New Orleans daily crescent. [volume] ([New Orleans, La.]) 1851-1866, 1857-01-28
A "Reminiscences,

-L
The National Inteligencer in the course Of an elab
crate and interesting review of the slavery question
and the Missouri Compromise, reproduces the follow
ing letter of Henry Clay. bearing directly upon the
point and as furnishing some valuable information
relative to the Missouri restriction:
ASHLAND, July 16, 1s35.-Dear Sir: ! have duly
received your favor Of the 8th inst, and feel greatly
obliged by the friendly sentiments and the constancy
with which you have adhered toward me. regret
extremely that can supply you with copy II any
speech that ever made on the Missouri question.
The debate was long, arduoqs and during the last ag
taton of the question spoke every day for two or
three weeks on the main collateral questions. The
set or prepared speech which made Of three or four
the debate, there is therefore, only meae account
to be CLEANED from the papers of the day
The question first arose in the session of 1S19-20.
When the bill for admitting Missouri into the Unen
its passage, Mr.. Taylor, of New York, proposed
to insert in it, as condition on which the State was
to become member of the Coniederacy, that should
argument by which that proposition was maintained
by himself and others was that slavery Is contrary to
the divine law and acknowledged rights Of man that
it ought not to exist that it is an admitted evil that
if the General Government cannot extrpate in the
old States, it prevent its extension to the
| that being contracted within limited sphere it will
be less pernicious and more controlable; that Con-
gress, having the power to admit States, may
prescribe the conditions Of their admission and that
in all preceding instances of the admission of new
States some conditions were annexed.
To all this we replied that the general government
had nothing to do with the subject Of slavery which
belonged exclusively to the several States that they
alone were to judge of the evil and the remedy that
every State had such entire control over the matter
that those which tolerated slavery might abolish it.
and those which never had it, or had abolished it,
mghtsnow admit without any interference from the
general government that although Congress had
the power to admit new States; when admitted, by
the express terms of the Constitution they were OH
the same footing in every respect whatever with the
senior States, and consequently had right to Judge
for themselves on the question of slavery that if
, Congress could exercise the power of annexng q
condition respecting slavery, they might annex any
instead of confederacy of States of equal power,
we should exhibit mongrel association that in the
case Of other new States they were not conditions
upon Their sovereignty. but voluntary compacts rela
ting chiefly to the public lands, and mutually benef
cial that the extension of slavery favorable to
the comfort of the slave and to the security of the
white race, etc. .
The proposition of Mr. Taylor (Which l think had
been made at the previous SESSION. defeated by
small majority, and the bill passed without the OBJ
| noXiOus conditions. si.a=I
! Missouri assembled her convention formed con.
stuton, and transmitted it to Congress. In that con-
sttution she unfortunately inserted clause against
free blacks and when. at the session of 1s2021 it
was proposed to admit her into the Union, the same
party who had supported the condition. taking advan-
tage of that exceptionabe clause, now opposed her
admission. VI
when got there found the members from the slave
States and some from others in despair All efforts
bad been tried and failed to reconcile the parties Mr.
Lowndes had exhausted all his great resources in vain
Both parties appealed to me- and after surveying their
| condition, went to work. ] saw that each was 30
committed and welded to its opinions that nothing
could be effected without compromise; and the point
wthme was to propose some compromise which should
involve no sacrifice Of principle. gotta committee Of
thirteen appointed by the House, and furnished to the
Speaker (Mr. Taylor) a list Of such members as I
wished embracing enough of the restctionists to car
ry any measure, they would agree with u.s. In that
committee proposed and with its assent reported to
the House clause by way Of condition. be annexed
to the act admitting her, substantially like that which
wasnally adopted. It was defeated in the House by
Mr. Randolph and Aessrs. Edwards and Burton, Of
North Carolina, voting against it,
twentyfour appointed by the two Houses. That on
the part of the House was chosen by ballot and list
td which mad made out was t tapponted with fey exeep
the statutebook, which was finally passed March,
1921, and settled the question.
Never did party put so much at hazard as the re-
stretionists did on SO small question that was
which arose on the second occasion, growing out Of
the constitution Of Missouri. Never have seen the
Union in such danger. Mr. King, of New York, was
understood to concurn all the of the restric
tionists He was a member of the Senate, spoke
largely on the subject, and was most trumphantly
uted in one of the ablest speeches of Mr. Pnkney Of
Maryland, that ever heard.
Besides the topics employed in the first instance,
this second occasion the main effort of opponents
was procrastinaton they urging that the matter
should be put off until the next Congress We be-
HeVe tldt tle ftal purpose was 10 cOnS0ndate Lner
party and to influence the Presidential election then
approaching. l never was in better health and
spirits, and never worried my opponents more I
coaxed, soothed scorned and deied them by turns,
thought the best effect was to be produced. To.
wards those, of whom there were many from the free
States anxious for the settlement of the controversy
employed all the persuasion and coneilation in my
power.
AT the conclusion of the business was exhausted
and am perfectly satisfied that could not have
borne three weeks more of such excitement and ex-
ertion
This account Of that memorable question is written
for your own satisfaction, and not for publication 1t
is the first draught, and retain no copy.
Your letter has brought you great infection
in this long epstle. You must ascrbe it to the friend
y feelings excited by yours. I rarely commit this
sort of offence.
With great respect, am yours, faithfully,
H. CLAY.
VIM. s. WOODS, Esq.