sovereignty men. “Thus consulting the opinions of both sides of the House,” he said in opening the debate, “in that spirit of compromise which is occasionally necessary to the existence of all societies, he hoped it would receive the countenance of the House.” He concluded by “earnestly invoking the spirit of harmony and kindred feeling to preside over the deliberations of the House on the subject.” But this appeal still failed. After a heated debate the resolution was voted down in committee of the whole by a majority of nine, in the House by a majority of three, and upon reconsideration by a majority of six. Among the yeas there were but few Northern, among the nays only four Southern votes, and these were extremists of the John Randolph type. This was on February 13. There were not many days of the session left. The situation became more and more critical and threatening.
On February 14 the electoral vote was to be counted, Monroe having in the preceding autumn been reëlected President. The people of Missouri had chosen electors. The question occurred, should their votes be counted? Some Southern members hotly maintained that Missouri was of right a state. Northern men asserted with equal warmth that she was only a territory, having no right to take part in a presidential election. The Missouri quarrel threatened to invade, and perhaps to break up in disorder, the joint convention of the two Houses sitting to count the electoral vote.
