John Crittenden, a Senator from Kentucky, would become a political player when he proposed his Crittenden Compomise.  On December 3, 1860 when congress came into session it would be Crittenden's Compromise that would dominate discussion on the floor.  His proposal, which tried to revitalize the earlier Missouri Compomise would cause the slavery issue to be put front and center in the legislative branch of governent.

    Though no piece of legislation would have most likely stopped the secession of the Southern states, the Crittendem Compromise proposed some bold options to help heal to crisis brewing in the nation over slavery.  The Compromise consisted of: expanding the 36 30' line into all the new territories in the West.  Those terrirtories south of the line would be able to continue with their peculiar institution.  Another tenet of the plan stated that slavery in D.C. would be protected, and lastly a preventative measure that would prohibit regulation of interstate slave trade.

    The newly formerd Republican platform went directly against this plan which made it hard for Crittenden's plan to gain any steam on the floor of Congress.  In the end this would just serve as another warning of the tensions brewing amidst the country.
 

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