Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1831-11-24

NIX. CLAr-Hi' present rie,os Of public affairs,
and his probable course in the Senate.


Tho election of Mr. Clay to tho Senate Of tho
U. States, ut any time event of interest, is at
this crisis, (for think 1T may Justly be sohcnom.
nsted) an incident of high and national import
Closely associated with public affairs for more than
40 years, at the head of tho ministry for four
years Of that period the acknowledged leader of
great party in the country and which in the body
of which no has become a member is almost Il ma
iority, and gifted with talents which in Delbcra
two Assembly TO their possessor, vast infu-
snco-Mr. Clays election to the Senate, is, re-
peat, an event of small consequence, who,hor
vowed in reference 10 party, to those measures
of policy which divide tho country.
We arc prone to cxaggcyatc the importance of
svonts in which supposed to have
share, and hence tho vanity of the late Mr..
Gilos, and of the living editor of tho Enquirer,
was constantly investing every slight political i'm
cidcnt with which it had 10 do, with tho name
and dignity Of national crisis. We are almost
afraid of tho torn, and the rdieulc which it's
ton provoker, yot do foar, that it 10 too truly
and strictly applicable to tho present condition of
public affairs For some ysare, feeling Of dissa-
tsfaetion with its Govern mont has been nifest-
ed in tho Southern States, which fomented bv De-
nagogues, and foiled in the redress it sought for
grievances, real or supposed, has finally developed
a spirit inimical to the perpetuty of the Union,
Inconsistent with tho equal rights and weight of
tho members of tho Federal Compact, and reso-
luto to overthrow system of laws eoeval with the
government and approved by the American poo
plo, or to secodc from the Union. TO withhold the
demands of tho discontinued, is according 60 their
threats, to overthrow tho Union of the States; to
yield at discretion to them is 10 place the Govern
ment of that Union at the mercy of any State
which has purpose to accomplish, and may choose
to resort to menace and intimidation, to accomplish
IL. To accede or 10 refuse absolutely is attended
with almost equal danger. II is for the wisdom of
Congress te choose middle course, which ma
reconcile concession to the disseminated, TO the
rights and csty of the Union, and tho alienated
affections of the South, to their Government
This task full of honor, of peril and of diff
Guilty, must be met at the approaching session of
Congress. 1t cannot DO postponed. 1t cannot be
syaded 1t must be mot, and we trust it will be
mst with such soemnity, question of
life or death ought to inspire. That spirit
which formed the Union only it
mutual Cancellation and concession. The great
duty of conforming the Tariff to the reduced noces-
stios of the Treasury and of reconeiling the con-
aieting wishes and interests of the two great dvi
sions of the Union, so long at war in relation to
is provisions, will of itself render the approaching
sossion of Congress memorable, either for q
which will entitle il TO the gratitude of gene
rations to come, or for failure which will convert
that gratitude into reproaches. Illustrious will
history and posterty deem that man, whose wis
dom shall devise, and sloquence enforce, the n.
of retrieving tho American confedcracy from the
dangers with which cupidity the one hand ant
violence and sectional jealousy the other, have
w lon ,haJ 81,
Citation which is indispensable TO fortunate con
cluson of the Tariff question. We have deprcca
ted Conventions, which incapable of shedding now
light, have other tendency but to inhame, &c
eountoract and to harden tho obduracy of opinion
But in despite of the unfriendly influence of the
late Tariff and Ant-Tariff Conventions, spirit
has widely gone forth in tho Union among al
classes of opinion, which percmptorily demands
that the Tariff should be considered with reference
not SO much to the interests of the manufacturer
or the Treasury, the North the South th,
existence and durability of the Union, and from
this spirit, we hope every thing.
1T is manifest that the subject Of Internal I'm
Proyomcnt, is closely allied to the Tariff; Congress.
would never have had the boldncss to impose Ia xe
for tho purpose of making improvements, or lay
duties with the single view of creating surplus ir
she Treasury, thus to be applied. The nccessitie,
of manufactures, by increasing the Tariff, have
caused an excess in the Treasury, and this excess
not wanted for other purposes, has been applied
to Roads and Canals. When there ceases to b,
IN excess therefore, tho exercise of the disputed
power of improvement will cease with it, and tho
modification of tho Tariff to the standard of rcve
nue, or in ether words TO the necessities of the
Government in tho maintenance of the army
navy and civil list, will foreclose the constitution
al dispute, Pacify our neighbours apprehension,
for state rights, and terminate Mr.. p. z. Barbour
hair sPlittng. We repeat, that it has never beer
avowed, that nc man burst avow, the p1opriety o
creating revenue by direction or indiroction b,
taxes or duties, for the purpose of making roads anc
canals When then, most sanguiney be
iovc will be the case at so early day, The Tariff
So new modelled to the standard of 1916, not only
will the country be yid of that fruitful and inter
ranablc theme Of constitutional disputation, and
state right dsquIsition, but of it's equally prolific
associate, Internal Improvement, also. o con.
summation dezetFtly to be wished, o event, al
most too happy 30 DO hoped for!
Othor questions thore are Of great, but subofdi.
nate interest to these, which contribute TO cnhancs
the Importance Of the session Of Congress al
hand; among which may probably he included that
of rcchartering the Bank of the U. states But
that which will attract, from the superior interest
taken in men to principles tise most earnest at.
tention, will he the movements OF ps-iins the do