Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1826-07-04

the Editor Of theEnquirer" himself, all of whom
were then prepared to denounce, as one of the
most aspiring, daring and dangerous men to
the liberties of the American people, him whom
they are now striving to place at their head?
By these men was Gen. Jackson as frequently
and as loudly denounced as by any others; by
these men he was stigmatised as an arbitrary
tyrant; as trampler on the constitution OF his
country, as wilful disregarder Of the laws of
nations: as a scouter of instructions, and as a
contemner Of the DEGREES Of his own court mar
tiaI. By these men was it loudly demanded
that he should be arraigneG before court-mar-
tial, tried for his alleged offences, and visited
with the heaviest punishments OF the law. MIR.
Clay Joined in this outcry. He, too, believed,
thar General Jackson was dangerous man.
He believed that the General had wiliully dis
regarded instructions: that he had hown IN the
teeth of national law: that he had violated both
the letter and the spirit of the constitution: and
finally, that, in decreeing the executions OF
Arbuthnot and Ambrister, he had enacted over
again the Roman tyrant, by substituting his own
will for legal mandate; thus making and
marrine laws at pleasure" Thus believing, he
fearlessly, as a acknowledgement this
belief; and being made Of less plant materials
than Some Of the Generals other antagonists,
he was not willing 10 elevate TO the Presidency
him whom he had thus described and thus CEN
sured. Out of this political strife, grew feel
ings which soon ripened into personal hatred;
and it has long been no secret that Zen. JACK.
sons hostility to Mr.. Clay has been manifested
in manner characterized by any thing but lei
icacy. 1t is to this which MIR. Clay referred,
in his address to his constituents, from Wash
ington City, in March, 1925, when ne observed,
81 never gave Gen. Jackson or his friends any
reason TO believe that would in any contingent
cy, support him. He had, as thought no
public claims, and IUiH noW add, no personal
claims Cf these ought to be ever consldered,)
TO my support" I'VE leave it TO the Jud sment
of the reader whether, after MIR. Clay had made
the following remarks, respecting Gen Jack
son, he would not have been Justly entitled TO
all the epithets which the undistinguishing hos
tiIity of his enemies has already applied to him,
if he had voted for him.
"He defed the gentleman (Mr. Holmes) TO
point out one instance in which Kentucklan
had stained his hand by murder,
doubtless nothing but his high sense OF the
distinguished services Of Gen. Jackson prevent
ed his using different term-the execution OF an
unarmed and PROSTATE enemy agam-!n
regard TO Ambrister, it was with grief and pain
he was compelled to say, that he was executed
in defiance of all Laws" Ofoourse then by fair
implication it was murder; neither more nor
less Again-"Beware how you give fatal
sanction, in this infant period of our republic,
scarcely forty years old, to military insuto rdina-
tion. Remember that Greece had her Alexan-
der, Rome her Caesar, England her Cromwell,
France her Bonaparte-and five would escape
the rock on which they split, we must avoid
their errors"
In our humble judgment; Mr. G. deserves
more credit for his unwavering adherence to
opinions, cody and dispassionately uttered, ) and
for regulating his conduct by those opinions,
than those who once united with him in the
expression Of similar sentiments, and who now
censure him for his consistency! A reference
to the history Of the times Of which we speak
will show that Mr.. Clay's conduct could not
have been, honorably, otherwise than it has
been; and, at the same time, that the conduct of
some of his selfconceited Judges, ought to have
been, in honor, any thing else.