The American. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1857-1857, 1857-11-11
WHAT HAS THE REPEAL OF THE
MISSOURI COMPROMISE DoNEa

The dlSunlon feeling which was stirred up
at the South in ls4s-49, by that set Of reck-
less and restless politicians called 5rs- eaters
and disunionists," and which brought the
country to the verge Of separation, is a fact Of
too recent existence to have been forgotten by
any one. The Democracy, or plumber party
had been defeated by the election of General
Taylor as President; and whenever they are
of the spoils, experience tell
us that they are ripe for any mischief "trea-
sons, stratagem, and spoils." And SO it was
then. Dispossessed Of Government plumber,
they attempted to sever the Union; and to ac-
complish this purpose called and held various
resolutions were adopted, and reasonable
threats of dissolying the Union Illuminated.
This state of things induced Mr.. CLAY to
return once more, and for the last time, to the
Senate, and there to bling forward what is now
denominated "the great compromise of 1850"
The pacific measures" proposed by him,
after being debated for many months in the
Senate, with an ability and earnestness scarcely
exampled in the history Of legislation, during
which time both he and Mr., WEBSTER put
forth the whole Of those mighty powers Of elo-
quence and argument with which Providence
had so bountifully endowed them, were finally
passed, to the great relief and joy of the people
of the United States
This great work accomplished, the people
breathed more free; anxiety and apprehension
gave place to joy and confidence. Every bone
of contention between the North and the
South; every cause of complaint was sup
posed to be removed; sectionalism overturned,
and harmony restored. Vieing with each other
in their professions Of loyalty to the Union,
and adherence to the great Compromise, both
political parties placed their pledges for its
support and their solemn declarations that it
should be considered a sacred and final settle
ment of the matters in controversy between
the North and the South upon record, in the
Of their respective national con-
ventions. They also declared to the world, 4
with almost religious ssseveration, that the
subject of domestic slavery should never again
be agitated, either in Congress or out of it
Believing that those who had nominated
General Pierce for the Presidency were more
loyal to this Compromise, and more likely to
abide by it than those who had placed General
Scott in nomination, the people of the United
States elected the former, great as was the dis
parity between him and the heroic Scott.
In his inaugural speech General Pierce re-
newed the solemn pledge made by his party at
their National Convention, and promised be-
fore God and his country faithfully to abide by
it! But scarcely had the oath of Office passed
his lips, or the tones of his voice uttering the
pledge died away, are the solemn assevcration
was forgotten, the pledge broken. @r
Congress came together, and no sooner met,
than the agitation of the slavery question was
commenced For months it was carried on
in a manner calculated to stir up the deepest
depths of northern feeling. But we need not
dwell upon this subject; suffice it to say, the
Kansas. Nebraska act was passed, and the Mis-
souri, Compromise repealed, under pretence
that il was inconsistent with the Compromise
Of 1850, when every one making this pretence
knew that if the authors of that great measure,
Clay Webster, and others, had dreamed that
it could, by any possibility, be considered as
interfering with the Missouri Compromise,
they never would have agreed to it; for they
would have lost their right hand sooner than
disturb that ng-acquiesced-in measure--de
clare by Mr.. Buchanan, and felt by all, to be
N az "a
SELF" But it was overturned, and is now de-
clared to have been unconstitutional and void,
though it owed its existence TO many states
men whose names will ever fill bright pages in
our history, and whosesplendid abilities, though
they have passed away-some of them many,
many years ago-still shed lustre upon the age
in which they lived. And now we ask, what
has the repeal Of the Missouri Compromise
done? II has re-opened the slavery agitation,
and given an intensity to it such as never be-
fore characterized it. 1t has produced feel
ing of deep hostility between the people Of the
North and the people of the South, that years
cannot eradicate. Ii has made Kansas bat
tle-field for the champions Of these two sec
tons, where violence, fraud, and ruffianism
have contended for the victory. 1t has broken
up and annihilated the old patriotic Wing party.
1t has brought into existence northern Free
Soil party. It has broken the ranks and de-
stroyod the integrity Of the sham Democracy,
and sown the seeds of its dissolution 1t has
produced universal Earring and jangling among
the people, and thereby weakened the bonds
which bind them together. And it has also i'm
duced prominent men, even the President Of
the United States, to Jump Jim Crow" upon
important questions; to declare uncomtitu-
tioaal what they once held to be not only con-
stitutional, but "ittle lees sacred than the
Constitution ITSELF" thereby destroying all
confidence in the honesty and opinions, how
ever solemnly and deliberately expressed, Of
all such men. a vH
What has the South gained by it, What
has the North gained by itf Has either gained
No, nothing; except, perhaps,
that Kansas will come into the Union as free
State ten or twenty years sooner than would
have been the case had the Kansas N ebrasxa
act not been passed. The Abolitionists, how
ever, may say that they have gained much by