John C Calhoun Civil Compromise Analysis

The Compromise of 1850 was a compromise proposed by Henry Clay regarding the future of slavery, especially in the territories acquired during the Mexican American War. This vital compromise delayed the Civil War for several years, and temporally extinguished the slavery issue. Despite the balance brought through the compromise neither North nor South was content with the compromise. Several speakers made speeches stating their opinions on the compromise, and their plan for the future of the country.

Henry Clay’s speech on February 6, 1850, describes the great accomplishments of the United States and the necessity to resolve the territorial issue that threats to cause Civil War. He touches on the prosperity of the nation and its immense growth

Calhoun addresses similar concerns to that of Henry Clay in his speech made on March 4, 1850. Calhoun believes that stirring up of the slavery issue has the potential to end the Union, and is calling for a solution to preserve the union. He proposed the question what truly endangered the union. He believed the North attempting to take away the rights of the Southerners, and the disruption of the equilibrium in government are two primary causes. He felt the North had too much power in government as there were more free states than slave states. The north also had a greater population giving them advantages in representation. Calhoun feared that the South will be forced to choose between abolition, or secession. A simple solution proposed by Calhoun is to discontinue talks of abolition, and allow slavery to continue unchanged. He stated that those who want to preserve the Union are biased and against the Southern ideals and institutions. Those who want to preserve the Union at the same time want to violate the Constitution. He feels that if they were truly in favor of the Union they would stop berating the slavery issue. Calhoun felt that Henry Clay’s compromise cannot save the Union, but he would support it. He believed the South had already sacrificed so much, and had little left to surrender, and that the South just wanted justice. Calhoun leaves the issue in the hands of the North, the stronger party, begging for equal territory, the return of fugitive slaves,

Seward’s speech made on March 11, 1850, started off with the issue of admitting California into the Union. Seward is for admitting California, or any other new state. He is against the Compromise proposed by Henry Clay, because he felt that all compromises are wrong and immoral. He is also against slavery, and the proposition of stricter fugitive slave laws. Seward made the point that Slavery is only an intuition and can be removed from a state, and the state would remain, but if you remove freedom, it is no longer a state. He reminded everyone that there is an authority higher than the government, God, and that it was their responsibility to take care of everyone and all creation. William H. Seward closed his speech by stating that no free state would establish slavery, and if given the choice to go back no slave state would have established it.

The Compromise of 1850 provoked various responses from different speakers, all agreeing the Union was in danger. The compromise was passed in order to protect United States from splintering, but it only delayed the war. The North in the long term received the better deal from the compromise, but no side was truly satisfied. Without the Compromise of 1850 the North would not have had the upper hand it received as a result of the eleven years of peace the compromise