The Wilmingtonian, and Delaware advertiser., 1827-09-13
OLD OPINION OF Mr.. CLAY.

1t has been asserted. that Mr.. Clay's OBJ
lection to General jackson as suitable can
ddate for the high civil Office of President
is of a late date. But it will be seen by the
following extract from the Volume OF De-
bates of Congress, that as long ago as the
reriod of the discussion of the Seminole
War, so called, MIR. Clay took ground against
Gen. Jack son, that it was impossible for
him to have abandoned, by voting for the
General tor the Presidency, without the sur
render of every pretensn to political consist
ency, or to regard for the Constitution.
THE EXTRACT:
Mr.. Clay concluded an able speech on the
subject, as follows:
"He would not" he said, "trespass much
longer upon the time Of the committee; but
he trusted he should be indulged with some
few reflections upon the danger of permit
ting the conduct, on which 1t had been his
painful duty to animadvert, to pass, without
a solemn expression Of the disapprobation
of this House. Recall to your recollection.
said he, the free nations which have gone
before us. Where are they now, and how
have they lost their libertiess If we could
transport ourselves back to the ages when
Greece and Rome fourished in their great
est prosperity, and, mingling in the throng,
ask a Grecian if he did not fear some daring
military chieftain, covered with glory, some
Philip or Alexander, would one day over.
throw his liberties. Mo- 80! the confident
and indignant Grecian would exclaim, we
have nothing to fear from our heroes; our
/ liberties will be eternal. If Roman citizen
had been asked, if he did not fear the con-
oueror of Gaul might establish throne upon
the ruins of the public liberty, he would in-
stantly have repealed the unjust insnuation
Yet Greece had fallen, Caesar had passed
the Rubicon, and the patriotic arm even oil
Brutus could not preserve the liberties OF his
country!
The celebrated Madame de Stael, in he,
last and perhaps best work, has said, that
| in the very year, almost the very month
when the president OF the Directory declared
that monarchy would never show its fright
ful head in France, Bonaparte with his gren,
adiers entered the palace OF st. Cloud, and
dispensing with the bayonet, the deputies
of the people celebrating on the affairs o
the state, laid the foundations OF that vast
fabric of dcspotism which overshadowee
all Europe. He hoped not TO be misunder
stood he was far from intimating that Gen
eral Jackson cherished any design inimica
to the liberties of his country. He believed
his intentions pure and patriotic He thank
God that hc would not, but he thanked hin
still more that he could not if he would
overturn the liberties of the republic. Blu
precedents, if bad, were fraught with thu
most dangerous consequences. Man ha
been described by some Of those who hav'
treated of his nature as bundle of habits
There was one important difference be
tween the formation of habits by An indi
vidual and by governments. lie contrast
it only after frequent repetition. A singh
instance fixes the habit and determines th
direction OF governments. Against tn
alarming doctrine of unlimited discretion il
our military commanders, when applie'
even to prisoners of war, he must enter hi
protest. 1t began upon them. it would en-
on us. He hoped that our happy form c
government was destined to be perpetual
But ifi we're to be preserved, it must be b
the practice of virtue, by justice, by mod
!. cratioc, by ma9nanimity, By greatness {