The Charlotte journal. [volume] (Charlotte, N.C.) 1835-1851, 1842-11-10

From the Lexington ObSerrrr, October II.
On the first OF October, lsl2, Mr.. Clay
being on his way from Dayton, in Ohio, TO
Indianapolis, the Seat Of Government Of the
State OF Indiana, to which he had been pre-
vlously invited, stopped at Richmond,
iiourlshlng town in that State, where a
vast multitude amounting 10 fifteen or TWEEN.
ty thousand, had assembled 10 meet him,
and greet and welcome his arrival among
them. Alter taking some rCireshment, he
repaired TO stand, provided for the occu.
sion, from which he addressed the immense
asssmblage, IN his accustomed manner, on
the topics OF the day. / is not intended to
report any part Of that Speech, which was
received with enthusiastic applause. After
lts close, hlr. Clay was informed that Mr..
Slendenhal was present and desirous Of
presenting petition TO him, aud he was
requested for that purpose 10 ascend tho
stand. lie did so, and delivered Tue yeti.
TO MIR. Clay. lie handed /, 10 y lrieEd,
who read i! aloud 10 MIR. Clay, and to the
assembly. The petition prayed, or reques.
ted that Mr.. Clay would forthwith lbcra,o
all his slaves, unjustly, as is alleged, held
10 bondage, and placed lie application
principally on the ground that by tie De.
clarailon Of American independence, i, IS
declared ",ha, all men are created equal,
that they arc endowed by their Creator
With certain inalenable rights &c.
Alter the reading Of the petition, the as.
semby manifested grea, sensation, some
cried out pull him Mr.. Incidentally down,
and high degree Of excitement, 0! anger,
and OF indignation were kind!ing against
hun. The slightest manifestation Of dis.
pleasure on Il e part Of Mr. Clay, might
have exposed MIR. MeudenbaI 10 great per.
sonal danger. But Mr.. Clay rose, with
perfect caImness and composuEe, aud first
addressed the multitude, 10 strain Of per.
suaslon and en,Eca'y. He hoped that Mr..
NJ. might I've treated with the creates! for.
bearance and respect. He assured his Eel.
low citizens there collected, that The pre-
scutaton OF the petition had no., occasion.
ed him the slightest pain, nor excited one
solitary dl5agreeable emotion. Ii il were
TO be presented to him, he preferred that
il should be done in the face of this vast
and respectable assembtage. He thought
he could give it such an answer as became
his le.65w CITIZENS, Tor thor sake, for his
country snke, for his sake, to offer no DIS.
respect, no indgniiy, no violence, in word
or deed, TO Dir. Mendeuhal.
This appeared TO compose the assembly.
Mr.. Clay bowed TO Mr.. Mendonaall, and
addressing him. said
! will now, Sir, make TO you and to this
petition, such a response as becomes me-
Allow me TO say, that | think you have mol
conformed TO the independent character OF
IN American Citizen, in presenting peh.
! ton TO me. | am, like yourself, but pr.
vate citizen. A petition, as the term I'm.
plies, generally proceeds from an inferior
in power, or station, TO superior; but We.
tween US, ihere is entire equality. And
what are the circumstances under which
you have chosen TO offer it g.? am a total
stranger, passing through your State, On
my way to its capital, IN consequence oil
an invitation with which have been hon.
ored TO visit il, to exchange friendly saluta'
tons with such Of my fellow citizens OF In.
diana as think proper to NEE. nc, aud TO
accep, Of their hospitality. Anxious as ]
am to 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 jour-
ney might be mlsconcelved and perverted.
But when the Gutiiment of an old promise
to visit Indianapolis was insisted upon, |
yielded to the solicitations Of friends, and
have presented myself among you.
Such IS the occasion which has been ue'
, libera,eIy selected for rendering this petit
, ton 10 Inc. | am advanced 10 years, and
neither myself nor the place OF my resi-
, dence is altogether unknown 10 the world.
You might, at any lime within these last
20 or 30 years, have presented your peti.
ton to me at Ashland Ii you had gone
there for that purpose, you should have
been received aud treated with perfect re-
e spect and liberal hospitality.
Now, Mr.. Mendcnhall, let US reverse
t conditions, and suppose you had bean H.
It yitcd TO Kentucky 10 partake OF lis noSpi'
tally and that, previous 10 your arrival,
had employed such means as | under
stand have been used to get up this pe:i
, ton, to obtain the signatures ot~cltlzens o.
:, that State 10 petition to present to you,
}. to reliuquish your farm and other property
4 what would you have thought Of such a
l. proceeding? Would you have deemed i
+ courteous, and according to the rites o
l. hospitality -.
,. know well tha, you, and those who
n ,hink with YOU, con,rovert the legitimacy
's of slavery, and deny the right Of prorert,
!! in slaves. But the law in my State an1
n other States has otherwise ordained. The
SC law may be wrong, in your opinion, ant
n ought 10 be repealed: but, then, you ant
~ your associates are not the law makers iol
ID US, and unless you can show some authority
IS 10 nulHfy our laws, we must continue I.
III respect them. Until the law IS repeaiea