The Plymouth weekly Democrat. (Plymouth, Ind.) 1860-1869, 1861-07-18

The Crittenden Compromise-would the
South have taken it?
CINCINNATI, June %, 1861.
To the Editor of the Enquirer:
In a discussion with friend, Yesterday, / said
that Jefferson Davis, and the Southern members
who were Congress last session, voted for the
Crittenden Compromise. He said that they did
not and that they were willing to vote for any COM
promise. C IN ended tiat they were willing to
comp mise. weagree let you decide which of
Us is right.
Yours, &C.,
"AQUILA."
Our correspondent is right. Messrs Davis.
Toombs, Breckenridge and the whole South, with
the execution of South Carolina, were anxious,
when Congress met last December, to settle all onr
difficulties upon the basis of the Crttenden Com
promise. Committee of Thirteen was raised in
the Senate to consider plan OF adjustment
The most eminent Senators, North and South,
Democrats and Republicans, were OH the Commit
tee. Among them were jefferson Davis and
Robert Toombs, now the Pre- ident and Secretary
of State of the Southern Confederacy, Stephen A.
Douglas, John j. Crttenden and " m. II. Seward.
Fessepden and other Influential Republican Sena-
tors What was done in that Committee was thus
alluded to by Mr.. Douglas in the last speech which
he made in the Senate the United States. on the
Cd of March, 1861, two DAYS before the close of
the session. His remarks wee thus quoted in the
Congressional Globe of that date. Mr.. Dougla
said
~ can confirm the Senator's declaration that
Senator Daris, of Mississippi, himself. when on
the Committee OF Thirteen, was ready at al. times
to compromise on the Crittenden Proposition. Is
will 20 farther, and say that NJ; T'ombs was also"
No Republican or Southern Senator questioned
the truth # Mr. Douglas assert on, which, indeed
was a notorious fact to every il Wash nsron. alr.
Breckinrdge. representative of the extreme
Southern sentiment, who had received the vote OF
n ar, all the Southern States for President of t,e
United States, wrote letter to Governor MaSof
fin in which he strongly advocated the adoption
of the Crittenden Compromise. Votes were ta-
ken in the Senate and House, which showed the
Southern members in solid column. together
with the Northern Democrats, to be in favor of
that measures but the opposition of the Republicans
to it defeated it. Cnly few months have passed
since these memerabte events, and yet the belief in
the extraordinary untruth that Davis, Tombs. and
the Southern men would not accept that Com
promise, pervades large portion OF the communi
ty. y he whole South, save South Carolina
would have accepted the Crttenden COMPROMISE,
All the Border Slave States including Virginia
.Torth Carolina, Tennessee aud Arkansas. which
h,ve seeded, would have accepted the Border
State Conference Report, or MIR. Douglas Com
promise, or the Peace Conference Report. Ii is
written down in stern and inexorable history that
the Republicans in Congress would not accept OF
these propositions. No compromise the motto
in that quarter, They would not even submit the
question of compromise to the direct vote of the
people of the United States. This proposition
nude by Mr.. CRIrTExDEs himself, and was
afterward renewed by MIR. BiG;ER of Pennsylvania
Had The people voted upon it. We have no doubt
they would have accepted the CRrrTENDEN adjust
ment. But thew were denied the opportunity.
They would not even call Natioral Convention
to consider our difficulties. 1t is but just in this
connection, TO say that President LINCOLN, when
be assumed the robes of Office, after Congress had
adjourned, did make such Il recommendation, but
Congress not there to practically act upon it.
Had the CRIrTExDEN Compromise been adopted,
not State would have been out of the Union now,
and evory thing would have gone on smoothly and
peaceably. Had the other compromises to which
we have alluded been accepted, the Sou tho n re-
bellion would have been confined to the Cotton
States, and could have been quickly subdued.
Indeed, it is probable We should have had no
war, and that now VIC should have been in the
midst of prosperous timos. Neverin the history of
the world was there greater and more fatal mis-
take than upon the part Of those who rejected
these compromises All can see it now. The
true and wise Union men were overruled in their
counsels, and To- what result has been produced
by ignorance and folly. How ridiculous and
absurd in the view IF history, of reason, of com
mon sense, is the pretension put forth by those
who opposed these compromises, Of being
as good or better Union men than those of us the
North who iavord them! If they for the
Union, Providence had not given them much wis
dom to act in its behalf.
1t is only for the purpose Of vindieatng the
truth of history tn It allude to these reminis-
censes, for the past is gone never to re.u'n and we
stand prepared to act shoulder to shoulder with all
those who labor for restoration of the Union
without regard to past differences. We are will
ing to concede to those Who differed with hon
osty and patriotism, and will meet them now as
Americans. upon onion C,nstituti onal grounds
1t is due to truth to say that we have seen oc-
casion to change our views of public policy At
the risk of offending fools and bgots. and Of being
called traitors. we declare our willingness 10 ac-
cept the CRITTENDEN Compromise no,o as pana-
cea for all our troubles, and we are satisfied that
our national interests mould be subserved by it im
mensey Gin Enquirer.