The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1838-08-31
FROM TnE RICHMOND WING.
To Henri Clay, Esq.-LErrEI

oir-in my iorinor letters, l have ouly
invited your attention 10 the subject of the
Bank of the United States. la treating oil
that, | have carefully avoided all remarks
which might give rise 10 irreconclIeabe
disagreemenis between Js. | have dcne
this at the hazard Of falling into strain OF
hackneyed common place, and yet, | fear,
not without presenting many ideas which
you vii not approve. Ii may be still more
difficult 10 handle, inoilensiyely, other top.
les OF which ! wish To speak. Aud vet
persuade myself that Tho temper OF my FOR.
mer letters, will be thought, TO eniiIIe me to
candid bearing even on the delicate ques.
ton Of the lauii.
Tha; you ina, believe thai do not mean
TO abuse the indulgence | ask, begin by
assuring you, that shall be careful not 10
trouble you with the oil repeated argument
OF The opponents, The unequal operation of
the protective system. Tie " Forty bag
Iheorem ] shall leave to It's author, hav.
ing no idea that he will ever reIuquush, or
that YOU will ever adopt It. | shall only
Csc the fact, that Il has been put forth BY
hIn', aud has been adopted by thousands.
1t presents an ingenious theory, which, like
the theory OF the tides, may or may not be
true. But the business Of the navigator
- with The tides and not with the Moon.
Nine IS not with the soundness OF Mr.. Nc.
Duties theory, but with the fact oil ats pro.
mitigation and general acceptance IN the
South, and with some OF the results for
which II proposes TO account. These are
lhc same, whether the theory be true or false.
The results 10 which allude. are political
not commercial. las only in . political
point OF view that propose to trea, the
subject, and It IS to the lights thrown npo.l
II. by recsn, political experience, tina,
would invite yo0r attention.
You haye npl forgotten, Slr,-nooe will
ever forget, tina, most hnllian, portion 81
year lie, when YOU filled the Char OF the
House Of Representatives. |, must be 10
pou a source ofproud satisfaction to remen.
Ter, hoS. during Mr., Monroe's last four
years, when has L,euicaanis were embar.
rassing ms Administration by their indirect
seraglles for ths scep,re, lIst about TO fat
from his Iniirn hand, aud all that there was
.ol energy and splni aud dignity and conas
iency ,n the conduct of public affairs, was
lunnd ~ that then independent assembly OF
the Representatives ol the People
Ia tie midst Of these gratifying reminis
cenccs, wall You bear the suggestion, that,
perhaps al that soFs time ~ that body, and
by your own hand, we're planted The seeds
Of is subsequent humiliation aud disgrace
do you remember Your amazcment and
dismay. when, not long after, YOU saw the
mere animal instinct, which draws the rob
bic Of al countries after the drum and fi,~,
and makes the bloody banner Of the con.
queFor their cloud aud pillar Of FIRE, ey,
tending itself, as by infection, through ali
classes. and Pefyerlng the Dudemcn, Of the
wise, and tanning the ardof ul the bold
aud the splfi OF the tree ! And why was
tins ~ the late confessions Of Mr. Cal.
hann, you have the answer. need not
repeat bis words, Sir. You heard them.
! uu heard him declare, IN substance, that
he md hi, friends had gwen their support
TO General Jackson, in the hape that his
personal popularity and arbitrary temper
might b. 60 them refuge from What they
deemed the uoyust and oppressive lcg,sla.
lion Of Congress. As long ago as l-2s,
sou had heard, from the lips oil Mr.. Ran.
dolph, The startling declaration, ',that the
lines called for man who should carry ~
20 tho Presidential Char the SPIRIT or
COMMAND Do YOU remember too, SIR,
how isal gentleman adtRontshed the House,
the, It was mol until the English pafha;aeu,
bad made Itself odous 10 the people, tha,
The public mnd was prepared to ecquiesce
IN the usufpa,ou OF Cromwell, and the vIo
lent dissolution OF that bod, You are per.
hops moi aware, that, near the close Of his
life, that extraordinary man, not more re.
matkable for his oloquence, than for an in.
tmtlve sngaciN, which often gave TO ms
rashness an appearance ot IN.
spiratIon, was asked the practical meaning
ol that phrase ",ho Splrt Of Command.
Ills answer was, that he meant by It, "a
something tia; men bold dangerous ia.
Guilty which makes the possessor an object
If fear 10 freud and foe ; IN short the dis
position and the ability TO make power 90
as far a. power can be made to GO
Here you have glimpse Of the thoughts
aud purposes OF two men, as litle addicted
10 aCqu,esce 10 the will Of = master, as any
that ever lived OF the first II may too
much So say, that he "would rather reign
IN he'll that servo IN heaven" Certain II
IS. that no subordinate station has yet been
found where he could be content. am
moi sure that the other dld not scorn man
KIND too much to desire power TO be eSer.
.,s.l ,,,,or s,,,h ka,nas Tho noet who i'm.