Staunton spectator, and general advertiser. [volume] (Staunton, Va.) 183?-1849, 1839-02-21
Mr.. CLAY'S SPEECH ON ADOLF
T1ON.
W HofffLNNs iON, GU. 1908.
UNITED STATES SENATE
Correspondence OF the Baltimore American.
WAsHINGToN. Feb. 7 lS3o

| ARLINGTON, eli. I, 1889.
UNITED STATES SENATE.
a great number Vt bills were reppr,ed
but among them none Of a public character
! MIR. CHA Y,-whn ii was expected
would speak on the a bolilion question, and
who drew together an immense crowd of
! hearers,-said that he had been requested 10
| present petition from citizens of the Dis
trIct OF Columbia upon the subject of the
Addition of Slavery.
The petitioners deprecate the discussion nj
this question, and they declare that no uer>
sons OUT oil the District havea right to ne
tiiion upon the subject.
They beg that this foreign intervention
may cease, or at least that Congress will
take no notice Of the matter
The memorial being read, Mr.. CLAY
said that lie was authorized to say tba, the
prayer contained almost the unan rmous
wishes oil The people of this district Ia pre
| sen'ing 1t, Mr.. Clay said he desired TO say
something on this agiiating subject.
IL is well known, said he, that Congress
had not acted wisely in its Legislation upon
this subject. Ii would have been better, in
my opinion, 10 have received these perir;ous
10 have referred them, and 10 have reporied
! upon them.
MIR. Clay said he took pleasure in say in o.
that those who differed from him in disposinp
81 those memorials had been actuaied by
The best OF motives. lie believed they in.
Tended 10 make no unjust attack upon the
right of petition. But whatever were the,,
motives, the fact was that the AboIilioni.,s
hod taken advantage of the action OF Con-
srees. and used il for bad purposes.
MT Clay said there were three classes Of
| men in favor Of abolition.
Fret, that class conscIentiouslv o,,osed
To tl6 existence nj SI,uaru
composed mainly of Friends, " no had al
ways been opposed TO war, and always were
Ia favor Of emancipation
he second class was composed OF men
VINO Co operated with aboi,ionists for yindi
eating the RICH, OF petition.
The third class were the real, ultra, un.
compromising AboliiioDists, seeking TO ac.
complish thsir end by any means. With
| ,hai Class the rights OF property, the disco
| iuticn OF the Unioz, The overthrow OF The
| ia'fes' government in the world, q republic
upon which the hopes OF man conferred
were nothing. All is nothing With them
4 his class processes 10 ain,.it is true. al o.
thei ohJecls short o. Abolition OF Slavery
In the States They profess 10 ask merely
emancipation in this District and The ter
rHories, bDi they intend the emancipa-
ton Of 5000, COO, without preparation, in
ignorance and in po.erty. Hence their in
cessan: efforts upon this subject.
Like distinguished agitalor upon anoih-
er theatre, they cry on, for unceasing agi-
tatI"n. Abiding 10 the trouble betw cen
y CoBnel! aad Mr.. Stevenson, MIR Clay
said, think The Minister at ST. James
would have bes. consulted the dignity OF his
own station, if lie had disregardeG> The ;,lun
defer oil his own county, and the liheif,.r OF
Kindred and foreign people. He HI
could only obtain a con,raband admission in.
10 society, would eXpei us from the society
| from which be is banisbed. He NAV be as
suIed that SO FAR as we are concerned, there
VIII he an eternal ncn-in,erConrse between
US.
The ultra Abolitionsis began their eff
forts hy appealing 10 our humanity. and
Then 10 our understanding. Not content
with this assumption OF their wisdom. they
now appeal 10 the ballot box, and he must
be oiind TO The history Of things no cannot
see What Is TO follow this appeal!
| Hlr. President, continued air. CLAW
there are three periods III our country when
| this subject was agitaied
( First, immediately after the adoptio, ri
tho Constitution. Then numerous sbcIitiop
societies we're formed. They retiiionei
congress, ana Congress received their peir
,ions, heard their pray er5, referred their ue-
ltiohs, reported upQn them That reuo,
declared that Congress had no power 20 in.
toiicfe with slavery
lbe uext period was The discussion Of The
missouri Question in 1920. The strurpl.
Which took place on that occasion as lone
exciting and alarming. But il terminated
Through one Of those compromises, whwi
the people Vt this Union have often unite,
upon ioT calming Tie public mind.
The ihi'd period is the present state (,
things which perhaps has been brought
bout IN part by the British Emsnripaiici
Aci. The Abolition OF Slavery in the w es
India Islands has led y 5oitionisls TO be,iev,
That the scheme was practicable here.
ihey have imagined, AID but imagined.
similarity OF institutions. The British Par
lament has unlimited powers, and rh,s,
powers have often been defined as omnpo
tent
The powers OF Congress on The contrary
are lew and limited, and the powers u! III,
twogovernmetis are totally distinct. There
Is d wide and distinctive difference between
The two GOvernmeuis
Here Mr. Clay stated succinctlv the dit
ierences between the British and American
Constitutions
Had there been any analogy betw cen tx