Richmond enquirer. [volume] (Richmond, Va.) 1815-1867, 1838-08-07
For TIE RICMYoyD EMO UJRER.

FOR TIE RICHMOND ENQUIRER.
To the author of the Letters addressed 10 Henry Chy
under of the signature Of friend 10 Stale
rights, in the K Wig.
SIR- have, occasionally, read few of the letters
you have addressed 10 MIR. Clay-and as long you
were indu ging yourself phi sca distractions and
in n display of your classical learning deemed il
necessary to Interrupt the repose that public opinion had
tacitiy assigned them But in Of your late letters
you have undertaken to state facts which may msead
many who OF the true author OF these let
tiers, and thus produce Impressions dispaaglng 10 Mr.
Calhoun. There are few, however, who are familiar
with your early late history. and the prominent !o
bes OF your character who have not detected their true
author. The style of them exhibits The cnarseness Of
thought and feeling Of broken down Back woods law.
YER most tawdry and nntasteully decked of with the
opes and phors of the academy; while the chaTac
ter Of obsrquiuus partzan plainly stamped upon
their author that he well known 10 many, as il you
had, second time, been guilty Of the indlscre,on OF
signing your proper name 10 your newspaper cOnribu
lions You were once follower to greater man per.
haps, than Henry Clay. And when you, who profess
TO be "a State Rights nan, Of the most s,raest Sect
brouc INT up at the feet Of Gamalie labourng
spicuously for Henry Clay elevation TO the Presiden-
tia chalr-lhe elevation of man who in his widest
and most sangune dreams Of ambition never expected
the support Of the State ghts Pay-wbo has courted
every politics, caste but this; and whose talented oppo
s,ion the rights of the States and support Of Federal
confederaicd the State rights party together,
for efeclual resistance to legislative encroach
mens-l say, when you nund supporting Mr. Clay,
fancy, unable 10 find language iulsome enough for
hi. panegyrc. the enquiry rEessliby made care you
acting the toady for another private advantage: Are
you weary Of academca honors?
You say IN your cd letter, that you propose in that
letter plain how il tina, with my (your) ycion
of It's uncunstitulionay (of the u 5 Bank and mis-.
chevous political tendencies strengthened by time and
experience you a:e yet disposed TO pass by, and 10
consider it unimpnrtan question. You farther state,
in addressing Mr.. Clay, .You may perhaps doubt the
sincerity OF one, who, protesting to be State Rights
Of the anti Bank School approaches the subject in
this quiet temper" My dear, Sir your conduct
ceptble Of the most satisfactory explanation by those
who know you. We do doubt, Mr.. Clay certainly
does your siHeerifyand Can only account for your Po
si,n by assuming, that you are willing 10 sacrifice your
principles for office.
You Sir are placed in most responsible station
You should daily be holding up those who are placed
under your care the character and actions OF The Illus
rIous beneiac,os of mankind, who have never suffered
their personal views 10 interfere with the good Of their
country You should fursake the quiet walks o! IT,
erature figure ambitious and selfish paTzan in
the columns Of newspaper What Illuminating spec.
tace does the following sye0phanc language present 10
the indere ndent minds of your pupils? You thus ad-
dress MIR Clay "To speak with you, matter OF eve
~ days occurrence. To hear you 10 rare privilege,
not easily forgotten by those who enjoy IT. lhcard you,
Sir md though you may not remember your words, you
will recognize them reported by another can ne
yer forget either your cbuntenance or Mr. Calhoun al
that moment the slight sarcastic expression Of the ono,
or the wre!chednets or helpessness of the other. |
marked the SMILE Sir, which accompanied your last
words and have often pondered on its import" How
delightful 10 your recollection must be the smile OF great
men! Are you aware that you are sub rcng yourself
the rdcue Of using the exaggerated language of the
horciiSt in your encomiums on Mr. Clay, IN The open
columns Of public prinE We Will urn however, from
this disgusting picture 10 the statements in your 10Th let
ter, which have before alluded You represent the
compromise the tariff question of 1885, as craven
compromise, ANONYMOUSLY submitted to BY Mr.. Cal.
houn and others Of The South aud granted as boon by
the magnaninity Of Mr.. Clay.
You address This question 10 Mr.. Clay: &" Did it ever
enter your head, Sir, al the time that you were max
ing concessions TO YOURSELF your principles or
your cause Now, Sir, you have assumed Tor Mr.
Clay what he expressly disarows for himself. When
some Of MIR C!ays high toned and ultra tariff friends
were upbraidng him with derelicon Of his principles
and his cause, and planned that Mr. Clay had ceded
much, he plead necessity as his excuse ard said on
the floor of the Senate, that he had compromised, in or
der TO sare his system But what position did you
cupy when The little Spartan band of States rights me
were standing up against the combined influence Of the
Federal party, and the then existing Administration
united You, Sir, Proiessed TO be one of this State
Riphts party. You declared by resolution which
passed by county meeting in the State of Virginia;
resolution supposed 10 have been drawn by YOURSELF al
least in part, that General Jackson by his proclamation
had transferred his real f.snds and supporters, bound
nd and foot the tender mercies Of his and their Bit
terest enemies-the ultra FedPraiss, ultra Tariff, ui-
ira Bank ultra improvement, &c, the habitual scoftrs
at State Rights &c. In another resolution, which you
read the meeting above alluded and TO which you at
tended, it was resolved, shat Virginia will be found
her own enemy, whenever she consents TO num-
Der among her friends those who true them,
selves but when they false 10 their country Now,
was not Henry Clay the prominent ultra Tariff, ultra
Bank ultra Internal improvement man pointed at 10 The
above Is, mentioned resolution, and have you de-
claed in the Cd resolution above mentoned that H. Clay
was never true 10 himself but when he false his
country? Well may you suppose that yoursncerty may
be doubled when you exhsusting panegyrc this
ultra Tariff and Bank man, and still profess 10 be Stntes
right of The 'mnst s,rictest sect To speak can
dldiy Sir there is ambiguity and treacherous aban
Comment Of the very principles you affect To support,
apparent in all Of these letters You that you
convinced Of the unconstitutionay, and mschieyous
political tendency of The National Bank. In the next
breath you assert, that The people will have Bank
whether Mr. Clay is elected or not:" Because, you
say, "that the conduct of the Government has dri
ven them believe it Indispensable" MIR. Clay, you
say, told them SO, you thought differently, but Mi
Clay was right and you wrong DO you not
wish 10 convey the idea, that Mr. Clay is also right
and you are wrong the Bank question: You
also profess to be opposed 10 Mr. Clays election; but
when you draw parallel between him and The men who
will most likely be his opponents, you place MIR Clay
con.ucuou.ly us merit and qualica,on before
Them all Now Sir before dismiss this subject permit
me to ask you you really think that you win prose-
yss from the State Rights ranks TO Nh ssuPP0rt