Burlington free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1827-1865, 1839-08-02
From the Charlottesville lVa) Advocate.
HENRY CLAY.


honesty of his character rs Henry Clay
Even Andrew Jackson. with oil his allec
tation OF the Dummies and fearless bearing
OF the soldier, could dIssemble and mlslity
when he believed it to be his interest to d.
so. On the tariff question, Tor instance
he was claimed and supported by both the
friends and enemies of protection while
on this question, as on every o'ner, MI
Claws views were known and understood
by all. The man who "would rather be
right than be President" has never stopped
her TO conceal or dissembe his opinions
and hence, although he has rendered
greater and more distinguished public ser
wees than any individual now living. his
claims have been overlooked, and others
elevated to power as inferior to him as
Thersiles TO Arcellles.
1t is not a little remarkable, however, in
the mids, of all this neglect, how invariably
his master-spirt has been looked tn both
by friends and foes whenever any great and
! mlnent danger has !mpendeC over the
country. At the commencement OF The last
war he was TIE person selected by Presi-
! den, Madison to be the commander. in"cble
| Of The army and be was not nominal ed
only because the Government could not
get on without his assistance 10 Congress
where his powerful mind aud great pupu
! larl,y enabled him to render services, the
value Of which it would not be easy TO es
innate consumating a i at Client, where,
with TIE aid Of the olher commissioners, he
succeeded 10 giving to this second war Of
independence an honorable, ond, for US,
| banpv termination.
| During the agitation Of the Missouri
question, when the best men and patriots
IN the land despaIred Of the UDion-w
| the ship OF State was fast drifting on The
| breakers, and he who had command knew
not what direction 10 give the vessel
| IN that dark hour, was there any one who
would have placed al the helm either Mar.
| tin Van Buren, or r. NJ. Johnson Neither
were lhoua ht of, but the eyes Of oil were
| turned on Henry Clay. and 1t was to his
! hand that we were then indebted for safety.
And again, when South Carolina stood in
arms to resist the tariff, and President
bayonet. "lIenry Clay (said John Ran
dolph) is the only man IN America that can
save the Union; :" aud he did save It. Thus
at lhese two remarkable epochs in our his
tory, rendering services to his country
such as it has been the fortune Of no other
citizen to render, and such as ought 10 en-.
title him TO the gratitude of every man who
| has an American heart in his bosom.
And now, when a mad fsD,iclsm is
spreading through the land, which, under
! the pretence Of establishing certain rights.
would ;rample under foot others no less
sacred, and which, in pursuit OF what is
deemed rlghtul end would resort to IN.
lawful means. regardless alike of the evils
they would lnfc on others, or those which
must inevitably recol on themselves who
| is 1t that has given so stunning blow to
the monster Abolition as Henry Clay II
these were the only services he had rcn
dercd to his country, (which is tar from
| being the CASE who is there that can be
| brought into competition with HIM What
! has either the first or second officer Of the
| Government done in comparison. to entitle
them to the elevated station they fIl?--
When Henry Clay was aborlng with so
much zeal during the last war, 10 provide
the means of raising armies and equlplng
| fleets. how was Martin Van Buren, employ.
ed' What did he do to preserve the Union
when the Missouri conflict thrca ened its
dissoution' Where then was to be found
this Northern man with Southern feelings'
A friend to the tariff, did he also like Henry
| Clay, prove himself friend TO the Union
and The rights Of the Sta,es2 Was he
then active and prominent in tanning "the
roaring lion" whose keeper for the time
being, he was said to BEL when, in his
rage. he would have burst asundor the
ties that unite US, and stained our southern
| blood'
But the claims of this distinguished man
are to be put aside, torsooth, because he
enter'alns, on some subjects, opinions and
I9ws pol cy adverse to those of q ina Oriy
OF his fellow citizens, and, knowing this,
has had the boldness to avOw them. II,
ike Gen. Jackson, ION the occasion of the
removal OF the depostcS and specie clrcu
lar, &C. he was thought capable of playing
the tyrant, and setting up has own judy
mcnt and opinion in opposition TO the
known and acknowledged wishes Of the
nation, then cerra My this objection would
have weight. But none can believe this
of Henry Clay, (even if he did not stand
pledged TO contrary course, as he has
ever shown himself prompt to execute, and
never to thwart the public will
OF unsullled honor and pure patriotism
with nothing mean, selfish, or vrndlc,ve in
his nnrure--ihoroughly prartised in the
civil administration of the Government
in some depart nent of which he has been
serving for more than thirty ycarc, hI:
powerful intellect, during this long period
employed in studying the theory and 2rsc-
tlcaI operations of our complicated system
there is no one whose political opinions
and views of policy, Leven where they
differ from our own are entitled to more
weight and respectful consideration thar
Henry Claws. A Nlrg'nian, too, and co
aborcr OF Jefferson and Madison, we have
an assurance that, # he goes into govern
ment at all, it will not be with the lgnobIt