Phenix gazette. [volume] (Alexandria [D.C.]) 1825-1833, 1833-02-19
ALEXANDRIA, ID. CO.
TUESDAY MORNING. FEBRuaRYls, 1883.
Mr.. CLAY,s BILL.

Clay's bill will have to encounter the opposition
open or disguised, of the present Administration.
The satellites of the men in power and the fr'ends
Of Mr.. Van Buren, are alarmed lest the credit OF
settling the great Tariff question should attach
to Mr. Clay, who they imagine to be stumbling
block in IN the way of the Vice President elect.
The Globe, last Saturday, took great pains to
show that the President and his financial Score.
tary have all along urged the reduction OF the Ia
riff, aud that their scheme is preferable t" Mr.
Clay's. Other.party organs. having their cue as
sert that the whole matter is political manGu=
vre, to save Mr.. Calhoun frcm utter ruin, who,
in return, is TO help Mr.. Clay hereafter. These,
and hundred ridiculous tales about bargain
and coaliton-and other such stuff-are made
to resound through the newspapers in the inter-
est of particular persons and parties.
The true state Of the case is this: The coun-
try was brought to The verge Of ruin. One par
ty was for demoshing. root aud branch, the Ia
rifi:-the other was for uphodins and supporting
the Tariff at the expense of the Union. South
Carolina nuliicd the laws Of the country, and
Massachusetts declared that resistance was pro.
per if the laws were altered. Mems minds had
become soured-fraternal feelings were forgotten
and obstinacy had assumed its sway over our
legislators. Up to This moment, Mr.. Clay had
faithfully, consistently, and noby supported the
Tariff poIcy. He had stood BY it through evil
and through good report-he had sustained IT,
when to have wavered in his purpose might have
secured his political advancement. Henow saw
that the Tariff must be allered-that the violence
and improper cunduc, of one state alone prevent
ed the entire South from making common cause
against its continuance-that, in fine. the Union
,Cas IN danger-that Union, the value of which
is inestimabe and incaculable-and which, at
any hazard, "must be preserved" In this
emergency, with heart glowing with patriotism
AN ardent love of country, which had strength
ened with his years-and disposition untainted
by mortified pride or disappointed ambtion-he
voluntarily came forward, to sacrifice many Of
his own cherished opinions upon the alter of peace
and harmony, and, if possible, once more to unite
his fellow citizens as band Of brothers. What,
houn? lie stood, almost alone, in defence Of the
most unwarrantable and unjusifiable measures
Of his own state-he felt that that state was fast
oosng every hold upon public feeling-that the
ground lie occupied was untrnabe. Every day
he saw the breach widen and his own situation
grow mere and more precarious. In this condi-
ton, it is no wnnder that he gladly accepted the
olive branch of reconciliation held out by Mr..
Clay-that he turned towards the light thus sud-
denly let in upon him, and which opened way
of safe and honorable retreat to his native, much
beloved. but misguided state.
THIS Is the plain, the natural-the true con.
struction to be put upon the conduct OF both
these statesmen. Why then the necessity for
resoring to the hackneyed tricks Of party to ex
pain that which is in itself so evident that g he
who runs may read" tbs indeed clear. that
there can be no " bargain or coalition" between
Mr.. Clay and Mr.. Calhoun. No man who knows
their charaet tiers would ever accuse them of such
unworthy means to obtain desired end. III
Mr. Clay in his speech did not seek TO disgrace
and. degrade South Carolina, he at least spoke in
decided and unequivocal disapprobation OF her
conduct, and subsequently IN correcting re-
mark Of Mr.. Rives, he emphatically declared
that he had said nothing, he had fsh nothing in
ertenuation even of her proceedings
AS for ourselves we are utterly Indifferent to
whom maybe given the credit of the reconciliation,
SO that the country is paci6ed. We think we
see in Mr.. CIay's bill more Of the elements Of
success than we can find elsewhere. II. howev-
err, the Observation-Disclosures if MIR. Webster can |
devise better plan. or any plan. indeed. that will
succeed, we will not be found backward in &C.
cording the honor wherever the honor belongs
This is matter in comparison with which the
common and ordinar, political topics that are
discussed sink into lusisnifcance. They are not
worthy to be thought of in connexion with the
settlement of this great question on which de-
Ponds the preservation of the Peace and Union /