Constitutional Whig. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1824-1832, 1832-07-20
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's1e8t MESSRS. CLAY e. BENTON.
A studied effort il making by the palsce minions
TO- produce the impression, that in the encounter
bctwson Nj. Clay and Senator Benton ON the Veto,
Mr.. Clay was driven to the wall! They feel and
feel truly, that in permitting himself to be drawn
into personal collision with an individual of Bon
toms standing. no matter what was the provoca-
tien, or the merits Of tho points in controversy
tho results Of that controversy, Mr.. Clay acted
with great indscrstion. They know with Hudi.
bras., that y go ~ -.
'.Where no honor's to be gained,
II 10 sometimes Lost in being maintained;"
that Thousand wordy victories over such an anita
gqnist. could DO no triumph to Henry Clay. and
that il was impossible for him to como even in ca.
susl contact with such body without sustaining
partial dimming of his own lustre. Mr.. Clay's
enemies know oil this, and il is to them, matter Of
infinite satistscton. and CLEO. to be enabled to
present Henry Clay as engaged on the floor of tho
Senate in war Of worda with Tho. II. Ranton!
Had he demolished Benton, a. he did. and peuadsd
him into impslpable powder, still the very fact
of the contest were cause of triumph to them.
We need not wonder therefore at their exultation
cumstances--at,the typical articles employed to
attract the readers attention--at the rcpcttisns
and tho cxaggeratons.
Precisely as no has afforded occasion of exulta.
zion to his enemies, Mr.. Clay has chagrined his
friends, by yielding to the exctaton ofthe moment
and engaging in most unequal collision with BEN
tOn--a collision in which he must lose and could not
win! But it stho part of true friends, while can.
dor cOu,nela than tn, ndu,it he fault
and state tho reasons also, which in some degree
sxtenuate it. These are to BIO found in tho general
excitement of politics at Washington. in the parti-
cular excitement this subject, in the conviction
which every intelligent owns at his heart, that
Jackson followed the impulse of personal resent.
mont. and not of public duty, in performing an act
which isto involve the country in distress and en-.
barrassment, and that the reasons which he assigns
for it, not hes reasons. but the cunning devices
OF his Kitchen Cabinet, who have seized the op.
portuny to ingratiatc their master with the igno.
rant and prejudiced, under pretenco of assigning
his motives for rejecting the Bank Bill. We may
also imagine the natural Indignation of Mr.. Clay,
at Bentons efrontery "a quality in which he is un
rivaled) in denying what he (Mr. Clay knew to be
true, and what he knew that Benton himself know
to bc true! Every man, says a gentleman who
hoard it, when Clay called upon Benton to look
him in tho face and deny what he charged-and
when Benton responded, false, false--was sensible
that the latter knew it to be rue ! His hardihood
is equal however, to any exigency, any rGguisi.
ton which can he made upon it. Hc deny any
thing, and without blushing, too. When Mr. Clay
saw this man, who had in letter signed by his
own hand dencunced Jackson the most infa.
mous of the huzaan Para. surrounding himself with
bravoes and balles prepared at his bidding to at
tack the lives and honor of his enemies-when he
remembered his call to his brother Jesse Benton, to
come and relieve him from the he'll Of assassins
and certificate makers--when he saw this man,
fawning at the feet of this same Jackson, and yo.
lunteering to defend him from tho structures of
those whose duty it WAS criticise his public con
duct, and doing it with equal rudencss to Messrs.
Clay and Webster, and servility to Jaskson---this
man, tho notorious author of tho East Room Let.
ter-when he saw all this, every generous mind
will concedo that he saw enough to rousc his in.
dignation. Such arc the circumstances which pal.
late Mr.. Clay's imprudence.
What can jackson give Benton1 The Mission
to England1 The Senate has now adjourned He
can send him over, and permit him to touch the sa
larry and outfit, before the Senate can peto Prosa.
tura est. The Phenix of yesterday, says
Surrounding Mr.. Benton when he delivered his
Tremendous rotributive Philippic," under which
Mr. Clay ''sunk".! were Kendall, Lewis, &c. &C.
and the amia6lc Mrs. Royal. The Kitchen Cabinet,
backed by the authorizes of the Black BookM They
smiled and chuckied, and encouraged the Senator
from MissouEi--or, we heard it expressed ..pat-
ted him Onto bark louder against tho fine fellow
he hold at bay."-That the Senator from Missouri
was gored, is, therefore, his own fault. We wero
glad to sec tho chivalrous and gallant Towson give
Mr. Clay, IN the face of ali his enemies, warm
and hearty shake of the hand after the contest
1t was different sort of greeting from that recev-
ed by the Senator from Missouri from the worthless
who woro his hackers and bottle holders on the &C.
cason referred to. We do believe that an oreaniz
ed effort was made by the Club to sink! Mr.. CLAY
Miserable failure! Whose heart does not warm
within him to see such so beset by such
crew? Who can refrain from taking sides with the
NOBLE the generous, the highmnded, on such &C.
casions?"
MR.. VAN BUREN,, AND HIS PROSPECTS.
Where is Mr.. Van Buren,? Nothing has been
heard from him since his arrival at the city. His
friends in Now York say very ittlo about him, and
bis return instead of making great noise, seems
to DO but the prelude to his gliding out Of public
notice.
Mr. Van Buren's prospects havo greatly changed
for the worse, since tho Baltimore Conyention.--
His own State has becomo moro than doubtful.
North Carolina is against him three TO one. q