The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1899-02-12

not to be admitted. / hope the doctrine doet
not extend quite as far as that" Nj. Clay an,
8 swered that since the question was put. he
would say at once that he did not mean to give
his consent TO the admission OF the State oil
= Maine into the Union as long as an attempt was
= made TO impose conditions TO the admission Of
States into the Union from beyond the noun
, talns. Equality. he said. is equity. II we have
3 no right to impose conditions upon the State OF
= Maine. we have none to impose them on the
, State of Missouri. The gentleman from New
, Hampshire would find himself totally to fail
In the effort to establish the position that, be-
| cause Missouri was acquired by purchase. she
is our vassal. and we have n right to AM to her
admission conditions not applicable to the
States on this side OF the Mississippi. The
doctrine" Mr.. Clay insisted. lis an alarming
one, and | protest against It now. and when
ever 1t may he asserted. that any limo Of dis
t~inction is to be drawn between the Eastern
and Western States" Mr.. Clay's speech made
so deep an impression on Mr.. Holmes that the
latter subsequently made a powerful argu-
ment against the prohibition OF slavery in Mis-
souri,. Nevertheless. the House OF Representa-
tives passed a bill admitting Maine without
making any reference to Missouri. but the Sem
ate refused to separate the two States and
amended the bill admitting Maine by a pro-
vision that the people of Missouri also should
be authorized TO establish a State govern
ment, and should be admitted into the Union
on an equal footing with the original States.
Not until Jan. 1s. 1920. do we get u distinct
CLEAN OF compromise, On that day Senator
Thomas Of Illinois asked leave to bring in a
bill ito prohibit the Introduction Of slavery
into the Territories Of the United States north
and west Of the contemplated State Of Mis-
souri, On Feb. 16 Mr.. Thomas's proposal re-
ceived its ultimate form. viz. "That in all that
tract Of country coded by France to the United
States under the name Of Louisiana. which
lies north OF thirty.six degrees and thirty
minutes north latitude. excepting only such
part thereof as Is included within the
limits OF the State Missouri contemplated by
this act. there shall be neither slavery nor in
voluntary servitudc otherwise than in the pun
ishment Of crime" This amendment to the
pending bill-the amendment which consti-
tuted the celebrated compromise OF 1820-was
carried in the Senate by "a to 10. the negatives
being & Southern votes and . Northern. while
the entire Alternatives included 20 Northern
votes and IA Southern. The entire bill as
amended was passed by "A to 20 votes: OF the
majority 20 were Southern, The figures are in
dicative of the state Of feeling in the Senate. The
South was for not admitting Maine at all, I'M |
less Missouri should be admitted along with
her. while the Northern Senators. with n few
exceptions. were bitterly opposed to the ad-
mission of Missouri. unless with the restriction
- W oluNFlys VII bIlt IllleilUlltIlJ PTlDOuylDR |
the prohibition Of slavery in the Territories
north and west of Missouri. the Northern vote
was solid. with the exception of the two Sena-
tors from Indiana: the amendment was also
supported by fourteen Southern Senators. with
out whose assistance it could not have been car
ried. That Southern men should have voted for
abill loaded with an amendment the principle
OF which they were violently opposed can only
be comprehended by recalling the pressure to
which thny Nvarn cn1SantaI It &; =.
keep in view the fact that. although the Senate
was nearly equally divided. the North had a
considerable majority in the House. This
majority was unalterably opposed to Mis-
souris admission until her negroes were
first set free. nor would it even agree
to devote a portion of the public lands to rails
ing a fund for colonizing the freed negroes Of
Missouri In Africa. 1t is also to be remem-
bered. as helping to explain the position even
tuaily taken by the South. that the territory
north and west OF Missouri to which the pro-
posed prohibition was applicable. was, as yet
unsettled, mad been but little explored, and
was occupied by hostile tribes of Indians. Its
value was but little known its future shad-
wy; whereas Missouri was a beautiful and
pleasant reality, in imminent danger of anarchy
and destruction. To Southern Senators and
Representative the acceptance of the Thomas
compromise seemed. no doubt. the only thing
for them to do.
The bill for the admission of Maine. amended
in the Senate. as we have describad. NV the mo
visions relating to the admission Of Missouri
and to the prohibition OF slavery in the ter
ritory north and west thereof. was sent to the
House, and on Feb. %. 1920. was defeated In
that body by a vote Of 15o IN IA the Nortbnrn
Representatives being opposed ~ Tho admis-
sion OF Missouri with slavery and tha Sou.ha~,
Representatives equally onnosod 70 tbe nrohi
DltlOn OF the institution north md wagt
NJ tho nronosod Sto,os M ru VS.
a message was received from tba So
the effect that il insisted on tbo on,onan'o,
to the Maine bill which had henn disoarood 20
by the House. vote vas than tnran
whether the House shouId insist on To- dts
agreement TO the said amendmonts M LIZ n%
sion was in the affirmative hv az 70 "a ~"
the .amendment ioining Nissorri
Maine bill. and bv 1GO to IA ost 10, No ooo.n
embracing the comnromise nrinoinro" D rs
the long debate m tbo nnondod Mi ~
AAa'A ihlll IIlI HI 1