Martinsburg gazette. [volume] (Martinsburg, Va. [W. Va.]) 1833-1855, 1842-11-03
From he Leringtos Observer Of October Is
NER. CLAWS SPEECH.
And Occurrences on the Deiirery Of an
Abolition Petition to him al Richmond,
Indiana.

On the first of October, 1912, Mr..
CLAY being on his way from Dayton, in
Ohio, to indianapolis 5, the Seat of Govern
ment OF the State Of Indiana, TO which he
had been previously invited, stopped at
Richmond, flourIshing town in that
State, where vast multitude, amounting
to fifteen or twenty thousand, had assem-
bed TO meet him, and greet and welcome
his arrival among them. Alter taking
some refreshmeni, he repaired 10 a stand,
provided for the occasion, from which he
addressed the immense assemblage, in his
| accustomed manner, on the public topics
Of the day. Ii is not intended 10 report
any part of that speech, which was re-
ceIved with enthusiastic applause. After
lis close, Mr.. Clay was informed that a
Mr.. Mendenhall was present ind DESTROYS
of presenting petition tc him, and he was
requested for that purpose to ascend the
stand. He did so, and delivered the peti
ton TO Mr.. Clay. He handed it 10 a
friend, who reed it aloud to Nj. Clay, and
to the Assembly. The petition prayed,
or requested that Mr.. Clay would forth,
with hberaie ali his slaves, upjustly, as it
alleged. held in bondage, and placed the
application principally on the ground that
| by the Declaration oil American lndepen.
dence, it is declared "that all men are
created equal, that they are endowed by
their Creator with certain inalienable
rights" &c.
After the reading Of the petition. the
assembly manifested great sensation, some
cried out pull him Mr.. Mendenhall)
down, and high degree OF excitement, OF
anger, and Of ndgnatioD were kindlug
against him. The slightest manifestation
OF displeasure on the part Of Mr.. Clay,
might have exposed Mr.. Mendenhaii to
great personal danger. But Mr.. Clay
rose, with perfect caImness and compo.
sure, and first addressed the multitude, in
= strain Of persuasion and eniroaiy. He
hoped that Mr.. NJ. nigh! be treated with
the greatest forbearenee ana respect t'e
assured his fellow citizens there collected,
that the presentation Of the petition had
not occasional him the slightest pain, nor
excited one solitary disagreeable emotion.
/ it were to be presented to him, he pre-
preferred that it should be done in the
face Of this vast aud respectable assem-
blage. He thought he could give il such
an answer as became him and the subject
OF which it treated. At all events, he
entieated and besought his fellow citizens,
for their sake, for his country's sake, for
his sake, to offer no disrespect, no indig
nty, no viol nee, in word or deed, TO Mr..
Mendenhal.
This appearing to compose the assem-.
bly,, Mr.. Clay bowed to Mr.. Mendenhall
and addressing him, said:
will now, Sir, make to you and to
this petition, such response as becomes
me. Allow me to say that think you
have not coniormed to the independent
character Of an American C,iz,n, in pre-
senting petition to me. am, ike your
self, but private citizen. A petition, as
the term implies, generally proceeds from
an inferior in power, or station, to supc
rior but between US there is entire equal
ity. And what are the circumstances I'M
der which you have chosen TO offer il !
am total stranger, passing through your
State, on my way to lis capital, IN conse.
quence of an invitation with which have
been honored to visit it, and 10 exchange
friendly Situations with such Of my fell
low c,tzens of Indiana as think proper 10
meet me, and to accept OF their hospitality.
Anxious as | am 10 see them, and to view
parts of this State which had never seen,
came here with hesitation and reluctance,
because apprehended that the motives OF
my Journey might be msroncelved and
perverted. But when the fulilment Of an
old promise to visit Indianapolis was in.
sisted upon, yielded II the solicitations
Of friends, and have presented myself
among you.
Such IS the occasion which has been
deliberately selected for rendering this pc.
| tiion to me. | am advanced in yeats,
am neither myself nor the place OF my
resId,n nee is altogether unknown to the
world. You might, at any time within
these LIST 20 or 30 years, have presented
your petition to me at Ashland. If You
had gone there for that purpose, you
should have been received aud treated
with perfect respect and liberal hospital.
iiy.
Now, Mr.. Mendenhall, let US reverse
conditions, and suppose you had been in.
vited to kentucky To partake of its hospl-
tallty and that previous to your arrival,
had employed such means as | under.
stand have been used TO get up this petit
ton, TO obtain the signatures Of citizens
Of that State TO a petition, to present to
you, to relinqulsh your farm and other
property, what wonld you have thought
Of such proceeding? Would you have
deemed it courteous and according to the
rites of hospitality?
know well that you, and those who
think with you, controvert the legitimacy
of slavery, and deny the right Of property
in slaves. But the law in my State and
other States has otherwise ordained. -
The law may be wrong, in your opinion,
and ought to be repealed; but, then, you
and your associates are not the law ma
kers for US, and unless you can show some
authority to nullify our laws, we must
continue 10 respect them. Until the law
is repealed, We must be excused for as
serling the rights--aye, the property in
slaves-which it sanctions, authorizes,
and vindicates.