The Cass County Republican. [volume] (Dowagiac, Mich.) 18??-1880, 1860-06-28

line between which slavery was to be
forever confined. ! That controversy
the Missouri question-had nearly
shaken this Union to its center in an
earlier and better period of our history;
but this Compromise, should it now be
re-established, wonld prevent the recur-
renee of similar dangers hereafter.
Should this question be now left open
for one or two years, the country would
be involved in one continued struggle
We should witness feverish excite
ment in the public mind. Parties
would divide on the dangerous and ex-
citing questions of abolition, and the
irritation would reach such an extreme
as to endanger the existence of Union
itself: but close it now, and it would
be closed forever. Was it desirable
again to have the Missouri question
brought home to the people to goad
them to fury? That great question be-
tween the two great interests in our
country had been well discussed and
decided in the Missouri compromise,
and from that moment he had set down
his foot on the solid ground then estab-
lished, and there he would let the ques-
tion stand forever. Who could COM
plain of the terms Of that comprom-
Use ?"
In letter of Mr.. James Buchanan,
dated Washington, August 25, 1887,
directed to Harvest Home of the De-
mocracy of Berks county, Pennsylva-
MIA, l find this language: nos aia
"After Louisiana was acquired from
France, by Mr.. Jefferson, and when the
State of Missouri, when constituted a
part of it, was about to be admitted
into the Union, the Missouri question
arose, and, in its progress, threatened
the dissolution of the Union. This
was settled by the men of the last gen.
Grafton, as other important and dan
gerous questions have been settled in
spirit of mutual concession. Under
the Missouri compromise slavery was
forever prohibited North of SO deg.
80 min. and South of this parelIel, the
question was left to be decided by the
people. Congress, in the admission of
Texas, following in the footsteps of
their predecessors, adopted the same
rule; and, in my opinion, the harmony
of the States, and even the security of
the Union itself, require that the line
of the Missouri compromise should be
extended to any new territory which
we may acquire from Mexico"
Again, in the same letter, he says:
"Such has been my individual opin-
ion, openly and freely expressed, ever
since the commencement of the pres
ent unfortunate agitation; and, of all
places in the world, / prefer to
put them in record before the incor-
ruptible Democracy of old Berks. /
therefore beg leave to offer you the
following sentiment:
"The Missouri compromise: its
adoption in 1920, saved the Union from
threatened convulsion. Its extension,
in lS4s, to any new territory which we
may acquire, will secure the like happy
results"
The ostensible reason for the repeal
of the Missouri compromise was its al
legged unconstitutionality. To this it
may be said that, in 1920, it received
the sanction of an able Congress, and
was approved by Mr.. Monroe and all
his Cabinet-a majority, as usual, being
composed of Southern men; that the
provision of excluding slavery North
of the line of SO deg. 80 min. was re-
enacted in the resolutions annexine
Texas in ls45, and approved by Mr..
Taylor and all his Southern Cabinet
that, upon the bill for the organization
of the Territory of Oregon, in 1S4S, it
was proposed as an Amendments by the
honorable Senator from Illinois, (Mr.
Douglas,) and voted for by the follow
ing Senators Messrs. Atchison, Ben
ton, Badger, Bell, Berrien, Borland,
Bright, Butler, Calhoun, Davis, Dick
inson, Douglas, Downs, Fitzgerald,
Foote, Hannegan, Houston, Hunter,
Johnson of Maryland, johnson of
Louisiana, johnson of Georgia, King,
Lewis, Mangum, Mason, Metcalf
Pierce, Sebastian, Spruance, Sturgeon,
Turney and Underwood-nea all
democrats and Southern men. In the
House of Representative it received
eighty-two votes, among which | find
the names of Messrs. Bocock, Albert
G. Brown, Burt, Clingman, Howell
Cobb, Iverson, Andrew Johnson, r.
/ w. johnson, G. w. Jones, Mcdowell,
McLane, Phelps, Stephens of Georgia,
Rhett, Jacob Thompson, and most OF
the distinguished men whose names ]
have just repeated. No pretext was
urged, for the repeal of the Missouri
restriction, thatit was asked for by the
people of the Territory. Every posi-.
BILE demonstration was given, that il
was repugnant to the feelings of the
free States. In my judgment it was
passed to appease the inexorable de-
mand of the slave interest for dominion.
AS Ahab coveted Naboth's vineyard
so did the propagandists of slavery
cast longing, wishful look upon the
great plains of Kansas. ~ ase. g
/ will not detain the Senate, Mr.
President, with a recital of the afro
cious and persistent efforts for years to
establish slavery in Kansas, up to that
elimination of villainy, the Lecomptor
n