Arkansas true Democrat., 1857-08-18
For the True Democrat.

 is one so easily answered that, were it not the Know Nothing presses all over the South are at this time attempting to sound the faith of th0 southern people towards the Kansas Nebraska act by just such as this, without in bold man. ner assailing it, I would now let the matter pass. Under the circumstances, however, l hope you will spare me corner of your paper to attempt an answer to the question above quoted.
 And in order to the candid consideration of the question will ask and answer another What IS the Missouri Compromise
 On the 17th ofFebruary, 1920, a bill was pend- ing before the House of Representatives of the United States authorizing the people of Mis- sour Territory to form constitution prepara- tory to her admission into the Union, on an equal footing with the original States, in all respects whatsoever. MT. Thomas, of Illinois, proposed the following amendment. which, after much discussion. was adopted, engrosseG and made the eighth section to the act of ad- mission. It is in these words:
 A that territory ceded by France to the United States under the name of Louisiana, which lies north of thirty-six degrees and thirty min- utes, north latitude, not included within the limits of the State contemplated by this act, slavery and involuntary servitude, otherwise than in the punishment of crimes, whereof the parties shall have been duly convicted, shall be and is hereby forever prohibited; Prouided, nh hat same, from whom labor or service is lawfully claimed in any State or Territory of the Unit ed States, such fugitive may be lawfully re- claimed and conveyed to the person claiming his or her labor or service as aforesaid"
 This, now sir, is the great Missouri Compro- mise, that over which has been shed the croca- dile tears of northern fanatics; that over which the great Americans, Houston and Bell, proved recreant to, not only southern institutions, but to republicanism and the constitution, as 1 view and think can be shown. But to my question, "What is the Missouri Compromise p My answer is, it is an act of Congress prohibiting slavery north of thirty-six degrees thirty min utes, in all of the Louisiana territory not in eluded within the State of Missouri. Does 1t guarantee slavery south of that line? Not at all. Then, why is it called a compromise Simply because the abolition party opposed the admission of Missouri into the Union, as an equal State, unless this amendment were passed Then what did the North gain by the passage of this amendment? She gained, if the act had been constitutional and not repealed, all of that country north of thirty-six degrees thirty minutes, as against the rights of the South What did she loose? NOTHING. She did not, as nsinuated by the propounder of the first question quoted, further enact that all territory south of that line should be dedicated to slave labor. She yielded nothing except that she would suffer Missouri to come into the Union as an equal. This the constitution of the Unit ed States guarantied.
 Then what did the South loose by the adop- ton of the Missouri Compromise? She lost her right of course to all of the territory north of that line. She lost her equality in the Union. She lost cast with the world and herself, for paying an gnoble price for that which belonged to her of right. She lost that equality which gttered as the crowning glory of the revolu- ton, which caused our revolutionary fathers to bleed in defence of their country. She lost that which was given to her on trust for pos terity-and she gained ALL OF NOTHING.
 Then, sir, as consider the repeal of the Mis- sour Compromise in the passage of the Kansas Nebraska act made the North disgorge her ill., gotten gain, 1t was return to the principles of the constitution which said in unmistakable terms to the people of the entire Unon a ma jorty of the actual residents of territory shall decide upon their own institutions It was a repeal of the Wlmot Proviso so far as it had been adopted for the Missouri Compromise, that is the eighth section, the one above quoted, was nothing more nor less than the ap- plicatlon of the principles of the Wilmot Pro- viso to all of the territory to which it applied in fact
 The northern fanatics curse and abuse not only the Kansas N ebraska act, but all and more particularly the northern democrats, who had sufficient patriotism left to cling to the consti- union, independent of all minor considerations and for what? simply for the reason this act said: if majority of the real citizens of ter rtory preferred slavery, they could have it. The opposition at the South, curses it really no doubt, for the reason they have and love tc cherish a hatred to it's projectors, and they who passed it. But what are the assigned reasons? Let us examine them. First, the reasons o the Gazette and Democrat, in the article re ferred to, are, that the South had the note o the North to suffer all south of the line ot thirty six degrees, thirty minutes to come into the Union as slave territory. 1 have shown that no such note existed but in the ignorance of those who entertain such a view. That the North never did agree, by implication even, tc any such thing but, on the contrary, has been endeavorlng ever since to attach the Wilmot proviso to all the territory south of that line.
 Another class oppose the bill because Kansas is not made, by fiat of federal power, slave State That would be as objectionable on con. stitutonal grounds, but no more so as the fiat of Congress prohibiting slavery. The prnci | pie should be considered without reference tc the advantage in pecuniary or political view See if it is in accordance with the constitution and the right; if so, it should be as it is, and il not then otherwise.
 The people of Kansas have the right and power to do as majority think best If they want slavery they can have it, if not, I would regret to sec the constitution violated by fore. ing 1t upon them, even if it would be of any advantage to the South thus to force it.
 The majorties are overwhelming against the south, and if she has not patriotism sufficient to cause her to revere the constitution, she should, at least, be wise enough to see that there are but two modes by which the recrean and rapacious hands of her northern brethren can be restrained from crushing her-the one