Independent Democrat. [volume] (Canton, Miss.) 1842-1844, 1842-10-01
MR.. CLAY AND HIS PRINCIPLES.
" With the same measure ye mete, il shall
be measured out to you again"

w un Me same measure ye mete, u Shdt
be measured out to you again"
Look upon this picture, and then upon that.
While we fully accord to Mr.. Clay de,
servedly high rank among the distinguish.
ed men of this age and country, we believe
in all possible sincerity, that his elevation
to the Chief Magistracy Of this Republic, il
not entirely and absolutely fatal to our free
institutions, would at least be fraught with
great danger to the peculiar interests of the
South. We are aware how many differ
with US on this subject, yet we, candidly,
do not believe that Mr.. Clay has no claim
upon the support Of the South-that such
support cannot he yielded to him, by either
of the two great parties at the South-with-
out an abandonment of all former profess
sions and principles and marked disre-
gard of every thing like consistency. To
test the correctness Of this opinion, we
would appeal to the Wings themselves
to the thinking and patriotic men of the
Wing party-al who love principles more
than men, all who love consistency more than
Mr.. Clay, to LEND us their understand.
ings." "Come and let US reason together"
on this subject. as nell having common
interest in whatever concerns the prospe.
rity of our country, and the perpetuity OF
its Institutions; let US test Mr.. Clay's fit
ness for the Presidential office, not by our
principles, but by Wing principles as pro-
fessed in this state, during the trying
political contest of 1910.
First tnen. II is perfectly within the re-
collection Of all of us, that the Wing party
hereabout, were clamorous against Mr.. Van
Buren,, in 1910, on account of his opinions
as to the constitutional power Of Congress
to abolish slavery in the District Of Column
bia. That distinguished statesman, not de-
nying but that the Congress had the abstract
power, under the constitution, TO abolish
slavery in that District, yet said: ~ do not
hesitate to give it as my deliberate and well
considered opinion, that there are objections
10 The exercise Of this poUer, against the
wishes of the Slave-holding States, a, i'm
Perdtiue in their nature and obligation. in
regulating the conduct of public men, az
he ms" palpabLe ,Oant Of Constitutional y,otO-
er toould be-" This declaration was made
the cause of the most bitter denuncia,on OF
Mr.. Van Buren,, by the Wings in 184O.-
1t was talked Of at the corners of the streets,
and in private dwellings, in town and
country, in log-cabins and at Conventions,
on the hust:ngs and in the Press. twas
said, tina: once admit the power of Congress
to abolish slavery in the District Of Columbia,
and there was no longer any safety for the
South--mere "inerpe diency," was too weak
a ground for the cause Of the South to rest
upon-her only safety was in the prohibi-
tons of the Constitution but take away
that obstacle, and the abolition of slavery in
the District first, and then in the States,
would ultimately and speedily follow. We
will now show some record evidence of the
ground which the Wings of Mississippi pro-
fessed to rally on. on this question in 1870.
/. The Madison Wing Advocate, of July
18th, 1910, speaking in relation to Mr.. Van
Buren's opinions on this subject, says:-
" He places il on the ground of 'erpedien-
cy;' we prefer that Gen. Harrison should
do it on constitutional grounds. We know
that if Mr.. Van Buren, should ascertain that
a majority of votes in the United States
were favorable to the abolition of slavery in
the District of Columbia, he would think it
inexpedient to veto such BILL" We pass
on to give another declaration of the prin-
ciples of Mississippi Wings of 1910, as we
go, remarking, on the last sentence Just
quoted, that if Mr.. Van Buren, should, as he
certainly would not, have thought il " iner-
pedient" to veto bill abolishing slavery,
when majority Of the voters in the United
States were in it's favor, he would but have
carried out the doctrine of Mr.. Clay him
very principle that he and the
Wing party abuse MIR. Tyler for refusing TO
doctrine that the Executive veto,
. the one man power" must not palsy the
power Of the majority Of the immediate
of the people"
The next item OF evidence, is 10 be found
n the same journal, of Oct. 81, 1910, and
n the address OF its editor, "so the Fresmen
y .Nadison County" The FIRST announce
nsnt of this address, is that ION Monday
lext, the great contest for he ~S,nfsnanes ef1
~ Republican gOVsTaue1 commences. ri
The writer earnestly aPPeals to the Whigs