The Athens post. [volume] (Athens, Tenn.) 1848-1917, 1856-10-17
MR.. FILLMORE AND THE MISSOURI
COMPROMISE.

late number of the Richmond Wing, which
received il under the frank of Mr.. Fillmore,
and may therefore be regarded as the ex-
preston of his own views and opinions on
the question to which it relates. We consider
it entirely satisfactory, and think it will
prove SO to every candid and conservative
man of every party in the South, as well as
of all sections of the Union. 1t makes the
whole matter perfectly plain. All we ask is
a calm and attentive perusal. Read:
RESTORATION OF THE MISSOURI COMPROMISE.
AS the duties cf statesman are not precise
" those of debating club, il always tries
the patience OF practical men to see effort
wasted in discussions from which nothing
can possibly result. In great and critical
conjunctures especially, q statesman will
study to discover the measures best adapted to
meet exigencies, and he will ndt lend himself
to the promotion of any schsn,e, whatever its
intrinsic excellence may be, for a SINGLE mo-
ment after he is satisfied that he has no chance
of success. Like a wise physician, he will keep
himself accurately informed Of the progress
of the disease, and the condition of the pa
tient, and will not insist that medicineshall
be administered to-day, because il would
have prevented the malady had it been taken
u few days ago. 1t is his business to deal
with the disease in its present stage, and i.
the patient refuses to take the medicine
which is best in itself, he must not, therefore,
suffer him to die while he is wasting time in
vain effort to conquer his obstnacy. II he
refuse the best medicine, he must give him
the best he can get him to take.
We notice that several conservative Jour-
nails in the South have lately advocated the
restoration of the Missouri Compromise as
the most suitable remedy for the present an
happy and distracted condition of the coun-
try. Could the South see the error which
was committed in its repeal and voluntarily
come forward for its restoration, it would at
once end all controversy, but this we con
ceve to be morally impossible. Therefore
we cannot forbear to remark that we con.
slider the discussion of the question this time
us unwise and ilt timed. The subject which
now absorbs public attention is the approach.
ing Presidential election, and we cannot see
that the restoration of the Missouri Com
promise is question which the National
Executive will ever, in his official capacity be
called to consider The Missouri Compro
mise line was established by an act of Con-
gress; ii was repealed by an act of Congress;
aud, if it is ever restored, it requires an act
of Congress to reinstate it, If the question
of its restoration is of any importance in the
Presidential election, it must be because
there is a likelihood, or at least possibility,
that Congress will pass an nat for that
purpose, which will be submitted to the
President for his approval. If il is certain be.
forehand that 40 such act will ever come be.
fore the President the whole question is friv-
oous aud idle, or at least, has no pertnence
to the Presidential election.
We suppose it will not be controverted
that if Congress ever passes an act reinstating
the Compromise, it will be prior to the pas
sage of the act admitting Kansas into the Un-
ion as State. Subsequent to that event,
its restoration would amount to nothing, for
the :wo-fod reason that Congress has no
constitutional power to control the domestic
Institutions of State, and that, even if il pos
sessed the power, its exercise would be eth
er idle or mpossble-idle If Kansas should
come in MS free State-impossibl if she
should come in Slave Stat; for the same
majority which admitted her as such would
prevent the restoration. The whole ques.
ton then, so far as it has any bearing on the
| Presidential election, reduces itself to this
Whether there is any possibility that such
an act can be passed before Kansas is ripe
for admission as State? If the negative can
be demonstrated, then all agitation of the
subject is futile and unwse.
The present CONGRESS, which has rejected
bill proposing the restoration of the
Missouri Compromise line, will 90 out OF
power on the 4th of March next; its sue
cessor on the 4th of March, 1859; and the
| successor of that Congress will commence
its first session three years from the first Of
next December. Long before that time
Kansas will either DO in the Union OF
knocking at the doors of Congress for ad-
mission. IL then an net for the restoration
Of the Missouri Compromise is not passed bv
the present or the next succeeding Con-
gress, it is certain that it will never be pass
cd at all. The present Congress will pass
no such act, for the South has a large De-
mocratic majority. The next Congress will
not pass it, for the reason that the Demo.
Gratis will still have the assendency in the
Senate. Even the most sangune OF the Re.
publican journals admit this, and no man in
| that party is extravagant enough to claim
that in the next Congress the Senate will
be favorable to their views. The New York
Evening Post made an estimate, day before
Yesterday, in which after claiming the elec.
ton in several States which the Republicans
are likely to lose, it only reckoned on
the % of The SO members of the Senate for
Fremont. Burlingame in his speech in Bos-
ton, two or three days since, made threat
that with a Republican President and Re.
publican House of Representatives, they
would grind the pro.savery Senate of the
next Congress "as between the upper and
the neither mill stone," thus clearly admit.
ting that they had no hopes of the Senate.
| We may consider 1t demonstrated there
fore, that an act for restoring the Missouri
Compromise will never come before the Pres.
dent for his consideration. As connected
with the Presidential election, the question
is perfectly idle--a mere abstraction, un-
worthy the consideration ola practical states
man. Il is unwise to discnss II us an ee-
ment of the Presidential canvass; it would
be equally unwise ever TO agitate it again
in Congress. The Missouri Compromise Is
like water spilled upon the sand; it can nev-
er be gathered up. Its repeal was a great
blunder, but il is now too late to correct il.
The attempt to restore it at the late session
of Congress is deiensible on the ground that
il was TO offer the Senate an opportunity to
reconsider its action. But the Compromise
is dead, and it would be as rational to ex-
pect the termination of any othe corpse as of
this. Nothing remains but to pronounce its
euogy and bury tout of sight.