wit:
A proposition was made in the Senate Of
the United States in 1s4S, as follows
"That the line of thirysi1 degrees thirty minutes
of north latitude, known the Missouri Compro-
mise az defined by the sth section of an act entitled
DC, DC, approved March eth, 1920 be- and the same
is hereby, declared to extend TO the Pacific ocean
and said Sth section, together with the Compromise
effected is hereby revived and declared to be in full
force and binding for the organization of the Terrific
ries of the United States ia the sense and with
the same understanding with that which was orgi-
nally adopted"
And this proposition was voted for by eUery
Southern Senator present, to wit: Atchison,
Badger, Bell, Berrien, Benton, Borland, But
Ter, Calhoun, Davis Of Mississippi, Downs,
Fitzgerald, Foote Houston. Hunter. johnson