New-York daily tribune. [volume] (New-York [N.Y.]) 1842-1866, 1842-08-16
lKr. Cinr and penocracy.

There great many withdrawing persons
in the country who have ia1bibed the idea THAT,
somehow or other, HENRY CLAY has ceased to be
a Democrat Thew know well that he once was
the leader and chief Of the Democratic host-fore-
most in council, in conflict, and in the hearts Of
the masses. But he has changed saw they he
has deserted the Democratic party But when
wher,? bow? We press these questions home on
his adversaries, and receive hundred discordant
answers. which plainly nullfy and destroy each
other. oh, it was when he turned in favor OF
National Bank saws one. But this change was
made, not merely in obedience to the dictates of a
severe National experience, bat IN company with
tie great mass of The Democratic party When
Mr.. Clay opposed the recharter Of the first Bank
in 1911, he acted with the Democratic. party :;
when he advocated the creation of tho second Bank,
he had the same good company. The creation oil
that Bank was the work Of JAMES MADISON, WIN.
H. CRAWFORD, JOHN c. CALHOUN, JOHN For
sYTH, and twe.thirds of the Democrats in Con-
gress, opposed by two-thrds OF the Federalists;
The argument that would prove MIR. Clay deser-
ter from Democracy in supporting Bank proves
that JAMES MADISON and the supporters of his
49,
alists at its close, while Timothy Pickering, RAJ
fus King and their associates as suddenly became
Democrats! This will hardly answer
But The Morning Post Gate New Era) of yes
terday, discarding all the old hypothesis to prove
Mr.. Clay Fcderalist, strikes out a new path.
1t admits, what it would be rather silly TO deny,
that Mr.. Clay was once a hrst-rate Democrat, and
that the eye Of the Nation was fixed upon him
as man of surprising ability and lofty enthusi-
asm, but it continues:
"ln little while he lei! AWAY from his first love to the
broad interests of the maay He became the advocate OF
particular classes The originator of special projects the
author of systeman 4meries system ii was called but
narrow exclusive sespicable system in reality. From
that fall Mr.. Clay has never recovered.
So, then, we discover at last that it was in
advocating PRorEcr,oS TO AMERICAN INDUSTRY
that Mr.. Clay become Federast! Instead of
having been Democrat for the greater part of
his life, every body has been blindl suppos-
ing, Mr.. Clays fall appears to have been nearly
as early in life as Adams His FIRST great speech
in advocacy of Protection was made in 1909,
thirtythree years age aud just after his entrance
upon the stage Of public life. How much earlier
his delinquency commenced, we cannot say; but II
is very certain that his fall from Democracy to
Federalism, according to the Posts notion, took
place before he elected Speaker OF a Democra-
tic Congress by the votes of the Democratic Mem
bers-a station to which he was reelected by over
whcaming Democratic votes up 20 1928 And all
this time Mr.. Clay continued an ardent, conspicu-
Gus advocate of the Protective Policy, loved and
honored champion of Democratic Administrations,
ana not a soul was shrewd enough to discover or
suspect that ne had had fall and turned Fed.
eralist!
But then 1t must be considered, in pala,ion of
the extraordinary blindness OF the whole world,
tina, the circumstances Of Mr.. Claws fall were
very bewildering. twas no, solitary precipi,a-
ton; as in the Bank case, he fell from Democracy
in company with the Democrats party! Before
he took ground in favor OF the Protective Policy,
its adoption had been urged by TaoMAs JEyrER-
son, GEoRoE CLiSroN. DANIEL D. ToarKIss,
and men of their stamp all over the Counsry.-
Mr. Jefferson in 1906 contemplated Just such a