The voice of freedom. [volume] (Montpelier, Vt.) 1839-1848, 1839-06-08
Henry CLAW.

" Sketches of our Public Men," beginning with
Henry Clay: His design is to give portraits Of
the distinguished men of our nation, as accurately
as he can, irrespective of party. The design fol-
lowed up in the spirto the proposition would be
attended with goods hat ifhis pictures are partial
y drawn, if they exhibit bit one side of the mans
character whether that size be the bright or the
dark one, they will only mislead and deceive the
creduious, while they can he of little benefit to
any one.
There are some passages in Mr. Brook s
Sketch of Henry Clay, which would stand but a
sorry chance if arragned before the impartial bar
of truth So papably exaggerated are they, that
nothing but our knowledge that the author has
written them in good faith could'prevent our con-
siderng them as broad irony, intended to satirize
rather than eulogze the Honorable Senator. For
instance take the following:
But there is one other and perhaps nobler
trait of character belonging to Mr.. Clay. mean
his love of universal liberty. manifested upon all
occasions-now in behalf of South America, and
anon in defence Of the wronged Greek to-day for
Poland, and tomorrow and always so to speak, for
the freeSt freedom at home"
"His love of universal liberty" Could any
thing have been more unfortunate than the Sc
lection of such phrase? What whitening sar-
casm What cruel severity Could we be tempt
ed into eulogy of Mr.. Clay, nothing should be-
tray us into the word liberty" 1t would make
us blush 10 write it in such connection and the
friends of the Senator would blush to see it appen-
ded to the name of their favore. Henry Clay
lover ofuniversal liberty" Out upon the imp
ious falsehood Has he not built his house by
wrong and his chambers by unrghteousness =
has he not used his neighbours service without wa
ges, and refused to his laborers the recompense
due for their toll Let him go to his weary slave
gang at Ashland,and tell them of his love of uni
versal liberty! Let him shout it in the ears of
half hundred human beings whom he has re-
morselessy plnndered of their birthriight,-irom
souls he has shrouded in deep highland see how
they will regard the hypocritical boast
"The feest freedom at home" What is this
A freedom to plumber husbands of their wives
and mothers of their babes ITO drive men to their
unrequted toll by the crack of the cart-whip, and
rob the poor man of his honest earnings? If this
is what is meant by "the freest freedom at home"
then indeed is the phrase appropriately used in
reference to Mr.. Clay.
Again says Mr. Brooks: He (Clay) has
heart capable of feeling for the distresses of all
mankind, and a voice ever ready to be raised in
vindcation of the rights of man." And after this
declaration Mr. Brooks is betrayed into the fatali-
ty of quoting portion of Henry Clay's celebrated
pro-savery speech. Study that speech, if you
would learn ho,c he has raised his voice " in vindi-
cation of the rights of man." "That IS property
which the law declares TO be property" "two hun
dred years of Legislation have Sanctifed negro
slaves as property" Were ever more despotic
sentiments uttered by the lips of man? And yet
dy to raise his voice Gin vindication of the rights
OF man." The falsehood of the assertion is sur
passed only by its mathess effrontery.
Mr.. Brooks has but partially drawn the charac
ter of Henry Clay. The picture is not truthful.
He is not represented as he is. The extravagant
euogy bestowed upon him is undeserved, while
the darker traits in his character are kept entirely
out of sight. The fact that Mr. Clay is duelist,
is concealed. Nothing is said about his vicious
propensity to gamble. His conduct in the Mis-
souri, question is blurred over with single para
graph, and no alluson is made to the fact that by
precept and example he is sustaining one of the
most monsrous systems of oppression, lust, and
murder that ever cursed earth or afironted Hea-
ven. Nor are the well-known debaucheres of
the Senator spoken Of No picture of the man
emitting these things can be life-like. Had MIR.
Brooks avowed his intention of writing euogy
of Mr.. Clay, these manifold omissions could be ex-
cused But he claims to give "a distinct idea of
of the man TO Introduce him as he is" He
does no such thing. Without intending to ques-
ton the writer's honesty or ability, therefore, we
say unhesatingly that his promise is unredeemed
and his portrait ofhe Kentucky Senator is no like
ness at all.
How wickedly is language perverted when Mar
tin Van Buren, is called Democrat, and Henry
Clay a friend of universal liberty! AS well
might we speak of the disappearing Kneeland as
a Christian, or the bloody-mnded Robesplerre as
phianthropist Human ingenuity can exhibit no
greater perverson oflanguage than is furnished in
the application of such terms to such men.-Patts-
burg Witness