Daily American organ. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1856, 1856-09-22

has no constitutional power to control the domes.
tic Institutions OF State, and that even If IL pos
sesssed the power its exercise would be either
idle or impossible; idle II Kansas should come in
as a slave State, for the same majority which ad-
mitted her as such would prevent the restoration.
The whole question, then, 80 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 rife for ad-
mission as a Statey If the negative can be demon
strated, then all agitation Of the subject Is futile
and unwise.
The present Congress which has rejected bill
proposing the restoration OF the Missouri Compro-
mise line, will 60 out of power on the 4th OF
March next; its successor on the 4th of March
1859; and the successor of that Congress will
commence los first session three years from the
first OF next December. Long before that time,
Kansas will eth,r be in the Union or knocking at
the doors of Congress, for admission. IL then an
act for the restoration Of the Missouri Compromise
is not passed by the present, the next succeed
ing Congress it is certain that il will never be
passed at all. The present Congress will pass no
such act, for the South has large Democratic
majority. The next Congress will not pass II for
the reason that the Democrats will still have the
ascendency in the Senate. Even the most san
guine of the Republican journals admit this, and
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 election in several States
which the Republicans are likely TO lose, il only
reckoned on the 20 of the 90 members of the SEN
ate for Fremont. Burlingame in his speech in
Boston, two three days since, made threat that
with Republican President and Republican
House of Representatives, they would grind the
pro-savery Senate of the next Congress "as
between the upper and the neither milestone"
thus clearly admitting that they had no hopes OF
the Senate.
We may consider it demonstrated, therefore,
that an act for restoring the Missouri Compromise
will never come before the President for his con-
sideration. As connected with the Presidential
election, the question is perfectly idle-a mere alb.
stracton, unworthy the consideration of practical
statesman. 1t is unwise to discuss it as an element
in the Presidential canvass; it would be equally
unwise ever to agitste it again in Congress The
Missouri Compromise is like water spilled upon the
sand-it can never be gathered up. Its repeal was
a great blunder, but it is too late to correct it.
The attempt 10 restore 1t at the late session Of
Congress is defensible, on the ground that it was
well to offer to the Senate an opportunity to recon-
slider its action. But the Compromise is dead, and
il would be as rational to expect the termination
of any other corpse as of this. Nothing remains
but to pronounce its eulogy and bury it out of
sight
For more than thirty years the whole country
acquiesced in it, and it had acquired sacredneas
in public estimation, which it was unwise to dis
turb. 1t had settled dangerous controversy,
which it was folly, nay it was madness, to reopen
It's repeal, as Mr.. Fillmore justly remarked in one
OF his speeches. was the Pandora's box from which
has issued all our present evils. As Mr.. Fillmore
was opposed, at the time, to its disturbance, he
has not changed his opinion that its repeal was an
act of folly. But we quite sure we do not
misrepresent his sentiments when we say that he
does not think ii would be wise to attempt its re-
storation, and that he desires no agitation having
this object, either in Congress or out of it. He is
too sagacious not to perceive that the question has
become obsolete, and too wise to pour waten
around the roots of tree which was girdled two
years ago, in the hope of seeing it again covered
with foliage
Nothing now remains for the Territories but to
see that, by wise legislation, properly enforced
the people are protected in the enjoyment of peace
and ultimately in the right of determining the
character of their own institutions without intimi.
dation by mobs and without interference from the
States. The sooner this doctrine is acquiesced in
the sooner will that quiet be restored to the coun
try, of which it is so greatly in need