Martinsburg gazette and public advertiser. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1826-1833, 1829-09-17

universally read, and the whole csuntyy Il. 6.
miliar With them. But all have nor sreo M,
heard MIR. C.. and therefore a remark or two
on his manner and appearance as a suhiir
speaker, Will not be out of place here. OF
what may be called the personal REQUISITES Cor
an Acceptable public speaker, he has an uncom-
mon shsrs lie las a tall and erect kgure. with
a general AIR aud appearance such a. prepos
sesses anu strikes me audience. His voice is
perhaps not equslcd By that of any ether public
speaker IN the country. II has DOT only great
force ana compass, buts IL also clear. flexible,
and susceptible of great variety of modulsticn.
He has no doubt, sometimes the cemmon fault
OF the countty-at least the comnon fsul, Of
members Of Congress-speaking too loud: and
his carnestness and srsor OCCASIONALLY EXPOSE
aim to the dagger Of too much apparent seAe.
meme. A northern audience. especially.
would be likely to think thai be speaks. even
on ordinary topics, and under ordinary c,ecum.
stances, with a degree OF warmth, which, in
our colder attitudes, is excited, or by our epin.
ions justified, only by uBcopmon OCCASIONS
The result of all that belongs to bis manner,
10, that he is both an imposing and q pcrsus.
siye speaker. He fxes the attention. aud
holds~it AZ long snd IS steadily, probably, 90
say man that has aver appeared in eur hsIls of
Legislature. Frank, lof,y and diNnt,restea,
with pew err to defend and capacity TO lead. he
must necs a.ariiy be, and would always be. an
important individual in any public assembly to
which be might belong. Since he has been out
sf Congress, bis public speeches have been
principally such as have been occasiencd by
festivities to which he has been invited as =
guest, in those parts of the country, where
custom has rendered it indispensable On such
cccaslons 20 make an address. Fastidious
friends and false friends, and Of course enemies,
hass reproaehed him for the frequency Of these
efforts, and have sought TO degrade him by
fixing 90 him the appeilation OF table orator.
Most OF this rebugc has originated in hostility,
opea or eoncealed; and the rest in a want Of
attention 30 the circumstances in which he has
been placed. Was he to decline all invitations
to such meetings, from his friends and his
neIghboFs, at q time when a TEMPEST of the
s%rossest caiumny was beating upon him, frsm
the presses IN the interest, I'VE do net use TOO
strong a term) OF those who sought to destroy
BIN! II be accepted such invitations, was he
to follow he custom OF the country, or was he
to break It and be SILENT When he saoke. it
was easy to say that be woald better have con
suited his dignity by being silent, but if he had
been silent, it would have been a. easy to have
Inferred conscious guilt from the fact, that,
having a suitable occasion TO defend himself,
he bad, nevertheless. been able to maks no
defence at all. He had acted on the idea, that
= public man, attacked as hs has been, must
Fepei those attacks. not only once, but often and
always. lest the uncontradictsd re petition of
calanny should wear a channel for il in the
puohc epinssn. tn not always easy to decide,
When slsnder should be noticed aud when dis.
regarded. In Mr.. c's case, we think The re-.
suit hes shown that he judged right. and acted
wisely. His repeated vindications sf himself
against thu eharge.o of bargain and corrupt,or-
q charge ridiculous enough IN itself, bat in its
effects not to be despised-hsve, in cur opinion
eonir,b0ted win other causes, to bFing about
That just and equitable reaction OF public senti.
mem, whtc', At the present moment, seems
giving to his character a new degree Of interest
aod m3ortance. ID seems to Us imnossi bic
that every fair and honofable mind should not
rejoice IN this tone at sense, sanity, and good
feeling, to which that portion of public snin-
iap which has departed from il appears to be
returning. foF ourselves. vi,hout looking to
future events or contemplating the prsbsciIity
OF Mr. Ciay's return to public life. we feel he
slncerest pleasure in seeing him elevated. in
the public judgment, TO the high station 10
which hrs character, hs talents. aud his services
Justly enttie him.
Bat We do nor, nevertheless, conhne cur.
sS'NNs CnthkCy ~ tIt1 dDELIACk view of tnR
matter. We think it hardly probable that Mr.
Clay "a destined to pass the remainder Of h;s
life in his fetreat at Ashland. Standing. a. We
think be does at this very moment, an objectof
more interest and regard than any other man in
The United States, there is evidently nothing to
keep him out Of the sphere of political astien
but one single event, the probability of which
never great. appears TO be fast diminishing;
and that ~, thst the persons now 10 power shall
so conduct the concerns of government ss to
give no just occasion for spposilisn. For our
humble selves. we are free TO say, that in our
opinion, the hrss leading measure ofthe present
administration has been such as shsuld swaken
the attention and alarm ef all intelligent friends
of the constitution. This leading measure is,
a general change, in G3 the Offices Of government,
trcm MOTIVES merely personal. an attempt 10 form
a combination, 10 retain psrger, by the batroa0gs Of
The government ifself It is not mainly that our
sympathies are awakened by the removal Of
men from the little ~employmeats under govern
ment, who have been bred TO those employ
ments and have no other means Of living. altho'
We are far. very far from disclaiming such sym
psthy, and from scofing at the sxpressisn Of il
as unbecorning whining. Our objection lies
deeper. The principle Of this mode of admin.
~is;ration is hostile to the spirit OF the constitution
and the existence of the government. IT this
bad example 10 10 be followed. We entertain act
the shallow Of doubt, that in Iess than twenty
years it will oyefturn this government. Ii 10
no inquiry with us, 10 what extent, or whether
TO any extent, ths present administration finds
an example. or an apology for its conduct. in
the course pursued by Mr.. Jefferson. 1t is
enough for Us, that in eur judgment, the con.
stitnllon cannot endure such a course Of admin.
istrstion. Gen. Jackson seems to have acted IS
If he naesegsea all The nawep and natranag~ of