Lynchburg daily Virginian. [volume] (Lynchburg [Va.]) 1852-1861, 1859-01-18
Senator Houston On the Repeal Of the Ms
t@ souri, oempromise.

Senator Houston on the Repeal Of the Ais-
souri, opmpromise.
In debate in the Senate. few days ago. on
gslssNi pcltiss. SsnAtor Houston employed n
following language 10 reply to Mr. 1vsr.os Of
GA. Ia regard 70 tho d:sast,ous effects upon the
intsrosts Of the South, resulting from the repeal Of
the Missouri Compounds. Let the reader. no
matter Of what politics. deny the truth Of it if he
can:
| see that it 10 complained that the Northern
Democracy 10 routed and broken down. an
nounccd in the discussion If the Nebraska bill,
that il you dared to repeal the Missouri Compro.
mise it would be giving the opponents of the De
mocracy in the North. weapon with which they
would discomRt and beat them down. that it was
not sustaining the Northern Democracy; that it
was literally butchering them. Has it not been
sol And what has the South gained by it? The
result is that within brief space Of time, two
States that would have been Indian territory. will
be added to the North. 1t has placed Missouri ia
such situation that she must Of necessity yield
to the surrounding influences, and add another
State to the North. shall not enlarge upon this;
but that il what the South has gained. fore
warned them Of the impending evil, and for that
was stricken down; 80 far political influence
could be brought to bear. was pretermitted; and
these were the offences that had committed
But the Southern vision is becoming clear; the
beam il being taken out of their natural eyes, and
they are beginning to comprehend fully the ex-
tent OF the benefits flowing from that kind OF dis
pensation. l opposed that repeal. could not
agree with gentlemen who advocated the measure
of repcaling the Missouri compromise. sanctfed
by so many Democratic associations, by the ap-
prevail of Monroe aud his Cabinet, Of Jackson, Of
Polk and of all the llu-trious men; approved by
! all rejected by none not even IA m'n'cd question
in the community. Its repeal was concocted here;
and from here it was ra1iatcl throughout tho
country with the ecidf Of II Democratic Admins
tra,ion, a. n Democratic measure.
! But did that sanctify that curse to the South
No. sir; it could not convert lntoa blessing; that
WAS impossible. IL some gentleman OF the North.
who is considered ultra III politcs-the gentleman
from Massachusetts, or from New York or from
lOho--hnd introduced provision to repeal the Mis-
souri, compromise, what reception would the pro
position have met in the SOUTH There was not
a man in the whole South who would not have
grasped his weapon Of war and rushed to the scene
# com bat. and been willing To have fallen upon
that liue in vindicaton of southern rights. Well
sir. did it sanctfy 1t as measure OF blessing to
the South. that il was introduced not by south
ern man, but by northern man with southern
principles! When he introduced it. il was adop-
ted l,y the South and by both the existing poti-
cal parties which had bu. few years before
lemnly ahiu-cd the reagitati"n Of the slavery ques
ton in their political conventions. Their SOLEMN
pledge disregarded; the torch was applied to
the magazine Of agitation: aud what has been the
condition Of the country from that moment to this
but agitation unnecessarily produced, for political
ends and to manufacture Presidents? That
all Of it, and the South Is yet the sufferer; and
pray God that deeper raamtl"s may not fall upon
her That measure is the initiative Of misfortune
to the South
These may have been my nntccclcnts; but
they such IA nm proud Of. aud only regret
did not triumph and enforce them with ability
sufficient to have produced trembling IN this
Chamber, to MAKE gentlemen weak in the knees
who resisted tho cpnvict!on tl'al flashed upon eve
~ mind.