Missouri Compromise Passed

Today’s installment concludes The Missouri Compromise,
our selection from The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 16 by James Albert Woodburm published in 1905.

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Previously in The Missouri Compromise.

Time: 1820

Mr. Randolph rose and was addressing the Chair, when loud cries of ‘Order 1 Order!’ resounded from many voices.”

The Speaker pronounced Mr. Randolph to be out of order and invited him to take his seat.”

Mr. Brush demanded that Mr. Randolph should be allowed to proceed and declared his determination to sustain his right to do so.”

Mr. Floyd was also declared out of order, and though there was considerable murmuring at the decision, order was restored and the President of the Senate completed the announcement of the election of Monroe and Tompkins.”

Mr. Randolph addressed the Chair but was required to take his seat. On motion, the Senate retired from the hall. After they retired, the House being called to order, Mr. Randolph, who had still retained the floor, was heard addressing the Chair. ‘He had,’ he said, ‘seen every election of President of the United States except that of the present chief magistrate, and he had never before heard any other form of proclamation than that such was the whole number of votes given in. Sir, your election is vitiated; you have flinched from the question; you have at tempted to evade the decision of that which was essential to the determination of who is or who is not elected chief magistrate of the United States.’ And Mr. Randolph concluded his remarks with resolutions declaring the election illegal. When he suspended his remarks to reduce his resolutions to writing, a motion was made and carried to adjourn the House.”

The next day, February 15th, the formal resolution was again repeated by Mr. Clark, of New York, to admit Missouri on condition that she expunge the objectionable clause, but the resolution was laid over without discussion. The House was tired of all the old aspects of the question. The next aspect of the question which excited discussion arose on the proposition of Mr. Brown, of Kentucky, made February 21st, to repeal the enabling act for Missouri. Missouri had not been admitted according to the terms of the compact and Mr. Brown now demanded, “on the principle of justice which governs contracts, that the antislavery restriction should be raised from the rest of the Territory. The consideration promised for this restriction has not been paid; the plighted faith of Congress for the admission of Missouri has been violated; then take off the restriction. Sir, the course of the majority can be justified by no principle of reason or sound policy but must rest for its support on pious fraud.”

On the day following Mr. Clay moved the appointment of a joint committee, to consist of twenty- three members on the part of the House, to take into consideration the admission of Missouri. The committee appointed by ballot reported on February 24th, the report embodying substantially the conclusions of the former committee of thirteen. It was agreed that “Missouri shall be admitted into this Union on an equal footing with the original States, upon the fundamental condition ” that the objectionable clause of her constitution should ” never be construed to authorize the passage of any laws, and that no law should ever be passed, by which any citizen of either of the States of the Union shall be excluded from the enjoyment of any of the privileges and immunities to which such citizen is entitled under the Constitution of the United States; that the Legislature of said State, by a solemn public act, shall declare the assent of said State to the said fundamental condition.” Upon the transmission of this act to the Chief Executive, the President was to proclaim the admission of Missouri.

This report came back to the two Houses with the unanimous approval of the committee from the Senate and with almost the unanimous vote of the committee of the House. But it did not pass the House without another animated debate; and it then passed only by the close vote of 86 to 82. And the Missouri struggle was ended. Missouri agreed to the ” fundamental condition of her admission,” June 26, 1821, and the President’s proclamation announcing her admission was dated August 10, 1821.

It was this last phase of the struggle — which seems only like an appendix to the real issue itself — in which Mr. Clay took such an active and prominent part, a part which helped to gain for him the title of “Pacificator.” It was in this final compromise, not in the former and more important one, that Mr. Clay was the leading spirit. The final phase of the Missouri struggle has almost disappeared from general knowledge. The first struggle and compromise involved the chief merits of the controversy and dealt with the subjects of permanent interest. But it was in the last phase that the greatest excitement, antagonism, and bitter ness were aroused, and it was in this stage that the struggle appeared the most dangerous. But the excitement and danger which this involved were merely temporary. The enduring nature of the Missouri question was involved, not in the final heated struggle, but in the original contest over restriction and the compromise by which this was settled.

This ends our series of passages on The Missouri Compromise by James Albert Woodburm from the book The Great Events by Famous Historians, Volume 16 published in 1905. This blog features short and lengthy pieces on all aspects of our shared past. Here are selections from the great historians who may be forgotten (and whose work have fallen into public domain) as well as links to the most up-to-date developments in the field of history and of course, original material from yours truly, Jack Le Moine. – A little bit of everything historical is here.

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