Nashville patriot. [volume] (Nashville, Tenn.) 1858-1860, 1858-09-07
Mr.. Clay and the Missouri ComPro-
mise--.HfstOrical Error.


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Mr.. Clay and the Missouri Compro-
mise---HistOrical Error.
Our neighbor, the Bonner, has fallen into
the error of asserting that Mr.. Clay "advo-
Gated and passed through Congress" the act
OF 1920. to admit Missouri into the Union,
sometimes called the Missouri Compromise,
which contained a clause to prohibit slavery
forever in all the residue of that territory out
of which Missouri was carved, lying North Of
So deg 80 min. This anti-slavery clause hav-
ing been repealed, in the Nebraska bill of
1854, our neighbor asserts that those who
voted against the repeal were but following
the lead of Mr.. Clay, in 1920, who, our neigh
Dor thinks exertcd himself to establish this
line of Sc deg, 80 min. This is great mis-
take.
The impression that Mr.. Clay was the au-
thor of that measure. having been extensively
propagated in 1850 he took occasion publicly
to disclaim it, and since then, III 1854, and
again in 1858, his friends, both in and out of
Congress, have met this erroneous statement,
"a often as it has been presented, and refuted
it by reference to the records.
In his place in the Senate, in 1850, Mr.. Clay
said:-
II beg to be allowed to correct great error,
not merely in the Senate, but throughout the
whole country in respect to my agency in
regard to the Missouri Compromise, or rather
the line of Sc deg. 80 min, established by the
agency OF Congress. | do not know whether
ANYTHING has excited more surprise in my
mind as TO the rdpiday ruth Whict important his
tortcH transactions OdLerdtei and pass ont Of
geHloyy than has the knowledge OF the fact
that L was everywhere considered the author
of the line of SO deg. 30 MIN, which was
established upon the occasion of the admission
OF Missouri into the Union"
Mr. Clay added-''So far from my having
presented as proposition the line of &c deg.
80 min, upon the occasion of considering
whether Missouri ought to be admitted into
the Union or not. it did not originate in the
House of which / was member" Again he
said while he had no doubt he voted for it
with other southern members, las / was
speaker of the House, and as the journal does
:. not show which way the Speaker votes. ex-
!, cept in the cases of tie, / not able to tell
nth certainty hoac actually did Uote."
But when the North still resisted the ad-
mission of Missouri. notwithstanding this
anti-slavery condition, Mr.. Clay, the next
year, Qs2I) did present a resolution, having
no reference to the question of prohibiting
:. slavery, which inaugurated the compromise
:. under which Missouri was finally admitted.
> This was the actual Missouri Compromise, but
gradually the error obtained currency of
designating the line of SO deg. 80 min., the
Missouri Compromise line, and of attributing
it to Mr.. Clay's influence and cxcrtions.
in his speech on the Compromise bill of
1850, Mr.. Clay combatted the principle of the
Missouri Compromise line, as it was called.
J lie said;
what was done, sir. by the Missouri line
Slavery was positively interdicted north of
a that line. The question of the admission or
- exclusion of slavery south of that line was
~ not settled" IF there is power to inter-
4 elict, there is power to admit; and ] put it
nsifo gentlemen from the South, are they pre-
n 1pared to be satisfied with the line of SO deg
30 min. interdicting slavery north of that line,
and giving them no security for the admission
ye'nf slavery south of that line?" at is inter
roslictiOn upon the one side, with no cores
Ddponding provision for its admission on the
other side of the line of sc deg. 80 min. When
/ = came to consider the subject, and to COM
at ire the provisions of the line of 80 deg. 80
Z snin.--the Missouri Compromise line-with the
a. ,lan which have proposed for the accommo-
latiOn of this question, said to myself, if |
W. Her the line of sc deg 80 min. to inderdict
orhe question of slavery north of it, and to
ave it unsettled and open south fit, offer
nat which is illusory to the SOUTH offer
nat which will deceive them; if they sup
agiose that slavery will be received south of
..ooat line II il betta- g. .l.cm-I SAID to
.y-.Il-Ir better for the south, that there
c4ould be non-actton as 10 SLAVERY both north and
urdth of the Lne-far better that there should be
bon-action both sides of the line, than that there
ould be action by the Introduction on the
lie side, without action for the admission on
other side of the line. Is it not so?"
:, tAgain he said:
t.. 1t was high time that the wounds which
re Wilmot ProvisO had inflicted, (this anti
livery restriction the same in effect to
territory where it applied with the Wilmot
'utoviso,) should be healed up and closed ;
td that To avoid, in att future time, the agita-
N which must be produced by the conflict
opinion on the slavery question, the true |
flcipte tchIch ought 10 regulate The action Of Con-
q rs III forming territorial governments for !
: 81 newly acquired domain, is to REFRAIN
rIdl all legislation the subject i'll the territory
:, uired, so long as it retains the territorial |
item of government"
md this principle-the antagonistic prin- |
e to the Missouri line of sc deg 80 min- |
Clay did succeed in incorporating in his |
,apromise bill of 1850, as applicable TO
b and New Mexico, in the following |
as. that
= "when admitted State, the said |
tory, or any portion of the same, shall |
eceived into the Union. io'h ,etLtOm |
M, as their constitution may prescribe at The |
oyef their admission"
he Id these are the very ,oords incorporated IN
sansas Nebraska act Of lSj4-the act that |
al lis the old Missouri Compromise act pro-
cling slavery north of the line of 36 deg.
;aAin. So that the very essence of Mr..
'pas principle of 1850, is the antagonism
ah overthrow the old Missouri Compromise
'h If SO deg. 80 min, and so far from Mr..
edbeing the advocate ofthe latter, his la
- nd most eloquent appeals in the Senate
against its injustice. and to demonstrate
iote had not advocated or originated it.
- retHughes Printing Telegraph I'm
eHRet England.
Diprivate letter from London, 18th ult.,