The star of the north. [volume] (Bloomsburg, Pa.) 1849-1866, 1856-09-24


giving The part which he had taken in bring
ing about the Missouri Compromise, consider
able anxiety was expressed that the letter
might be published; and herewith enclose
| 10 you, his ever.constanl ard devoted friends,
the original, that you may do with il as you
think proper. Yours, most truly,
JOHN R. WOODS.
Messss GALES & SEAros, Washington.
ASHLAND, July, 16, 1885.
DEAR SIR: | have duly received your ia.
vot of The 9Th instant, and feel greatly obi.
ged by the friendly sentiments and Inc con.
stancy with which you have adhered towards
ne. | regret extremely that can supply
you vita no copy Of any speech that ever
made on The Missouri question. TIE debate
| was long, arduous, and, during the last ag-
,ation of the question, spoke almos, every
! day FOR TWO or three weeks on The main or
coIlale,al questions The sci or prepared
| speech which made of three or four hours
duration was never publised. OF my share
| in the debate there is, therefore, only mea.
gre account 10 be cleaned from the papers of
the day
| The question first arose in lie session OF
l8l9-'2O. When the bill for admitting Mis-
souri, into The Union was on it's passage, Mr..
Tay Ior, of New York, proposed 10 insert in
| it, as condition on which the State was 10
become a member of tbs. Confederaoy, that
it should never tolerate slavery or involuntary
serviiude The argument by which that
proIo.iron was maintained by Eimsel! and
other. was, that slaveryis contrary 10 the di.
vine law and 10 The acknowledged rights Of
] man; that ii ought moi TO exist; that it is an
! admitted evil that, if The General Govern.
mrnr cannot ex'irpa,e il in the old States, il
| can prevent Is extension 10 The new; that,
being contracted within limited sphere, ii
will tie less pernicious aud more conliola-
bic; TIA, Congress, having The power TO ad-
mil new SiaIes, may prescribe the conditions
of their admission; and that in all preceding
instances OF The admission of new States
some conditions were snnexed.
To all hiis we replied that the General Gov
ernmen, had nothing 10 do with tue subject
Of slavery, which belonged exclusively 10
the several Slates that they alone were TO
judge of the evil and the remedy; that every
State had such entire control over the matter
iha, lhose which tolerated slavery might a.
| bnll.h it, and those which never had il or had
abolished il might now admit it without any
interference from the General Government; ;
that although Congress had the power 10 ad-
nit new States, when admitted, by the ex.
press terms Of the Constitution, they were on
the same footing in every respect whatever
with the senior States, aud consequently had
nshl 10 Judge for themselves on the ques-
tion of slavery; that, If Congress could exer-
else the power OF annexng condition re.
speeding slavery, they might annex any 9th
er condition, and thus il might come 20 pass
that, instead of confederacy of States Of
equal power, we should exhibit mongrel
associatioD that, in the case of other new
Safes, they were moi conditions upon their
sovereignty, but voluntary compacts, rela.
ting chiefly to The public lands and mutually
beneficial that the extension of slavery was
favorable 10 the comfort of The slave and TO
the security of the white race, sc.
The proposition by Mr.. Taylor (Which ]
think had been made at the previous ses.
stony was defeated by small majority, and
the bill passed without tho obnoxious condi-
lion.
Missouri assembled her convention, form.
ed constitution, and transmitted ii 10 Con.
!, gress. In that constitution she unfortunately
inserted clause against free blacks; and
when, al the session of I820-'2l, it was pro-
posed 10 admit her into The Union, the same
party who had supported the condition. la
king advantage Of that exceptionable clause,
now opposed her admission.
did not reach Washington until In Janu.
ary, and when got there found The men,
bers from the slave States and some from
others in despair. All efforts had been tried
rand failed TO reconcile the parties. Mr..
Lowndes had exhausted oil his great resour.
ces in vain. Bo,b parties appealed 10 me,
and after surveying their condition, wen,
10 work. | saw thai each was so committed
and 60 welded 10 its opinion that nothing
could be effected without compromise; and
the point vita me was 10 propose some com.
promise which should involve no sacrifice oI
principle. got committee ofthir,een sp-
pointed By the House, and furnished 10 the
H