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WRITINGS OF S;Al\I HOUSTON, 1855
It kept discord out of the country. Discord was the object in view in its repeal. I fought it then, I will fight it now, and will continue to battle against it as long as I am a free man and man- acles are off these hands. Then came the Nebraska Bill. The principle of that bill is directly antagonistic to that expressed in the Missouri Compro- mise. It had either to be abrogated or preserved. I still had the same instructions from my constituents. I determined to maintain it, and I will demonstrate to any impartial hearer that I have acted right and have stood up for the rights of the South, and for the Constitution. The Compromise of 1850 which had been passed, had effectively hushed up the discussion of the sub- ject of slavery. Abolition was silent. There were but four abo- litionists in the United States Congress; two in the House of Representatives, Giddings, a name obnoxious to the entire South, and Gerret Smith. In the Senate were Sumner and Chase, both of whom were devoted to abolitionism; but whenever they at- tempted to advocate their peculiar doctrines they were laughed at and treated with contempt by their Senatorial brethren. The condition of our country arising from the Compromise of 1850 was one of unparalleled tranquility. On the occasion of the Com- promise, Cass, who had been the standard bearer of the Demo- cratic party, was found to be uniting and co-operating with Clay and Webster and other leaders of the Federal party to consum- mate the great measure, the pacification of all sections of the Union. The Democrats and the Whigs united with an unanimity that gave joy to the heart of every true patriot and lover of his country. Thus was the great measure accomplished by the joint efforts of both political parties and during the administration of Mr. Fillmore, the condition of the nation was most harmonious and tranquil. This was the situation of the parties when Mr. Pierce came to the Presidency. The conventions of the two po- litical parties met in the city of Baltimore. The Democrats met first. I will not undertake here to delineate all the minutire of the material which composed their platform, for I have never read it. I thought that I was a good Democrat without any modern instructions, especially from a convention. I supposed that it was all right, however, and that the party would unite in suppressing and repressing the agitation of the subject of slavery in and out of Congress and elsewhere. The Whigs in convention adopted a platform very nearly agreeing with that adopted by the democracy, touching the subject of slavery. In
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