Daily intelligencer. [volume] (Wheeling, Va. [W. Va.]) 1859-1865, 1862-05-15

1
should be remembered that the Southern
men themselves were parties to this reso-
luton. Were they not sufficiently Jealous
OF their own rights and wrongs! Mr..
Pierce also felt himself bound to assist in
the consummatiou of this infamy He
caused it to be perfectly understood in
congress, that any member refusing to vote
for the repeal, must expect no presidential
patronage for himself or his friends. But
an excuse can be found for MIR. Pierce
which will notavail the Congressional lead
ers. 1t would, perhaps. be highly dis
graceful to divine justice to send this little
/ thing, to that t0rrid climate, not to he
named to Gears polite" Though his
crimes may demand, his ilnbecilitv forbids
such a measure of retribution The case
OF the Chairman of the then existing Sen
atorial Committee on the Territories de-
mands very different consideration. He
was sedGced by the Southern Conspirators
to commence this work of sin and shame.
They ought, in consistency, to have ad-
jured him to abstain. They ought to have
said: ave want the thing done, but we
cannot consent to have you ostensible in
the matter. Help us little, but do not let
your hand appear. Weincur sufficient odi-
um by the breach of the pledge of the last
Baltimore Convention. But the shameand
SS"uOhI Will DG ulNIutu amongst the multi
| tude concerned. But you have made per
soma! and individual professions. You
have been so eloquent, so lavish, in your
encomiums on the Missouri Compromise,
that it yOu now openly advocate its repeal
your versatility will bring discredit on
the party" This gentleman, in an ora
ton, before an immense cOncoursp in
Springfield, Ills, had said: THE Missouri
| compromise has now existed more than a
quarter of century, and has received the
sanction of all parties, in all sections of
the Union. 1t had its origin in the hearts
of all faithful and patriotic men, who de-
sired to preserve. and perpetunte the bless
ings of our national institutions an ori-
gin akin to that of the Constitution itself,
and derived from the same kindly and fra
ternal affections, ard calculated forever to
remove the only danger which threatened
at some distant day to dissolve the bonds
of our glorious Union. All the iudica-
ttOns of public sentiment 90 to show that
/ this compromise has become Il sacred thing.
consecrated in the hearts of the American
people, which no ruthless hand should ev-
er be reckless enough to disturb Read
| er, remember that the ruthless hand first
raised to destroy the "sncred, conSecrated
thing grew oRt of the reckless arm of the
orator who pronounced these eloquent and
ShCI uiSluOTdOte "OTuS. Is IL possible to
conceive of IL grosser case of political in
! consistency David WilmOt would not
have been more Inconsistent in becoming
supporter of the Breckenridge platform.
1t would be mere folly to attribute such
Regeneration to patriotism or philanthro-
ply. 1t was not good partiZunship, for it
destroyed the party. 1t was not good
| craftsmanship. for it precipitatcd upon the
| country the horrors of civil war. 1t was
demanded by no principle Of jniticc or
equity. For, considering the paucity of
their numbers, the Shareholders got much,
very much more than their rightfnl pru-
portion of national territory. Witness the
vast empires dedicated to slavery in Texas,
Louisiana. Florida, Missouri. Arkansas aud
the ludian territory west of Arkausus.-
The vast domains were nearly all fertile.
while nearly n million of square miles
| north of the Missouri comprimise line are
mere waste of sand and gravel,
almost as barren ns the desert of
Sahara. The repeal of this celebrated
and venerable law was not called for hy
any portion of tha people, was not in com
pliance with any popular sentiment or
opinion. 1t was in fact spontaneous, vol.
untary and gratuitous. This very circum-
stance contributed to make it pernicious.
For had it boen called for by the people of
the border States, Virginia, Kentucky,
Tennessee and Missouri, for instance, it
would have provoked much less indgna-
tiOn amongst the Northern people, who
were excited almost to phrenzy by seeing
members of Congress wuntonly light fire
brand and throw it into the temple of our
| liberties. In short, it would be mere cred
ulity and folly to attribute the conduct of
the great pnrtizan leader who stood out
foremost in the matter, to anything but
selfish and unholy ambition. But the man
is dead and the old maxim is let the dead
rest. Yes, let the dead rest if you can
consistently with the welfare and happiness
of the living. But no sickly seutimentnli-
| ty is to be INDUCED, in favor of the dead,
at the expense of the living. Do we not
know that fatterers and parasites are for
ever engaged in tie work of delusiou?
! Do we not know that the posthumous repu.
tution of scores of men is pernicious to
maukind2 Do we not know that renowned
lies have arisen in the world, have grown
to an almost miraculous height and have
| fOurished in vigor, for ages? Is not that
most odiOus aud perfidiOus tyrNut, who
first made war on the lives and liberties of
our ancestors, still called st Charles, the
Martyr? Has not the Deity been blus-
| phemed by impiOus prayers, annually Of
| fered in the parish churches of England,
every thirtieth of january, asking forgive
ness for the great national sin of having
struck off the tyrant's head in front of his
bauqueting hall? WHAT fulsome fattery
has been poured on the head of the French
tyrnnt, Louis the Fourteenth. What ex-
travhgant adulation has been bestowed
upon George the Third, OF Eugland. the
cruel bgot, who, notwithstanding the mar
rowness ofrhis understanding and the inn
becility. Of his mind, continued to heap on
his own worthless head the guilt OF moro
human blood than any man, since AlaFic
or :Attila. .la
But why particularize2 Mighty tones
would be required to contain even ii cata-
u 49,.