Sir, the distinguished leaders in this settlement were all from the South. As early as February, 1819, Louis McLane, of Delaware, urged it upon Congress, in the form of a "compact binding upon all subsequent Legislatures." It was in 1820 brought forward and upheld in the Senate by William Pinkney, of Maryland, and passed in that body by the vote of every Southern Senator except two, against the vote of every Northern Senator except four. In the House it was welcomed at once by Samuel Smith, of Maryland, and Charles Fenton Mercer, of Virginia. The Committee of Conference, through which it finally prevailed, was filled, on the part of the Senate, with inflexible partisans of the South, such as might fitly represent the sentiments of its President, John Gaillard, a Senator from South Carolina; on the part of the House, it was nominated by Henry Clay, the Speaker, a Representative from Kentucky. This Committee, thus constituted, drawing its double life from the South, was unanimous in favor of the Compromise, with but one dissenting voice, and that from the North,--John W. Taylor, of New York. A private letter from Mr. Pinkney, written at the time, and preserved by his distinguished biographer, shows that the report made by the Committee came from him. "The bill for the admission of Missouri into the Union (_without_ restriction as to Slavery) may be considered as passed. That bill was sent back again this morning from the House, _with the restriction as to Slavery_. The Senate voted to amend it by striking out the restriction (twenty-seven to fifteen), and proposed, as another amendment, _what I have all along been the advocate of, a restriction upon the vacant territory to the north and west, as to Slavery_. To-night the House of Representatives have agreed to _both_ of these amendments, in opposition to their former votes, and this affair is settled. To-morrow we shall (of course) recede from our amendments as to Maine (our object being effected), and both States will be admitted. _This happy result has been accomplished by the Conference, of which I was a member on the part of the Senate, and of which I proposed the report which has been made._"[55] [55] Wheaton's Life of Pinkney, p. 167.