Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1856-09-30

- the persistent enemy of the South, was the ctiarn'
piun ot The restric;iOnis;s, LownIes, OF South Carroll
ia. "i lac South mud after 4 cOntcst-fhcn Without
precedent continuing through twenty two ballots,
Taylor WAS elected las his successor Banks wasij ana
III iIi'n the slavery opposition ;rIuinpled.
On Tie 10th November the constitution OF MiSsou-
RI ~h' prssented by her delegate, and referred To n
select committee, of which Mr.. Lowndes WAS chair
man, All! he reported, on the 23d, that all the condi
lions imposed by the former Congress when leave was
given Ia frame q constitution, had been complied
with, and recommended the admission of Missouri
upon aI equal footing with the other States.
Nny, gentlemen. III pursuance OF their iHctiOus pur.
pose, the North again begins the war. But it was 80
tl.rant II breach OF p~ropriety to refuse the admission
ui Missouri because of the absence of the slavery re
-.ric;iOn, after the permission given her at the previ.
OTIS session 10 frame q constitution without il, that
some pretext was necessary upon tho part Of the
Northern members OF Congress for their opposition.
So they took hold upon u provision in her cOnstiiu-
ton which prohibited the immigration OF tree negroes,
and declared she could not come III while that clause
remained in her constitutions. THIS was done TOO by
Representatives whose States had passed similar pro-
hibliions against free negroes.
In short, as was universally felt ana khoEn' me
real objection was 10 the admission OF Missouri Will
out restriction; and not ha"ing the face 10 attempt; by
Il direct attack, 20 deprive Missouri OF the "ahsoiIite
aud unHlienabIe' right, "a Mr.. Lowndes character
ixed il. conferred by the legislation OF The previous
session, the North tried 10 defeat her claims by this
bald and shallow prete1t. And among the first TO
announce his opposition upon that ostenslDie ground.
however, was Siorrs of New York, who had moved
the adoption of the line of SO 81 the session before,
and who now kept his faith by making. IN the Sh OF
December, an hours speech against the admission oi
Missouri. Il is worthy Of remark, that during the
early part of the debate ut this session, slavery was
not mentioned. except, IN connection WIN Tie r.soin-
tirns which came from the different Northern States,
lnsfructing their representatives TO vote against Mis-
souri, on that ground.
Upon the 18th Of December the House came to q
vote upon Mr.. Lowndcs' resolution, and II was voted
down, and Missouri refused admission as Il State, by
a vote of - to -. And voting against her admission
were four out Of the five compromises whose names !
have before mentioned. Thus WAS the COmpp0mi,s
violated by the North within less than ten months az
i"r lis passage; and violated upon such u despicablr
prr:rXt and contemplate motive.
You know, gentlemen, that almost every North.
WESTERN STATE, which has famed u constitution has
inserted II clause against free negro Immigration, pre-
cisrly Il, Missouri did; and the old Northern States had
pa>sc! laws for similar purposes, which were then IN
'urc.'; and yet these compromising friends Of OTIS
refused admission 10 u Siate, becau-e oia free negro
pr"iiib lti"n in its Constitution. What IN Internal
temper did this hostility display and II shows too that
here Wa Il secret motive at work, which these people
ia Congress had not the %har,iIhOOd To acknowledge n
The presence OF Mlssour's indcteasible claim upon the
tnifci States.
TO sh2w You, gentlemen. the temper Of the compro-
missing North, let mc mention a little episode which
took place in the House. Severed memorials had been
presented from Missouri 10 Congress upon various
subjects. and the clerk Of the House had entered chem
upon ihr journal rs petitions from The state Oi Nils
s"Iri, and The Speaker lTay!orl had stricken out the
words State or" 80 a. 10 read Missouri alone.
y motion WAS made 10 amend the Joarnhi, by iilscr-
ting the words stricken out by the Speaker, and tn"
vote was i ,ie-76 to 7G-and III: Speaker gave the
casting vote against inserting the words ho had ,trick'
cn "ut-Storl5 voting asGri.:t Inserting. 4 lnoil"l
WA, then nude tu insert The words territory oi be-
f,r,. Missouri, but this was voted 'iown-iJo I" l. ="
that Missouri wac left N the anomalous c"iidi'i"i "i
being neither State Or territory, i!o:l'iis' Us air, hrrh'
+r said, "at large 1t wa- ~ tins CONDITION., alter IA"
defeat of NJ. L.nwndcs' proposition when, on the l9ih
at Drc-m!prr, Mr.. Eu-tis submitted IL Resolution t"
admit Missouri, provided isr Tree negro cause be
stricken ont from her constitution. Thus proposition!
remained Enacted uDnn By the House uU;Ii the
18Th of January, when Mr.. Eu-tis called it up. and
moved lis reference 10 the committee at the Whole
To which al-u was sent the resolution from The SENATE
for the unconditional admission of Missouri, with Il
provi,o that Congress did not assent 10 any provision
"i her constitution which violated the rights ut the
citizens uI a.y stats IL 81! the principles which IN"
constitution 1t the inited states conferred. TN iii-
9Th %. January, Eust.s' resolution was dcied Cplii
and voted down, there being onIy.s!I Votes IN us Ia
yur.
.AuI here Mr. Clay appears, gentlemen, for the first
tim" upon tbs subject, at that session Of Congress
lie had taken hia seat on the 10Th of january, and on
the 9Th. after the defeat o. lnstIa' F:0fn2ltI2n, NJ
gav. rnt!r" that he would ca!! up the Senate rcso,i'
ton in a Jew days. Accordingly on the 18th, the
iTrul- wen: INTO committee OF the whole, and Mr.
Clay called up the Semitic : :esoi,lIoGI ana spoke ~
length in It's favor. !: was debated III committee .hli'
The "a ui February. hnd voted doWn-o't" 90 30 'Ie
North refused 10 admit ihe state Of Missouri, although
In. constitutional rights at free negroes were Secufe'i
to- itlc!n by Ia. SeIGte : prOvl-o.
llr. Gay then moved Tor Il committed Of IL, which
was appointed. He reported "m the I'm at f"oru"'
~. $40. 3!I.;.", u> Mr. LrwndcS had stated III li-
report, THAI The tH.Stl|i. ~ 'l-iric.i"'' h"' uc'h sc''
It'd Al the prey iIus se.sIUu, aud there was n"iL."G I"
report "n bat tho irr",. argr" claLs-, ms c"'i!lii!ii.t
recommended Il resolution, which. though c3uctri! IN
words al "irarn"d length ami Numbering sound
i.I-JtIi ur more than the Senate : provISp. In support
81 H.. ~r.uluiinn. Mr. Clay did urge n compromise "i
yi""- br.S-1I. Inrtr .ri'" were III favor oi admitting
Ml.-.... i:.""Tii:io4alis L"l The opposed To H.
trCtu-c ~ III" ircc negIU prGl!DI.iEE, G'u ne i'P"ai'
ed - them 10 reconcile their conflicting views upon
the Tree negro question. by adopting his resolution
GA The I'm oi February the vote in committee oi
tie whr'c was taken, and the resolution voted down.
=! L" L!-aRd Wa so .epG:t2c 10 the House lho
House, however, upon the question OF ""n"Afr'nE
with the committee refused to cOncur-S' TO H'-and
:, The resolution was voted ny. Aud then, upon "
Inoljua - read the resolution o third time, II "as
a-aIn voted ipwn-N3 20 ~.
N.:iy. u! \ ~. ten I" reconsider was then gwen !
Tor the E-.t dag IT; !" 1'uinckr ana hoCor.i"Sty Lr,hg
nude. MIR. Clay msic Il IH0st earlest Effort, hilu De-
sought the House, as HI nc; ui courfc-y l." a'I"eni
members, Ia grant Il reconsideration. lie sd'Cct!rd
ii reconsideration was granted. Mr.. Clay then
:;rauu "a. .iaA rate speech for the resolution, "rras"i-
iu-. demonstrating dina uI.rs.n... ;!.c: Tia, House
would settle the questions, and The vote wac thhen'
and the resolution voted dorH-S3 to o'-Mr. Ciayd
efforts 10 compromise the tree negro Question having
Urrn ;iIi!s 'hr ullaS hllIng.
IiIc,c details, GENT. men, may be tedious, but no
man can thoroughly understood lie compromise
Question" who will not have lie patience 10 Trace
.;:. n,d expose the general error which exists IN sup
pp~Ing IiarinrJy AID .ynnI Understanding ~ hh'e pre-
sided over Is settlements.
ON the !!ni of February, Mr.. Clay moved for a
iniu: committee. On the 10Th of February this com
,t.A, .Lnl-g - r.,u th. emma |
viii. he last. Gnl .i.h tho senate. pgovisO, declaring
rigt Missouri should assert, through Ter legislature,
III" fundamental condition. To Mr.. Clay Styles 1t,
tha; the citizens ii other States should not BE cut Of
from their constitutional rights by tie Missouri pro-
hibi;Iun against Tree n6SfUrs.
At thir point the GbulltiUnis,s became boldcr, and
Allen ui Massachusetts,, in discussing the resolution
ui The committee, spoke in general Terms against
slavcry in Missouri, and declared his hostility to Mis-
suu::.. adl.issiom upon any terms, without II restric-
lion n ,aiIst ..rery, % 10 .Lcu... :cirisinE and un-
n.;rrnblc. and that he shoulu Tot5 nyalnst her ~ .ung
~ her constitution did not prohibit slavery. He WIS
called ir order by Il member, tor debating n Question
] ed / a. the last session, but the S}GdE, r Ie' kied he
Sas il. order anI he proceeded. The House came to
a vote On Mr. Clay free ncg.l compromise res"!u.
ton aad il was niopicd-SG 10 81. The resolution
then WA, ia the Senate: and was nass"d-!St" H.
And So, after 4 Compromise between those who
were in favor of permitting Missouri 10 ~ IS che
pleased with free negroes aud those who were for
pre-, cntiHg Missouri from discriminating against free
n".rUys. duI by which Missouri was to agree That
,hr would .iot violate the constitution OF the nIted
States. he WAS admitted by four vo,ca. ANA this
end, the history OF Mr.. Clay's comPr0m'se-a com
promise not upon slavery, but upon Tree negroes.
We'll nigh, Mr.. Clay have smiled al the acceptance
of n pro.O-i;.E, which wa III fact the same all
along offered, when it slmpry- coEta;r22 = provision
that Missouri would not violate tile Cdus,it.iion.-
We'll might Mr.. Badger AL il lone Of the most re-
inarkab!r pieces of humhugsery ever pa.med oil on
Any icsi laiive body And he said, too, in his place
in :hi' Scn.re, .int Sir. Clay had remarked III
snnsi.nrc m tie Senate, '!!il.Gt he laughed in hi
sleeve Z: tina idaa that people were so easily satisfied
But gan will see IN The opposition Of the North. a de
termination not to compounds The question %! slave
70 ,n, m fnrn,a. And rnnrht. llnY mrNcr DID CnIl- |