Daily State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis, Ind.) 1861-1865, 1862-09-23

the Crttenden Compromise-The
Plan Proposed by Mr. Crittenden I'm
Congress during the session of 500
al for the adjustment OF our Nation.
al Difficulties and the Perpetuity
OF the Union!
Upon the assembling of Congress, December
Sd, 1860. every State in the Union represent
ed in the House of Representatives and in the
Senate all but South Carolina. Secession
was threatened by the Gulf States. The repre-
sentatives of Southern States generally demand
ed additional constitutional guarantees for the
protection of their rights under the Constitution
IL is not proposed here to decide whether those
demands were just or unjus:, or whether the tri
umph of sectional party in the Presidential
election Of 1850 was justification on the part of
the Southern States for demanding those add
tiona guarantees for the protection of the rights
which they regarded having been put in jeo-
pardy by the success of that party. The ques-
ton to be examined is Could the present civil
war and the threatened permanent dsunion of the
States have been averted by the adoption of the
plan of adjustment proposed by the Senator from
Kentucky, commonly known as the CRlrrESDES
Compromise?
STATE OF PUBLIC MIND IN THE SOUTH.
In speech in the Senate, January Sd. 1861.
(see appendix to Congressional Globe, p 81. Mr..
DouGLAs thus referred to the state Of public mind
in the South
But we cannot close our eyes to the fact that
the Southern people have viewed the result of
that election Mr.. Lncoln's) as furnishing evil
dence that the dominant party of the North,
which Is soon to take possession of the Federal
Government under that election, are determined
to invade and destroy their constitutional rights
Believing that their domestic Institutions their
hearth stones and their family affairs, are to be
assailed at least by indirect means, and that the
Federal Government is to be used for the inau-
guration of a line of policy which shall have for
It's object the ultimate extinction of slavery in all
the States. old as well as new, South as well as
North, the Southern people are prepared to rush
wildly. madly. as | think into revolution, disun-
ion war. and defy the consequences whatever
they NAV be, rather than to wait for the develop
ment of events submit tamely to what they
think is fatal blow impending over them and
all they hold dear on earth.
WITHOUT COMPROMISE DisuNIoN INEVITABLE
the necessity of compromise to avoid the calami-
ties of civil war and disunion. Mr.. DOUGLAS, in
the same speech, Con page Al said
Ia my opinion We have reached point where
disunion Is inevitable unless some compromise,
founded upon mutual concession, be made
prefer compromise to war. prefer concession
to dissolution of the Union. When | avow
myself in favor of compromise do not mean
that size should give up all that it has claim
ell. nor that the other side should give up every
thing Tor which il has commended. Nor do | ask
any man to come TO my standard but | simply
say that will meet every one half way who is
willing to preserve the peace OF the country, and
save the Union from disruption upon the princi-
pie of compromise and concession.
In the same speech lon-page ~ Mr.. DOUGLAS
adds
In NV opinion We have now reached a point
where this agitation the slavery question: must
close. and all the matters in controversy be fin
ally determined BY constitutional amendments
or civil war and the disruption of the Union are
inevitable
regret the determination. to which apprehend
the Republican Senator's have come. to make no
adjustment. entertain no proposition. and listen To
no compromise OF the matters in controversy.
fear. from all the Indications that they are dis
posed 10 treat the matter as a party question: TO
he determined IN caucus IN reference 10 its effects
upon the prospects OF their party, rather than
upon the peace of the country aud the safety of
the Union | invoke their deliberate Judgment
whether il Is not dangerous experiment for any
political party To demonstrate 10 the American
people that the unity of their party is dearer TO
them than the union of these states.
cRIrrESDKN's PLAN PROPOSED.
Such was the condition of the public mind and
the necessity of adopting some measures TO pre-
vent the calamities of civil war and dsunion. so
foreibly set forth by Mr. DouGLAs in his able
speech in the Senate. from which the foregoing
extracts are quoted, that the eminent statesman
and patriot of Kentucky. JoHS j CRtrrENDES.
felt called upon duty to his country to pro-
pose plan of adjustment TO the Senate and the
people. which he did December 18Th, 1850 ISee
Congressional Globe vol /. page ia, le6O-6l J
AT that time not State had seeded OF left the
Union. Ii Congress had acted promptly upon
the proposition, and adopted il by vote which
would have demonstrated that the North intend
ell to have acted in good faith. there is evidence
10 show that not State would have attempted
secession. excepting perhaps South Carolina.
As part of the history of secession we give
the dates when the several States seeded from
the Union:
IA A.. - !.