Staunton vindicator and general advertiser. (Staunton, Augusta County, Va.) 1858-1860, 1858-04-03
MIR. Clay and 4Ae Missou,j Compromise

r 10 {he E0HU " tftc tStUtcS:-
i s. much has been said BY the partisan
of Mr.. Clay in commentator of what h
9 did do in tire adjustment Of the Missouri
controversy, that am not surprised tina
Mr.. Crittenden should claim for HIM IL
merit of having suggested the proviso, con
taised ss the act authorizing Missouri t,
form 4 State constitution, inhabiting slave
Iry in the Territory north Of 36 deg. 81
min
$ This is prevailing error, and being en-
: abled, from facts within my own persona
knowledge, 10 show that it is so, proceed
: to state them.
Daniel p. Cook, Of Illinois, was appoin
!. ted by Mr.. Monroe bearer of dispatches t.
notify Mr. Adams Of his appointment a.
Secretary Of State. As he passed through
Kentucky he told me that, after trying the
; effect ola sca-yoyage on his health, he
would 60 South to live. saw him in Oc-
tober, 1917, in Washington, when he told
me that Mr. Adams had satisfied him that
the migration to the territory northwest Of
the Ohio would be SO great that the non
slayeholding States would soon control the
political destiny of this country and that,
instead Of reing South, he would, under the
advice of Mr.. Adams, 60 back to Illinois,
with view to come into Congress for the
purpose Of agitating the slavery question -
He said that he had then commenced the
agitatio, by letters addressed to President
Monroe, and handed me pamphlet con-
tanning them. (Thesc letters were pub
lished in ''NIeadc's Register" and signed
D. p. c., and may be seen ia tie Library
of Congress-
Mr.. Cook did come into Congress, and
was, as then understood, the real author
Of the proposed restriction on slavery, in
Missouri, prepared and urged under the ad-
vice of J. q. Adams, for the sole and cx-
press purpose of ofganizing a sectional anti
slavery party, with view to obtain the po-
litical control Of the Federal Government
Ninian Edwards and Jesse b. Thomas
were the Senators from Illinois Dir. Cook
had, in the meantime, married Mr. Ed
wards daugh.er; Edwards was the personal
friend Of Mr.. Calhoun. and, at that time,
held slaves some, | believe, in Kentucky
and some in IHinas (o1d French slorcs. J
Thomas was the devoted partisan of Mr..
! Crawford.
The bill authorizing Missouri to form a
State constitution passed the House, con-
tanning q clause inhibiting slavery in that
State. This clause was stricken out in the
Senate, Mr.. Edwards voting to strike it
out and i, vas then, as he told me, and
with view to strengthen his own position
1lon
that Governor Edwards prepared the a.
mendment which Inhibited slavery north Of
36 deg. 80 min. If the line of 38 deg. 80
min. vas the compromise, then Governor
Edwards, and not Mr. Clay, was the author
Of that measure. 1t was prepared by him.
although offered by AR Thomas. Mr..
Clay was the Speaker Of the House-thc
House bill contained clause prohibiting
slavery in Missouri which clause was
stricken oas in the Seuatc, and the line 30
deg. 80 min substituted on the motion Of
Jesse B. Thomas, the amendment having
been prepared and suggested by Governor
Edwards. 1t is therefore apparent thct
this line Of SO deg. 80 min. was not Mr.
Clay's compromise. How then did Mr.
Clay get SO much credit as the author Of the
Missouri compromise ? will explain.
Unable otherwise to obtain the funds to
prosecute the war Of 1912, the Government,
Of the United States was compelled to re-
ceive and ay out the notes of the non-spe-
Gle paying banks Of the Middle and Yves
tern States. The peace extinguishcd the
Indian title to large tracts Of fertile land.
which were surveyed and brought into
market. The proceeds Of TIE safes IF these
lands, and the receipts from customs, pla-
ccd large sums of bank-notes in the Bank
of the United States, chartered by Congress
for the avowed purpose of aiding to cJerce
the resumption Of specie payments.
The specie thus taken from our banks,
and which had furnished the Government
the means to drive back and subduc the
British invader, was RENTED through the
agency Of the Bank Of the United States to
London, to aid in, the process Of resumption,
by tie Bank of England; leaving SO great
a debt due by the purchasers Of public lands
as to create a pressure without precedent
or parallel in the history Of this country,
except in that other instance in which the
Government Of the United States again cx-
erted its influence, in CONCERT with the Bank
of England, to depreciate the value Of our
property, and thus produced the crisis Of
1887.
The effect Of the pressure, created through
Che agency of the Bank ofthe United States,
was to render the Bank unpopular in Ten
nessee, kentucky, and Ohio. Charles Ham
mond, the editor of the Ohio Federalist,
who had been the bitter enemy Of Mr.. Clay
and of the Bank, had, as the agent Of the
State of Ohio, not ONLY denied Che right Of
the Bank TO establish branch in the State,
without the consent of the State, but tho
State had levied tax, and the branch bank
at Chillicothe was seized, or threatened to
be seized, to elforce the payment Of the tax
. thus le7icd. In this emergency the Bank
employed Mr.. Clay, who, that he might
protect the interests Of his clients, resigned
his seat as Speaker Of the House. and went
to Chilicothe, where he was detained until
the commencement of the next session. His
fee. as | understood at the time, was $780,
900
( In the meantime Missouri adopted con-
! stitution, in one Clause Of which it was made
imperative that the Legislature should in
i hibit she migration Of free negroes and mu-
T lattoes to the State. The NATIONAL Gazette
Of Philadelphia, then as ever the special or