The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1856-06-05


would not surrender their arms to the Ruffians,
and swear implicit obedience to this and other
such devilish ibels on the name of law.
COLONEL BENToNs LAST.
Colonel Thomas Fl. Benton has written the
following reply to an official notice that he had
been nominated for Governor of Missouri:
GENTLEMEN: have received your letter on
the subject of the nominations made by the
Democratic Convention at Jefferson City, and
am greatly pleased with the whole of them, ex-
cept the one which relates to myself That
takes me by surprise, and must remain under
consideration until return, which will be soon,
as am nearly through the occupation which
has detained me here. In the mean time, if
any other person was thought of for the Gov
ernor's nomination, in the event of my inability
to accept it, would wish him to be brought
forward at once, without awaiting any further
answer from me-
1t is my intention to speak on the state of
public affairs when get to Missouri, but not
in the way of q canvass, nor as candidate for
any Office, but to do my part as citizen, in
trying to preserve the peace and harmony of
| the Union, and to keep agitation and sectional
ism out of our borders-two evils now besetting
the whole United States, and our own State
above all.
/ consider Slavery agitation land its natu-
raj offspring, sectional antagonism) the great
est curse, both socially and politically, which
could befal our Union; and that curse is now
upon US, and brought upon US designedly, and
for the worst of purposes. The Missouri Com
promise line, the work of patriotic men, had
stood above thirty years, and there was not one
among those contriving its repeal who was not
upon the record lin votes or speeches) for its
support, up to the time of its abrogation; and
Mr.. Calhoun himself, as late as l848-only two
years before his death, and after he had breach
ed the doctrine of no power in Congress to
legislate upon Slavery in Territories-repudi-
ated the idea of repeal, and declared that the
"attempt" to do so would "disturb the peace
| and harmony of the Union" 1t has been at
tempted and accomplished, and the peace and
harmony of the Union has been destroyed.
Out of the repeal of this Compromise has
sprung forth a new test of Democracy, which
consists in exacting party allegiance to the
principles of the Kansas ebraska bill. The
first inquiry upon the virtue of this new test is,
to find out what those principles are; and the
result is Numerically opposite, as it comes
from one side or the other of the Potomac
river. From the North the answer is, Squat
ter Sovereignty as being the inherent right of
the people of the Territory to decide the ques-
ton of Slavery for themselves, and to have it
or not, just as they please.
In the South, that definition is held to be
rank demagoguery, and that the people of the
Territory, no more than Congress, have not a
particle of power on the subject; that the Con-
stitution carries Slavery with it into every Ter
ritory, as soon as acquired, overriding and con-
trolling all laws against it, and keeping it there
in defiance of the people or of Congress, until
the Territory becomes a State, and excludes
it, Thus the advocates of the test are as op-
posite as light and darkness in telling what it
is, and surely they ought to agree upon it be-
fore they require others to believe in it. 1t is
impossible to believe in both and | believe in
neither. believe in the old doctrine, that the
Territories are the property Of the United
States, and under the guardianship of Con-
gress, and subject to such laws as Congress
chooses to provide for them, Tor to permit
them to make for themselves,) until they be-
come States and after that (the children ar
rived at twenty-one years of age) they are out
of guardianship, and have all the rights of their
fathers. That is my belief, and has been the
belief of the whole United States until lately,
and especially the belief of those who now deny
it, and who are upon the record land that of.
ten and recent) against their own denial. Wit
ness Ito go no further back the bill for the ad-
mission of Texas in l845, On which all who
voted for that admission, voted for the re-es
Enlistment of the Missouri Compromise line
in that part of it south of the Arkansas river,
| where it had been abrogated by the laws and
Constitution Of Texas. Witness also the de-
bates and speeches on the Oregon bill in
| l848-also the attempts to extend the Com
promise line to the Pacific in l85O-also the
votes of some of these advocates in favor of
| the Wilmot Proviso; and, above all, the pro.
test Of the ten Senators against the admission
Of the State of California in 1850, because Con.
gress would not legislate upon the subject of
Slavery in the Territory which was to compose
| it. With all these authorities and evidences in
favor of the old doctrine, and against the new
test and its authors, think the old Democra-
cy may be allowed to dispute its binding force
at all events, until it's advocates can agree in
telling what it is Respectfully,
THOMAS II. BENTON.
But deny that the laws of Mexico can have the
New Mexico, California, and Utah.) As the
treaty between the two countries is ratified, the
eighty and authority of Mexico the territory acquired
by it, become extinct and that OF the United States sub
stuied in its place, carrying with the Constitution with
its overriding control all the laws and OF
Mexico Inconsistent with itMr Calhoun, Oregon Speech
1SiS.