WRITINGS OF SAM HOUSTON, 1856
389
objections to the restoration of that compromise. I have little of the world's goods, but that little is as much to me as if I had millions. All the millionaires of the world conjoined cannot have their millions more important to them than what little I have is to me; but I would most freely give more than half of all I possess, the heritage of my children, to have that compromise restored as it was before the repeal, or never to have had it touched. Mr. Clay. Perhaps I misunderstood the gentleman. He did not say that he joined the American party because it proposed to restore the Missouri Compromise, but because it condemned the repeal. Mr. Houston. My position in regard to that measure may be fairly tested by an illustration. Let us suppose anterior to the Presidential election which brought into power the present Execu- tive, the question of the repeal of the Missouri Compromise had been an issue in the canvass, and one of the candidates had advo- cated the repeal : how many votes do you suppose he would have got? Not one from Maine to Florida, not one from the Atlantic to the Pacific, would he have received. The public mind, unin- fluenced by the facticious circumstances to which I have adverted, would act freely, and say, "Let it alone; the great men of our country have made it; we have become glorious, renowned and prosperous under it; do not disturb it." So said the Union news- paper, the organ of the Democratic party when the question was first agitated. It said, "Let this compromise alone; it is inex- pedient and unnecessary to disturb it." The distinguished Senator from Michigan said that its repeal was uncalled for and unneces- sary. My friend from Virginia [Mr. Hunter] said that it was a trifling little measure. I dreaded it then. I apprehended that though it might not be a cloud no bigger than a man's hand, it would soon spread and pervade this broad land. It has now be- come a murky, disagreeable cloud, but I hope that the bright sun of reason will soon expel it and give light and joy and peace to every American heart. The day that restores to our country peace upon that subject will be one of the brightest days that has dawned since the declaration of independence, or the victory of Yorktown. The American party condemn all unnecessary agitations; they go_for the Union out and out, or I would not act with them. If a man who votes for the same political party with me were to utter a sentiment in favor of disunion, I would knock him down. No man who belongs to that party shall claim fellowship with me if he is for disunion.
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