The daily Madisonian. [volume] (Washington City [i.e. Washington, D.C.]) 1841-1845, 1842-10-04
BElLEs-LETTREs OF ASHLAND.

4
history an o. ample Of equal political tarps'ude'
Sueb !, The language relatieg TO the Pres'-
dent of this country, We md 10 a ts''e' P''f''.
ing to be written by Henry Clay And we ASK
each individual who reads II for a moment 10
los sid, an polnicxl feeling and animosiues,
.ns u,,h d,>rassioaale Judgment 10 reflect up
ga ia character. There Is decency OF ex-
pressioa applicable upon every occasion, aud
ius,ly due every individual regard TO the pro-
nr,st,es Of life and Of social intercourse which
cannot safely be violated and whatever may
be oar opinion OF any man, dasnihed seli-resPee'
reqosres il should be expressed, however damna-
tory. In meet language and with no obscure
vulyarits And whoever accustoms himself 10
,Ae use OF terms indecent Of themselves or IN
their application. degrades his nature, shames
ms parentase, and makes him but fl associate
Tor hruses aad BRUSH men.
A man whom the People have exalted
Chef Magistrate who represents in his office
the ScyereQnsy OF The People. is entitled TO a
Astae more respect, IN conduct and IN language
sAan raass,insui>hed Individuals. For he as
The iaa~>aimen, Of The invisible popular domln-
saa Epsn wAieA arc lad the foundations OF our
avs, sas the waoae syssem of social HE; aud
"a Ass p<~ssa VIZ rccSssasze The expression Of the
y.ssaaa4s salsrssaasllas, By the power OF the
PsVss<, sAsxD Ae IS guarded from assault
Al sssA language, prcessdias trNsn almost
ass eSa<x laassRA@al VIC should have expressed
eSsr PrsSs&aG assSassAgeaI eu, We have Of late
sxxz sss laGsA aassy@aseS 10 ieaeeeneIes from
tass g<Ssaa - display e1Aer seatsnsnss than
aAss< ef Alternate eoaseSap, aud compassion
asss 10 ifaae fox Ais reeens aoerhlsy Of expires
s2aa. 50 GENEROUSLY sgTaeelal, rs The surn'se
al so<ae ilienis OF the unfortunate man, who
hare sign ned their suspicious, that the nordl-
nate indulgence of violent passions, combined
with sense OF his desperate political fortunes,
has shattered or materially weakened the intel
Iec,, once vigorous, though always ill-regulated.
The hypocrite, with his smooth face aud sub
dued expression, may convince his audience OF
the sincerity Of his feelings; the debauchee may
moralize most virtuuusly and most successfully;
the miser, with some persuasive force, may com
mend benevolence; the gambler, with certain
assurance. prate of honesty and the bawd, with
virtuous coun,enance and indignant eloquence,
express her loathng of lewdness. But when
Henry Clay babies Of honor, he means
tredchery.
For he who has said TO corruption, thou art
my father; TO the worm, thou art my mother
and my sister, who has been defled in the
slime, and reeked with the stencil Of prohgacy;
who has made of his life moral lazar-house
Il L. =. ali III,
,rid and rotten, all that is loa,hsome or abhor-
rent, all that dsgusts, sickens. destroys, have
been gathered into one vile heap of foul gross
ness filling the air around with pestilential va
pors he who has systematised political base
ness. marking it by its different degrees, so as
to reward it according to its different deserts )
making graduated scale of corruption, with
diplomas for initiated adults who has eiabora-
ted code of laws to legaliZe immoralites and
to sanction debaucherles whose long political
career has been series of gratuous trea-
cherries; his talents, disasters, his life a
lie; he who has rioted in vileness and
grown strong on treason Is it for such a
person to talk OF base treachery and political
,urpitude?"
desire to visit his political sins even with the
castiga,ion they so richly deserve: no feeling OF
personal ill-will dictates or guides course to-
wards the gentleman. 1t is only, when with
the impudent hardihood Of his nature, he al
lacks those in talent his equals in all that con-
sttutes integrity of character, much his superb
ors, we feel mpelled by the duty we owe the
Il. a. 81
,ruth-whose cause is every man's-to rope his
base assertions, and to hurl back his unprovoked
epithets.
Base treachery-politica turpitude". With
such sins Henry Clay charges John Tyler;
with such sins his servle rout of Bacchanaan
jewellers, of profigate disappointed oflice-seek
ers, follow up the attack. 1t ill becomes one tc
talk of "political turpitude" whose own escut-
cheon is stained with such foul and damnne
evidences of the very accusalon-who betray
ed, without scruple, the solemn and momentou.
trust of confding people-and basely barter.
ed, for the rappngs and gewgaws Of office
the principles of his youth and the unlarnished
lustre Of his name-who by dishonorable bar
gain, without precedent, we trust il will be
without example, defeated, parayzed the action
OF the popular will and diverted its course; ant
for the gilded reward Of more conspicuous inia
my-who cemented a most unholy union by {
most unholy contamination, and with rockies,
bravado glored in the act. And it i'll become
him to speak of ''base treachery" who has nou
rished and abandoned measures, who has orr
ginated and deserted councils, who has flaltere,
and sacrificed friends, fathless, inconstant an,
nnprncipled-and, though a vindctve enemy
an unsafe ally.
Our expressions may seem sirnnr-fhe snh