Editing Kansas–Nebraska Act (section)

===Debate in House of Representatives===
On March 21, 1854, as a delaying tactic in the House of Representatives, the legislation was referred by a vote of 110 to 95 to the [[Committee of the Whole (United States House of Representatives)|Committee of the Whole]], where it was the last item on the calendar. Realizing from the vote to stall that the act faced an uphill struggle, the [[Pierce administration]] made it clear to all Democrats that passage of the bill was essential to the party and would dictate how federal [[Patronage#Politics|patronage]] would be handled. Davis and Cushing, from Massachusetts, along with Douglas, spearheaded the partisan efforts.<ref>Nevins p. 154</ref> By the end of April, Douglas believed that there were enough votes to pass the bill. The House leadership then began a series of roll call votes in which legislation ahead of the Kansas–Nebraska Act was called to the floor and tabled without debate.<ref>Potter p. 166</ref>

[[Thomas Hart Benton (senator)|Thomas Hart Benton]] was among those speaking forcefully against the measure. On April 25, in a House speech that biographer William Nisbet Chambers called "long, passionate, historical, [and] polemical", Benton attacked the repeal of the [[Missouri Compromise]], which he "had stood upon ... above thirty years, and intended to stand upon it to the end—solitary and alone, if need be; but preferring company". The speech was distributed afterward as a pamphlet when opposition to the action moved outside the walls of Congress.<ref>Chambers p. 401</ref>

It was not until May 8 that the debate began in the House. The debate was even more intense than in the Senate. While it seemed to be a foregone conclusion that the bill would pass, the opponents went all out to fight it.<ref>Nevins pp. 154–155</ref> Historian Michael Morrison wrote:

[[File: Thomas Hart Benton (senator) 2.jpg|thumb|Thomas Hart Benton of Missouri – "What is the excuse for all this turmoil and mischief? We are told it is to keep the question of slavery out of Congress! Great God! It was out of Congress, completely, entirely, and forever out of Congress, unless Congress dragged it in by breaking down the sacred laws which settled it!"<ref name="Nevins p. 156"/>]]

{{quote|A filibuster led by [[Lewis D. Campbell]], an Ohio [[Free Soil|free-soiler]], nearly provoked the House into a war of more than words. Campbell, joined by other antislavery northerners, exchanged insults and invectives with southerners, neither side giving quarter. Weapons were brandished on the floor of the House. Finally, bumptiousness gave way to violence. [[Henry A. Edmundson]], a Virginia [[Democratic Party (United States)|Democrat]], [[drunk|well oiled]] and well-armed, had to be restrained from making a violent attack on Campbell. Only after the sergeant at arms arrested him, the debate was cut off, and the House adjourned did the melee subside.<ref>Morrison p. 154</ref>}}

The floor debate was handled by [[Alexander Stephens]], of Georgia, who insisted that the Missouri Compromise had never been a true compromise but had been imposed on the South. He argued that the issue was whether republican principles, "that the citizens of every distinct community or State should have the right to govern themselves in their domestic matters as they please", would be honored.<ref>Nevins p. 155</ref>

The final House vote in favor of the bill was 113 to 100.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/33-1/h309 |title=To Pass H.R. 236. (P. 1254). – House Vote No. 309 – May 22, 1854 |website=GovTrack.us |access-date=May 3, 2019 |archive-date=May 3, 2019 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190503033613/https://www.govtrack.us/congress/votes/33-1/h309 |url-status=live }}</ref> Northern Democrats supported the bill 44 to 42, but all 45 northern Whigs opposed it. Southern Democrats voted in favor by 57 to 2, and Southern Whigs supported it by 12 to 7.<ref>Nevins pp. 156–157</ref>